The U.S. media outlet Sports Illustrated (SI) quoted an evaluation from another publication on the 9th, stating, "Outfielder Lee Jung-hoo is the most prominent player at the Giants spring camp."

The outlet specifically noted, "Lee Jung-hoo had a frustrating start in his first season due to shoulder surgery after completing a big deal last winter, but he has now regained his health and is expected to have a significant impact on San Francisco baseball in 2025." It added, "Lee Jung-hoo's early spring training stats are also extremely impressive."

Lee Jung-hoo started as the third center fielder in a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals on the 9th at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona, recording 0 hits in 2 at-bats, 1 run batted in, 1 walk, and 1 run scored.

In the bottom of the first, Lee warmed up with a fly out to right field. In the bottom of the third, with the team leading 2-0 and two outs, he calmly drew a walk against Michael Wacha with a runner on first base. Following him, Matt Chapman hit a three-run home run to right field, allowing Lee to touch home plate. This was his seventh run scored in spring training.

In the bottom of the fifth, leading 5-0, Lee had a scoring opportunity with runners on first and third with one out. He hit a ground ball to second base against Ross Stripling, and while a double play was expected, he used his speed to stay safe at first base, resulting in an RBI ground ball. The local commentary team praised, "This run batted in was created by Lee Jung-hoo's quick feet."

Lee Jung-hoo finished the game after being replaced by defensive substitute Grant McCray at the start of the sixth inning. His batting average in spring training dropped from .400 to .364, but the absolute number of his batting average demonstrates Lee's strong condition in the spring training.

According to Bob Melvin, the manager of the San Francisco Giants, Lee Jung-hoo has been assigned to the cleanup trio in the third batting order instead of the leadoff spot. However, SI has not fixed Lee's batting order.

The outlet stated, "It will be interesting to see where high-contact hitter Lee Jung-hoo positions himself in the batting order this year. If he continues to show power, being in the middle of the lineup with Willy Adames would be preferable, but from an on-base percentage standpoint, the leadoff spot also seems suitable," showing their fascination with Lee Jung-hoo.

SI noted, "While maintaining health is the most important factor ahead of the regular season, Lee Jung-hoo's early spring training results are quite impressive, and there are many reasons to be optimistic that he could become a key player for the San Francisco Giants in 2025."

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