It will compete with LAD, the death record. In fact, SF is unexpected, but thanks to Lee Jung-hoo, it's all ML's flagship player-level treatment

Apr 10, 2025

It will compete with LAD, the death record. In fact, SF is unexpected, but thanks to Lee Jung-hoo, it's all ML's flagship player-level treatment
Lee Jung-hoo hits a right-handed hit in the bottom of the sixth inning of the home game ㅔ against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on the 10th (Korea time) and is heading to first base. AP Yonhap News



It will compete with LAD, the death record. In fact, SF is unexpected, but thanks to Lee Jung-hoo, it's all ML's flagship player-level treatment
Lee Jung-hoo, the main model for the San Francisco Giants' new uniform. Photo =SF Giants' X Account
In the early days of the season, the National League (NL West) is drawing attention as the most fierce place to fight for first place.

Let's look at the ranking as of the 10th (Korea time).

The San Diego Padres are in first place with a 10-3 record. However, the gap with the second-place San Francisco Giants (9 wins and 3 losses) is only 0.5 games. The third-place Los Angeles Dodgers (10 wins and 4 losses) lag behind San Francisco in terms of winning percentage and have no game difference. The ranking can be changed depending on the results of the game every day.




It is noteworthy that these three teams are included in the 1st to 4th place in the winning rate among the 30 teams. The Philadelphia Phillies (8-3), who are ranked first in the NL East, are ranked third, which makes them stand out. 'Death Joe' is usually referred to as the AL East, but this season it is the NL West.

The unexpected of the three teams is actually San Francisco. Before the season, local experts predicted that the San Diego and Arizona Diamondbacks would not be easy, even though they picked the defending champion Dodgers as the strongest in the West. Arizona has a strong pitching and hitting power, including recruiting FA pitcher Corbin Burns last winter. However, San Francisco is doing well, and Arizona is lagging behind.

It will compete with LAD, the death record. In fact, SF is unexpected, but thanks to Lee Jung-hoo, it's all ML's flagship player-level treatment
Lee Jung-hoo is celebrating Mike Yastremski, who fired a two-run shot at the end of the 10th inning. AP Yonhap News
Lee Jung-hoo is cited as the driving force behind the San Francisco sensation. San Francisco, which had been at the bottom of each batting category last year, seems to have strengthened its overall structure as Lee Jung-hoo returns and bats third.




As of today, San Francisco ranks sixth in the NL with an average of 4.75 points per game. Team home runs (14) are only half of the Dodgers (28), and team OPS is in ninth place in the NL with 0.692, but they are scoring effectively. Various reasons can be found, but it should be attributed to Lee Jung-hoo's on-base, connecting ability, base running, and outfield defense.

As Lee Jung-hoo has emerged as a sign of San Francisco, experts' interest is also increasing. Every day, Lee Jung-hoo is trying to float.

ESPN, the largest sports channel in the U.S., predicted in an article titled '2025 MLB Prediction: The Hotest Things That Happened in Two Weeks' that Giants Lee Jung-hoo will win the NL batting champion and rank fifth in the MVP vote.




The media said, `Lee Jung-hoo, who played only 37 games due to injury last year, would have been a candidate for NL Rookie of the Year if he had gone 15 less at-bats.' `Lee Jung-hoo can be seen as Luis Arraez, who has fast speed and long-shot ability, and he hits the ball evenly in all directions, making it difficult for the opponent to defend. Between front hitter Willy Adames and back hitter Matt Chapman, he is facing a good ball to hit with runners on the ground.

It will compete with LAD, the death record. In fact, SF is unexpected, but thanks to Lee Jung-hoo, it's all ML's flagship player-level treatment
Lee Jung-hoo hit a triple at first base with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. ImagesYonhap News
It will compete with LAD, the death record. In fact, SF is unexpected, but thanks to Lee Jung-hoo, it's all ML's flagship player-level treatment
LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani hits a hit in the first inning against the Washington Nationals on the 10th (Korea time). ImagesYonhap News
Subsequently, the media are candidates for NL MVP, including Shohei Otani, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Ellie Delacruz, Corbin Carroll, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Kyle Tucker, and Lee Jung-hoo is better except for four of them. He is as hot as a summer afternoon in the Florida sun. Now I'll double-check in August, he claimed.

This means that Lee Jung-hoo is playing so well that he is on par with these superstars who are challenging to become MVP.

In the final game of the three consecutive home games against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park, Lee Jung-hoo hit three hits, one RBI and one run from five times at bat, leading the team to an 8-6 come-from-behind victory.

He batted 0.333 (15 hits in 45 at-bats), had four RBIs, 11 runs, three walks, seven strikeouts, three steals, a on-base percentage of 0.375, a slugging percentage of 0.533 and an OPS of 0.908 for the season. With seven doubles, he is the lone lead in the entire Major League and the number one hit and score in the team.

Sports Illustrated says 'Lee Jung-hoo is the most outstanding contributor to San Francisco's offense at the beginning of the season. Lee Jung-hoo, who emerged as an influential player on the team last year, completely dispelled the aftereffects of his shoulder injury, formed a legitimate foundation for three players to support San Francisco. Matt Chapman continues his MVP-level performance in the way he established himself, and superstar prospect Bryce Eldridge will soon break down the door.'"

Eldridge, a right-left outfielder, is a former first-round draft player in 2023 and is expected to make his major league debut this season as he marked a batting average of 0.291, 23 homers, 92 RBIs, 76 points, and OP 0.890, step up single A→ single A+→ double A→ triple A last year. This means that Lee Jung-hoo, Chapman, and Eldridge will be the `triangular squadron' that will lead San Francisco in the next few years.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.