San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo (27) begins his second season in Major League Baseball in Cincinnati. He is expected to bring great energy to the team in offense, defense, and base running.

On the 27th (Korea time), NBC Sports Bay Area published an article covering each of the 26 players on the San Francisco opening roster. There was high hope for Lee Jung-hoo, who returns from injury.

Reporter Alex Pavlovich noted, "Lee Jung-hoo played only 37 games in his first season of a six-year contract. After undergoing surgery in May due to a collision with the center fence at Oracle Park, Lee Jung-hoo has successfully completed his rehabilitation process and has been playing in games since the start of camp."

He continued, "Lee Jung-hoo missed some time due to back pain in late spring, but he played in the last three games," adding, "Bob Melvin, San Francisco's manager, created buzz by saying early in camp that Lee Jung-hoo could move from the third to the first batting order. Over time, San Francisco solidified that thought."

Lee Jung-hoo, who mainly played as a leadoff hitter last year, has been fixed in the third batting order during the spring games. He demonstrated his power and decisiveness by hitting two home runs and driving in five runs during the spring games. Reporter Pavlovich emphasized, "Lee Jung-hoo will hit in the third order regardless of left or right-handed pitchers and will get on base in front of Matt Chapman, contributing to many runs."

There are also expectations for his defensive skills. Reporter Pavlovich stated, "San Francisco lost Lee Jung-hoo's bat control last year, but they also lost his glove. As a rookie, Lee Jung-hoo appeared to be above-average defensively and was strong defensively," suggesting he will provide a positive effect for the team in outfield defense.

San Francisco will hold its opening game against the Cincinnati Reds on the 28th at 5:10 a.m. in Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. With San Francisco's ace Logan Webb starting, Cincinnati will also have its ace Hunter Greene on the mound. Greene, who has thrown as fast as 104 mph (167.4 km/h), is a premier right-handed fireballer in Major League Baseball, having averaged 97.6 mph (157.1 km/h) with his four-seam fastball last year.

Since making his Major League debut in 2022, Lee Jung-hoo has played 72 games over the past three seasons (388 innings), recording 18 wins and 25 losses with an earned run average of 3.90 and 485 strikeouts. Last year, he pitched in 26 games (150⅓ innings), achieving 9 wins and 5 losses with an earned run average of 2.75 and 169 strikeouts, earning an All-Star selection and stepping up as an ace. Lee Jung-hoo will face a tough pitcher in his first at-bat of the season.

Meanwhile, after announcing the opening roster, San Francisco posted photos on the team's social media of players boarding a plane to Cincinnati. Lee Jung-hoo, who formed a V with his hands while wearing sunglasses, exuded strong confidence. Attention is drawn to whether Lee Jung-hoo can start his second season in Major League Baseball well after a disappointing last year.

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