Biography
Jung-hoo Lee (Korean: 이정후; born August 20, 1998) is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the KBO League for the Kiwoom Heroes.
Lee won the KBO League Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 and the KBO League Most Valuable Player Award in 2022. He won five consecutive Golden Glove Awards from 2018 to 2022. Lee has also played for the South Korean national baseball team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12, 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
He is the son of Lee Jong-beom, who starred in the KBO League and earned the nickname "Son of the Wind," earning the younger Lee the moniker "Grandson of the Wind."
Early life
Lee was born on August 20, 1998, in Nagoya, Japan, when his father was playing in NPB for the Chunichi Dragons. In a profile of his father when Lee Jung-hoo was seven years old, he was already attracting attention for his devotion to baseball and his skill at the game.
Professional career
Nexen / Kiwoom Heroes
The Nexen Heroes selected Lee in the 2017 KBO League draft (held in 2016), as an infielder. Following spring training, Lee was included on the team's Opening Day roster at age 18 without going through the KBO Futures League. Converted to an outfielder, Lee became the first rookie out of high school to appear in every game for a KBO team. He finished the season batting .324/.395/.417 with 2 home runs, 47 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 179 hits, which set a new rookie record for hits. At the conclusion of the season, Lee was voted KBO League Rookie of the Year Award.
In 2018, Lee batted .355/.412/.477. In 2019 he batted .336/.386/.456. In 2019, he won series MVP in the playoffs. His father, Lee Jong-beom, won the MVP award in the 1993 Korean Series, with a batting average of .310 (9 hits in 29 at-bats) and three steals, the most in a game. With Lee Jung-hoo's selection, it became the first time in the KBO that both father and son won a postseason MVP award. Lee won another Golden Glove Award in 2020 with a batting line of .333, 15 home runs, 101 RBIs, and a career-high OPS of .921.
In the 2021 season, Lee batted .360/.438/.522. On October 25 at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park, Lee hit for the cycle against the Samsung Lions.
In the 2022 season, Lee played in 142 games and hit .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs and 113 RBIs. After the season, he won the KBO League Most Valuable Player Award.
In 2023, Lee played in 85 games for Kiwoom, and hit .319/.407/.456 with six home runs and 45 RBIs. On July 25, 2023, it was announced that Lee would undergo season–ending surgery after suffering a fractured ankle. On December 4, Lee was officially posted to Major League Baseball (MLB) by the Heroes.
San Francisco Giants
On December 14, 2023, Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. The Giants also had to pay an additional posting fee of $18.825 million to the Kiwoom Heroes.
Lee hit his first home run in MLB on March 30, 2024, against the San Diego Padres. Family members, including his father, were in attendance to witness the event. Lee suffered an injury to his left shoulder on May 12, and the Giants announced that he would undergo season–ending labrum surgery on May 17. In 37 games for the Giants, Lee had hit .262/.310/.331 with two home runs and eight RBI.
International career
Lee represented South Korea at numerous international tournaments.
Lee's first appearance in the international stage was at the 2016 U-18 Baseball World Cup, as South Korea won the tournament. Lee then went onto represent the national team in the 2017 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, where South Korea place 2nd overall.
In the 2018 Asian Games, Lee delivered the winning RBI against Taiwan on November 17. He also played for Team Korea at the 2019 WBSC Premier12 tournament, and led the tournament with five doubles. Lee went on to represent South Korea at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic as well.