San Francisco Giants Dynamic Outfielder Reveals Bold Goals for Spring Training

A San Francisco Giants outfielder has set bold goals for himself in spring training.

Feb 13, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) catches fly balls during spring training camp. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are set for their first full-squad workout on Monday, and it will be virtually all hands on deck.

Manager Bob Melvin will have nearly an entirely healthy roster to work with. The only players who have any ailments right now are second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald and backup catcher Tom Murphy, who are both dealing with back tightness.

That is an encouraging way to start camp, as everyone else will be a full go right out of the gate.

Included in that group is center fielder Jung Hoo Lee, who is coming off an incredibly disappointing first season stateside.

After accomplishing some impressive feats in the KBO, including the Rookie of the Year in 2017, MVP in 2022 and five straight Gold Glove Awards from 2018-2022, expectations were high coming to the MLB.

He signed a six-year, $113 million deal with the Giants with the plan being for him to take over as their leadoff hitter and provide stellar defense.

Unfortunately, his rookie campaign was cut short by a season-ending shoulder injury after only 37 games. He recorded a slash line of .262/.310/.331 with just two home runs and six doubles.

His adjustment was taking time, as he wasn’t making an impact on the basepaths either with only two bases while being caught three times. However, his reputation as a contact hitter was true, as he struck out only 13 times in 158 plate appearances.

Heading into his second spring training, Lee is healthy and has no restrictions.

“There are no limitations told to me,” Lee said, via Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. “If I’m playing with limitations in the outfield, I think I’m not prepared for the game. So for now, I am prepared.”

The Giants beat writer shared that the young outfielder is expected to be in the lineup for the team’s first exhibition game against the Texas Rangers.

If it were up to Lee, that would be the case every time San Francisco has a game in spring training, as Baggarly added that the former KBO star wants to lead the team in at-bats heading into the regular season.

He certainly has the right mindset for Grapefruit League games since getting as many reps as possible will only help him.

It was a detriment to his acclimation process when he suffered a severe injury so early on in his MLB career, so he has some catching up to do when it comes to his development to the game.

There will be some pressure on him to perform in Year 2 since the franchise committed a lot of money to him.

The talent is certainly there, and if he can stay healthy, that would be a huge boost to the lineup both offensively and defensively.

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