▲ Jung-hoo Lee getting a hit
Local U.S. media outlets have rushed to praise Jung-hoo Lee (San Francisco Giants), who set a 17-game hitting streak.
NBC Sports in the U.S. highlighted Lee today (June 10) in an article titled "Team Lost, but Lee Shined."
The media outlet described Lee as "the hottest hitter in Major League Baseball (MLB) recently," adding, "He extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a hit in today's game against Washington."
It continued, "This is the longest hitting streak by a San Francisco player since Donovan Solano (17 games) in 2020," and "It is also the longest hitting streak in MLB this season."
It also reported, "Lee's batting average was only .265 when his hitting streak began, but he has raised it to .335, ranking second in all of MLB," and "In particular, he has recorded multi-hit games (two or more hits in a single game) in eight of his last 12 games."
In today's home game against Washington at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, Lee started as the fifth hitter and right fielder, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. This extended his hitting streak to 17 games, which began on May 15 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He surpassed the previous record for the longest MLB hitting streak by a Korean hitter (16 games), held by Shin-Soo Choo in 2013 (currently special assistant to the owner of the SSG Landers) and Ha-Seong Kim in 2023 (currently with the Atlanta Braves).
On this day, Lee also demonstrated his sharp plate discipline and hitting feel through his play.
In his second plate appearance in the bottom of the third inning, when a high sinking fastball from opposing starter Andrew Alvarez was called a strike, Lee requested a challenge and successfully had it overturned to a ball.
According to MLB.com, the difference between where the ball crossed and the upper boundary of the strike zone was less than 1 inch (about 0.25 cm).
After working a favorable 3-1 count, Lee hit a single to right field.
The hit he produced in his third plate appearance in the fifth inning was, quite literally, "crafted."
He exquisitely pulled a difficult inside, low fastball from right-handed pitcher Brad Lord, blasting a two-run double.
Regarding this play, NBC Sports highlighted it as "the most impressive moment of Lee's hitting streak," describing how he "reacted quickly to an inside, low fastball to pierce the defense."
The Mercury News, a local San Francisco newspaper, reported, "Lee extended his hitting streak to 17 games, drawing chants from the crowd," and added, "During his hitting streak, Lee is batting .500, and in the 12 games since returning from a back injury, he has recorded 29 hits in 51 at-bats."
The media outlet also shared comments from San Francisco infielder Bryce Eldridge.
Eldridge said, "Lee is showing an unbelievably hot hitting feel. Right now, he is the best hitter in the world. You can't deny that."
He continued to praise him, saying, "Lately, I've been batting behind Lee, and just watching his hitting from the on-deck circle is special. He is a truly great player."
Before the game, San Francisco manager Tony Vitello analyzed, "Lee was not struggling even before his injury. It seems that taking a few days off to recharge helped."
He added, "He is in a great rhythm in all aspects of the game. As he gets used to MLB, life in the U.S., and the team environment, he is showing his best self."
MLB.com noted, "In the nine games San Francisco has played since June, the combined number of hits (19) by leadoff hitter Casey Schmitt, second hitter Rafael Devers, and cleanup hitter Willy Adames is only one more than Lee's hit total (18) this month."
It continued, "Lee has racked up a whopping 29 hits over his last 12 games, making him the first San Francisco player to achieve this feat since Phil Terry in 1932."
It also pointed out, "Even if Lee is the best hitter in the world, the team needs supporting help around him to win, but other players besides Lee and Eldridge have failed to make a significant impact."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.