$113M Giants star hailed by Justin Verlander’s brother as San Francisco's offensive leader

San Francisco Giants star Jung Hoo Lee is putting the league on notice with fine displays at the plate. He's hitting .324 along with three home runs and 16 RBIs. His efforts have put the Giants on the NL West map at the top despite boasting big teams like the LA Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

Hoo Lee is on a six-year, $113 million contract, which he signed with the Giants in December 2023.

On Monday, Giants ace Justin Verlander's brother, Ben, talked about the team deserving MLB attention following a bright start to their season. While he highlighted several names, he reserved special praise for Hoo Lee.

"I love Jung Hoo Lee. He's — he's become... and look, I don't need to gloss over this — hey, I'm watching the Giants more this year because my brother's on the team," Verlander said (17:35 onwards). "I'm watching Jung Hoo Lee more because my brother's on the team. I watch him every single day, every single night.

"This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite baseball players. He plays the game so hard. He flies around the bases. He plays a great, effortless center field. He's hitting well over .300. He hits for power. He hits triples. He hits doubles. He hits infield singles. He hits the ball into McCovey Cove. The dude's a star. He is the leader of this team offensively. I love him. I love watching the way he does it."

San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee has fans all over the globe, especially Oracle Park

Jung Hoo Lee's recognition hasn't been limited to baseball circles only. He's garnering attention over the globe, with fans from US, Japan and South Korea, chiming in to see him work his magic at the plate.

At Oracle Park, a group of passionate fans can often be spotted, as they call themselves "Hoo-Lee-Gans." Every time Lee scores, secures a base steal attempt, these fans rejoice and amp up the crowd.

Seeing this, Giants slugger Heliot Ramos spoke about the unprecedented support Lee is receiving.

“I can feel it at Oracle,” Ramos said. “It’s crazy. Like, I’ve never seen nothing like it. It’s a good environment too. I feel like it makes him feel like at home. I think it’s his first time here in the States, so I bet it’s hard for him to play out here.

"Then he has that fan base — it makes him feel like he’s in Korea, like at home. It’s something super cool for him, for sure. And I love to see that, because he’s a great guy too.”

It seems Jung Hoo Lee has become the new heartbeat of the Giants, who are roaring early in the season.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Bhargav