“There’s really nothing he can’t do.”
That’s how Matt Williams, the current San Francisco Giants third base coach, recalls his former manager of the Kia Tigers, Lee Jung-hoo. The two met as enemies in the KBO and joined the San Francisco Giants in the new season side by side.
Lee signed a six-year, $113 million ($155.5 million) contract with the Giants in December of last year through the posting system (closed competitive bidding). The Giants actively expressed interest in Lee, sending general manager Pete Futilla to South Korea and scouting him at least three times, and reorganized their outfield to make room for him in center field.
The club and the league have high hopes for Lee. Baseball stats site FanGraphs.com projected Lee to be among the top 10 hitters in all of baseball this year, and among the top five in the National League. They projected a .291 batting average, .354 on-base percentage, .431 slugging percentage, 11 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 78 runs scored in 2024. MLB.com also named Lee as one of the 10 players who will surprise you in 2024.
Coach Matt Williams, who watched Lee’s performance in the KBO League up close, was excited to see what he could do. Williams previously led KIA for two seasons from 2020 to 2021. The former KIA manager joined San Francisco as a third base 온라인카지노사이트 coach in October of last year, and since then, the two have been inseparable as Lee has been a member of the Giants.
Williams told The Athletic on Sept. 9, “I saw Lee a lot while I was the KIA manager. He’s a really good hitter, and when you watch him, you’re like, ‘There’s nothing he can’t do,'” he reflected. “He’s a good outfielder, and he’s one of the best hitters in the KBO. Even when he’s not with the bat, he contributes to the team (by running, hitting, and fielding),” adding, “He has a great understanding of baseball and is loved by his teammates in the clubhouse.”
“San Francisco’s scouts have been watching him for a long time, and they didn’t need my input to know that he would be a great addition to the team,” said Coach Williams, adding, “I think he’ll be the missing link to lead San Francisco to a World Series championship.”
