The San Francisco Giants have gotten off to a wonderful start this season, jumping out to a 9-3 record.
That is helping them keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in a highly competitive National League West race. If they want to remain within arm’s reach of their peers, they are going to have to start finding some answers offensively.
It has been rough at the plate so far for the Giants. As a team, they have a slash line of .228/.288/.404 with a 100 OPS+.
Several players have been slow getting out of the gate. Catcher Patrick Bailey, first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald and shortstop Willy Adames all have negative WAR numbers. The highest OPS+ of that group is 80.
What has kept the offense from bottoming out completely is the stellar performance of a few hitters in the lineup.
Early contributions from veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski have been awesome, with a 0.8 WAR and several clutch hits. He will be a name to watch on the rumor mill as the season moves along.
However, the player people are paying most attention to in the lineup is their dynamic center fielder, Jung Hoo Lee.
Signed to a massive five-year, $113 million deal ahead of the 2024 campaign, he was a star in Korea before coming over to the MLB. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to showcase that talent very much as a rookie.
Just 37 games into the season, he suffered a shoulder injury when crashing into the wall. Season-ending surgery was required, ending his year before it really got started.
Motivated to prove doubters wrong, Lee entered spring training with unwavering confidence. Despite the injury, he wasn’t going to change how he played the game.
The Giants are benefitting from that. He is showcasing the talent in center field that led to him winning a Gold Glove Award in five straight seasons from 2020-2024 in the KOB.
He has been arguably their best player at the start of the season, being highlighted by Jared Greenspan of MLB.com for the hot start he has gotten off to coming off an injury.
“Lee slashed .353/.371/.529 during his recent eight-game hitting streak…His presence as the No. 3 hitter has lengthened San Francisco’s lineup, keying an unlikely 9-3 start in a stacked NL West,” he wrote.
Lee currently leads the MLB with seven doubles and has recorded a .333/.375/.533 slash line, adding one triple as well. His speed and athleticism have been on display on the base paths, as he is 3-for-3 on attempted steals as well.
This is exactly the kind of production San Francisco envisioned when they committed to the international star last winter. He possesses a dynamic skill set and has infectious energy that his teammates are feeding off of.
