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Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo looking to become more complete ballplayer

Published: 22 Jan. 2026, 09:32 Updated: 22 Jan. 2026, 17:27

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport before departing for Los Angeles on Jan. 21, 2026. [YONHAP]

Entering his third season with the San Francisco Giants, outfielder Lee Jung-hoo said Wednesday he is determined to become a more complete player, not just someone known for his hitting ability as he had been in Korea.

After playing only 37 of the possible 162 games due to a shoulder injury as a rookie in 2024, Lee had a solid first full season in Major League Baseball (MLB) last year.

In 150 games, Lee batted .266 with eight home runs, 47 RBIs and team-leading totals of 31 doubles and 12 triples. His 149 hits put him in second place on the Giants, 10 behind Heliot Ramos.

Lee also stole 10 bases — the second-highest total on the team — but rated as a below-average defender in center field. And it's in these two areas, baserunning and fielding, where Lee feels he has much more to give.

Before departing for Los Angeles to continue his offseason training, Lee told reporters at Incheon International Airport he'd already had this conversation with his new manager, Tony Vitello, during Vitello's visit to Korea this month along with some Giants executives.

"I told him I want to be a better baseball player," Lee said. "A baseball player isn't someone who does only one thing well. When I struggle at the plate, I still want to be able to help the team with my baserunning and defense. He said he will try to help me as much as he can."

Before joining the Giants, Lee reigned supreme as the best contact hitter in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for seven years. He won two batting titles in 2021 and 2022, and finished in the top 10 three other times. He hit .340 from 2017 to 2023, the highest mark in the KBO in that span.

But Lee acknowledged Wednesday his heavy focus on hitting might have been his big undoing in the majors.

"In Korea, I was a player who mostly worried about hitting," he said. "But when I started experiencing some difficulty at the plate in the U.S., it affected me in other areas of the game, too. It then led to mental struggles."

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants, right, signs a baseball for a fan at Incheon International Airport before departing for Los Angeles on Jan. 21, 2026. [YONHAP]

Lee also said he should have taken more of a charge as the team's primary center fielder last year and he beat himself up for not exuding more confidence on the field.

It was a surprisingly candid admission for the 27-year-old star who has always carried himself with an air of confidence. Lee also said those mental issues also caused some inconsistency and he wants to make sure his lows won't be too low this year.

On a more positive note, with one and a half season under his belt now, Lee feels he has become more familiar with MLB pitchers.

"It's a good thing that I can prepare for pitchers on my own, without relying entirely on our analytics department," Lee said. "I want to take a big step forward this year and want to be better than last year in every aspect. Until last year, I tried too hard to live up to fans' expectations and I feel like it ate me up. But it's all part of being a professional athlete, and I will continue to work hard."

Lee also confirmed his participation in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. It will be his first WBC as a big leaguer and Lee will be a no-brainer choice as Korea's starting center fielder.

Korea will try to make it past the opening round for the first time since losing to Japan in the final of the 2009 tournament — having been eliminated early in 2013, 2017 and 2023.

If Korea survives the first phase, it could set up a meeting against the mighty United States as early as the semifinals and a potential showdown for Lee against his Giants staff ace, Logan Webb.

Webb has been among the best pitchers in MLB in the past handful of years. The right-hander has led the National League (NL) in innings in each of the past three seasons and topped the NL in strikeouts with 224 in 2025.

"It will be fun to face Webb. I haven't even faced him in live batting practice," Lee said with a smile. "I've only seen him from behind in center field, and he's an absolutely incredible pitcher. I'd love to go up against him, and I am sure my Korean teammates want to do that, too."

Yonhap