Mariners All-Star clarifies why Jung Hoo Lee isn't another Ichiro Suzuki

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee announced himself to the MLB last weekend with a huge performance against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

The 26-year-old blasted two home runs to help the Giants secure a 5-4 victory on Sunday and secure their series against the Yankees. Despite wearing the same No. 51 as the legendary Ichiro Suzuki, Lee has proven that he's a very different type of player this season.

Jung Hoo Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2024 and made a strong start in the MLB. However, his debut season was cut short due to a season-ending shoulder injury in last May. This year, he has started the season fully fit and shown what he's capable of.

After Lee's performance over the weekend, former Seattle Mariners star-turned-analyst Harold Reynolds explained why the Japanese outfielder nicknamed "grandson of the wind" is very different from Ichiro Suzuki (via MLB Network):

"He wears 51, Ichiro wears 51. At first I thought, this is going to be like Ichiro, that's a tough player. But he's not Ichiro at all. He does not swing like Ichiro, the only thing they have in common is that number 51. He is pulling everything, I want to break it down.

"Here's what he does, he pulls everything. Can he run? Absolutely, he can fly. But Ichiro was a master of I'll shoot the ball wherever it's pitched, I'll go back up the middle, I'll shoot it down the line if I need to. That was Ichiro Suzuki. This guy's not Ichiro, he pulls everything. That's why his power plays. His setup and his thought is I'm catching it up front and I'm pulling the ball. Look, he's impressive I did not think that power was going to be his game, but it's clearly his game."

When the Giants first signed Jung Hoo Lee, he was expected to bring a similar skill-set as the legendary Ichiro Suzuki. While he has some similarities to Suzuki as an outfielder, he's a different breed of hitter. After an impressive start to the season, San Francisco fans will be eager to see more of him this year.

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MLB podcaster breaks down Jung Hoo Lee's impressive start to the season for Giants

Jung Hoo Lee's strong start to the MLB season sees him sitting third in OPS across the major leagues, with only Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso ahead of him.

While his defensive prowess was well-known, the San Francisco Giants star has impressed with his power. Podcaster Peter Appel of Just Baseball said:

"Those contact skills are elit, but when he starts hitting like this ... This is a really, really exciting piece for the Giants."

Lee has turned heads across the MLB, and the only thing that remains to be seen is if he can carry this form through the season.