Lee Jung-hoo (27), an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, is drawing attention across South Korea, the United States, and Japan with a standout start to his Major League Baseball season.
On Apr. 20 (Korean time), Lee started as the No. 3 hitter and center fielder in a matchup against the Los Angeles Angels, going 1-for-4 and helping the Giants secure a 3–2 win. The hit extended his streak to five consecutive games with at least one hit, dating back to an Apr. 16 game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He has recorded hits in 17 of the 20 games he has appeared in this season. Lee is currently batting .355 with a 1.044 OPS (on-base plus slugging), ranking third and fifth in the National League, respectively. Across all of MLB, those numbers place him sixth and ninth.
Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington compared Lee to one of the game’s greats, saying, “He reminds me of a young Ichiro.”
U.S. media outlets, once skeptical of Lee’s potential, have begun to recognize his rise. On Apr. 19, Major League Baseball’s official website referred to him as the “Grandson of the Wind,” calling him “one of the most valuable players in baseball” and “a legitimate contender for the batting title.” The site also pointed to his breakout three-game series against the New York Yankees from Apr. 12 to 14, when he homered in each game, noting that Lee has “become a nationwide star.”
For San Francisco, Lee’s emergence comes at a crucial time. The Giants had made unsuccessful bids in recent years to land superstars such as Bryce Harper (33), Ohtani Shohei (31), and Aaron Judge (33). Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the club before last season, but a shoulder injury cut that campaign short. This year, he is delivering on expectations.
Fan enthusiasm has surged in San Francisco. Supporters have formed a group dubbed the “Hoo Lee Gans,” a nod to the term “hooligans” often associated with hardcore European soccer fans. Members show up in matching white T-shirts emblazoned with the fan club’s name and flame-shaped hats. Their synchronized cheers and bold attire regularly draw the attention of broadcasters during games. Oracle Park, the Giants’ home stadium, has even established a designated cheering section in Lee’s honor.
Lee’s performance is also generating buzz in Japan, where MLB stars like Ohtani and Sasaki Roki (24) are already in the spotlight. Japanese media have labeled Lee as “Korea’s Ichiro,” with his games receiving widespread coverage. Many reports have highlighted that he was born in Nagoya in 1998, during the period his father, Lee Jong-beom, was playing for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
Among Japanese fans, lighthearted reactions have followed: “Lee might be even better than Ichiro—he’s got more power,” and “Since he was born in Japan, let’s bring him onto the Japanese national team for the World Baseball Classic.”
