Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants etched his name into franchise history with a standout performance against the New York Yankees on April 13.
U.S. sports magazine Sports Illustrated (SI) reported on April 14 with the headline, “San Francisco Giants Star Crushes Yankees With Record-Setting Home Run Barrage,” highlighting Lee’s solo display that helped the Giants clinch their first-ever series win at Yankee Stadium.
In the game, the 26-year-old outfielder led a dramatic comeback by launching a solo home run in the fourth inning when the team was down 0–3, followed by a go-ahead three-run shot in the sixth, putting on a one-man show. Riding that momentum, the Giants secured a 5–4 victory.
Thanks to Lee’s heroics, the Giants took two out of three games in the road series. It marked the first time San Francisco has ever claimed a winning series at Yankee Stadium since interleague play began in 2002. As Forbes noted, few were actually aware of the Giants’ past struggles in the Bronx—“at least not until Sunday,” when Lee launched two homers into the right-field seats and continued his early-season breakout.
Lee set another historic milestone. According to SI, “Not only was it the first multi-homer game of Lee’s career, but he also became the first player in Giants history with a multi-homer game against the Yankees.” That includes the franchise’s early years as the New York Giants, making Lee the first in the club’s 125-year history to achieve the feat.
International outlets heaped praise on Lee. SI noted that after injuries limited him to just 37 games last season, Lee “is quickly establishing himself as one of the best, most exciting players in baseball now that he’s healthy.” The outlet added that “if he keeps this up, he looks well on his way to a massive breakout campaign.”
MLB.com wrote that Lee is “already looking like one of the breakout stars of the 2025 campaign,” having quickly silenced doubts about his ability to adjust to big-league pitching after making the jump from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). NBC Sports echoed the sentiment, calling him the Giants’ best all-around player so far this season and noting that he “almost single-handedly lifted the Giants’ offense” in their series-clinching win over the Yankees.
His teammates and coaches also praised his performance. Giants manager Bob Melvin called it “pretty remarkable” that Lee was able to deliver such results against pitchers he had never faced before, noting that his “bat-to-ball skills” allow him to put just about anyone in play.
Logan Webb, who started for the Giants that day, said Lee “doesn’t seem afraid of the spotlight,” noting that his experience playing in Korea’s loud, high-energy stadiums has prepared him well. He added that Lee has a knack for coming through in big moments and is only going to get better.
