<\/p>\n
Giants right fielder Jung\u00a0Hoo Lee collects his fourth hit of the game Monday against the\u00a0Washington Nationals at Oracle Park.<\/p>\n
Carlos Avila Gonzalez\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
Giants right fielder Jung\u00a0Hoo Lee rounds second base against the Washington Nationals on Monday at Oracle Park.<\/p>\n
Carlos Avila Gonzalez\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
Giants right fielder Jung\u00a0Hoo Lee gestures to teammates Tuesday after hitting a single against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park.<\/p>\n
Jed Jacobsohn\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Giants right fielder Jung Hoo Lee said he began to feel more comfortable in 2025 in his\u00a0second\u00a0major-league campaign. \u201cLast year was really good and I feel that I\u2019m still adjusting to the league right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Kayla Wolf\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
In a different era, Jung Hoo Lee<\/a>\u2019s numbers would have the baseball world\u2019s full attention.<\/p>\n Most notably, his batting average\u00a0\u2014 a statistic that\u2019s lost some of its historic luster with the introduction of advanced metrics that can explain more thoroughly a player\u2019s impact at the plate on his team\u2019s run-scoring.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, through Wednesday Lee is batting .338 for the San Francisco Giants<\/a>, the second-highest average in baseball behind Miami\u2019s Otto Lopez. His MLB-leading 18-game hitting streak dating to May 14 \u2014 interrupted by an eight-game absence due to a back strain \u2014 against the Los Angeles Dodgers pushed that average from .265 at the streak\u2019s start.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Lee is the first Giant since Angel Pagan in 2016 to keep a hitting streak alive at least 18 games; Pagan\u2019s lasted 19. It\u2019s a streak so impressive and timely that Lee could hit his way into All-Star consideration.<\/p>\n \u201cI just notice Jung Hoo\u2019s comfortability in his own skin,\u201d manager Tony Vitello<\/a> said.<\/p>\n That simple statistic is enough to explain Lee\u2019s impact on the Giants offense, which leads the league in some evaluative stats since Lee\u2019s hitting streak began last month. Over 26 games since May 14 the Giants lead with 133 weighted runs created-plus (where 100 wRC+ is the average), .839 OPS, .362 weighted on-base average and, yes, a .284 average. They\u2019re scoring over 5.5 runs per game in that span, good for third in MLB. And their strikeout rate also dropped to 19.5%, albeit while carrying a league-low 6.8% walk rate.<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In a lot of ways, the offense has been following Lee\u2019s lead: They\u2019re staying aggressive, generating plenty of contact and making it count. Few walks, few strikeouts, but lots of pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses, creating opportunities.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n That\u2019s Lee\u2019s game, as the Giants banked on when they signed him for $113 million over six years out of the Korean Baseball Organization in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the feel is there. I\u2019ve been swinging aggressively on strikes,\u201d Lee said with Giants translator Justin Han interpreting on Monday, after one of his four games with four or more hits during this streak. \u201cThe timing and balance are there at the same time. I\u2019m getting good results out of what I\u2019m doing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Lee has been an offensive engine, but other Giants are heating up alongside him. Matt Chapman<\/a> had a four-hit, two-home run game in their unlikely comeback win on Wednesday, and over his last 26 games (since May 14), he\u2019s batting .319 with five home runs, nine doubles and 23 RBIs. Bryce Eldridge<\/a>, Wednesday\u2019s hero for his\u00a0walk-off grand slam<\/a>, is along for the ride, batting .397 with a 1.175 OPS in the 17 games he\u2019s played since becoming a regular.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a>
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