On the official Major League Baseball (MLB) website, rising star "Jung Hoo Lee", who has recently been showcasing impressive talent, is introduced as follows.
Lee wore number 51 his rookie season with the Giants, the same number he wore through his seven-year career with the Kiwoom Heroes. Lee chose the number after his favorite player, Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who was on the rise with the Orix Buffaloes in 1998 when Lee was born in Japan. Three years later, Ichiro would become the first position player to make the leap from Nippon Professional Baseball to the Majors. During 2024 Spring Training, with the help of Giants manager Bob Melvin, Lee was able to meet his idol, Ichiro, prior to a Spring Training game against the Mariners. “They talked about preparation and what it means,” Melvin told the SF Chronicle. “You could tell, for a guy that’s played as much as Lee has and had as much success as he’s had, it was an out-of-body moment for him. So it was really cool"
Lee is good friends with Rays infielder and former Kiwoom Heroes teammate Ha-Seong Kim. Kim played for Giants manager Bob Melvin in San Diego for two seasons from 2022-23. “He was my spiritual leader in Korea. I was able to start dreaming big dreams thanks to his great advice. It’s at once surreal and exciting to put aside our friendship and face each other”. Lee made his MLB debut against Kim and the Padres on March 28, 2024. Also is friends with Hyeseong Kim, who recently signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lee and Kim were also teammates for Kiwoom during Lee's time in the KBO.
Lee is the son of Jong-beom Lee, a former KBO MVP whose nickname is Son of the Wind. He earned the label after stealing a KBO-record 84 bases in 1994 en route to being the league’s Most Valuable Player. In his introductory press conference, Jung Hoo called himself “Grandson of the Wind,” honoring his father’s legacy. His father’s 19-year playing career began in Korea for the Kia Tigers but eventually took him to the Chunichi Dragons in Nagoya, Japan, where Jung Hoo was born. Jong-beom was the 1993 Korean Series MVP winner after batting .310 to help Kia to a championship. Jong-beom Lee says he is a fan of San Francisco because his wife, Jeong-min Jeong, is. “She always wanted to come to San Francisco,’’ Jong-beom said. “ I love the history of the team. McCovey Cove, to me and Korean fans, that’s a big deal—and the Coca-Cola bottle. This stadium’s been in so many movies".
Lee has two dogs, a Pomeranian named Kao and a Chihuahua named Lua...Lee’s sister, Ga Hyun Lee, is married to Marlins reliever Woo-Suk Go. The two were wed in January 2023. Go signed with San Diego on Jan. 23, 2024, before being later traded to Miami in May 2024 in the deal that brought Luis Arraez to San Diego. Go served as the closer for the 2023 KBO champion LG Twins before coming to play in the United States...Lee and Go have been competing against one another on the field since Lee’s third year of middle school.
2024
Appeared in just 37 games and had a slash line of .262/.310/.331 with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in his first MLB season. Slugged his first career homer in his third MLB game on March 30 at SD. Hit his first career Oracle Park homer on April 20 vs. ARI, with his first career leadoff home run. His family, including his father, former All-Star Jong-beom Lee, was in the crowd. Suffered a right foot contusion while fouling a ball off his foot in Colorado on May 8 and missed three game. Inserted back into the lineup on May 12 vs. Cincinnati, then exited the game in the first inning after dislocating his left shoulder. Was placed on the 10-day IL on May 13. Underwent season-ending left shoulder surgery on June 4 in Los Angeles. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal El Attrache. Had an 11-game hitting streak from April 7-20 and a 13-game on-base streak from April 7-22. Struck out just 13 times in his 158 PA...His 8.2 K% was third-best in MLB at the time he went down. Lee swung and missed at just 24 of the 569 pitches he saw (4.2%). Averaged 94.2 mph on his throws from the outfield, sixth-hardest among MLB position players at the time he went down.
2023
Appeared in 85 games for Kiwoom and slashed .318/.407/.456 with six home runs, 45 RBI and 50 runs scored...Had his season cut short after breaking his left ankle during a game against the Lotte Giants on July 22...Underwent season–ending surgery on July 27. Was able to make a brief appearance in the team’s final game on October 10, where Lee had one at-bat in his final KBO appearance...Played for South Korea in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and hit .429 with two doubles and five RBI in the tournament.
2022
Named the KBO’s MVP after slashing .349/.421/.575 in 142 games. Established career bests in homers (23) and RBI (113)...Once again led the KBO in average (.349) while also leading the league in hits (193), RBI (113) and OPS (.996).
2021
Led the KBO in batting average after hitting .360 in 123 games...Played for the South Korean national baseball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics (which were delayed until 2021).
2020
Won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award while batting .333 with 15 home runs, 101 RBI and a career-high .921 OPS.
2019
Hit .336 during the regular season to help the Heroes reach the Postseason. He was named a KBO Playoff MVP after helping Kiwoom reach the Korean Series...With Lee’s father, Jong-beom, also being named MVP in the 1993 Korean Series, it became was first time in league history that both father and son won a postseason MVP award...Following the KBO season, Lee played for the South Korean national baseball team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12.
2018
Slashed .355/.412/.477 in his second season with the Heroes...Represented South Korea at the 2018 Asian Games and delivered the winning RBI against Chinese Taipei.
2017
Selected by the Nexen Heroes in the 2017 KBO League draft held in 2016. He was originally taken as an infielder but converted to the outfield after joining the Heroes...Made the team’s Opening Day roster at just 18 years old without ever going through the KBO Futures League. He became the first rookie out of high school to appear in every game for a KBO team...Set a KBO rookie record with 179 hits and slashed .324/.395/.417 with two homers, 47 RBI and 12 stolen bases on his way to win the KBO League Rookie of the Year Award.
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In anticipation of Jung Hoo Lee’s continued success in Major League Baseball—and knowing that more people will grow curious about him—I’ve compiled stories that have been widely shared in Korea about Jung Hoo and his legendary father, Jong Beom Lee, a towering figure in Korean baseball and an extraordinary player in his own right. Through this piece, I also hope to ease the bittersweet feeling of no longer being able to watch Jung Hoo take the field at a ballpark in Seoul.
When Jung Hoo Lee first expressed his desire to pursue baseball as a career, his father, Jong Beom Lee, strongly opposed the idea. The reason? As someone who had already walked that path, Jong Beom knew firsthand how difficult the journey of a professional baseball player could be, and he didn’t want his son to endure the same hardships.
However, Jung Hoo was adamant—he truly loved baseball. Seeing his son’s passion, Jong Beom relented on one condition: that he become a left-handed batter, despite being a right-handed thrower. From that point on, Jong Beom refrained from offering any technical baseball advice. He limited his guidance to matters of professionalism—such as maintaining discipline and showing respect as a player and member of society.
🧢 Father’s Wisdom: Step Back to Let Others Lead
Even during Jung Hoo’s amateur days, Jong Beom deliberately avoided giving baseball-specific feedback, especially when his son already had coaches and managers providing instruction. He worried that conflicting guidance might confuse his son or cause him to prioritize his father’s advice. Instead, Jong Beom would simply offer encouragement from the sidelines. This kind of restraint—especially from a legendary player—is not easy, and fans who heard this story admired his wisdom and humility.
The one baseball-related suggestion Jong Beom did make—that his son bat left-handed—stemmed from his own regret. Jong Beom, a lefty by nature, ended up batting right-handed because he hadn’t been aware of the advantages of throwing right and batting left. Jung Hoo followed this advice and grew into one of the best contact hitters in Korea.
🏆 Jung Hoo's Ultimate Goal: Surpassing His Father
Jung Hoo has said that his ultimate goal is to surpass his father’s career records. But for fans—especially hardcore KBO followers—that seems nearly impossible. Jong Beom Lee is widely considered one of the greatest leadoff hitters in KBO history. To surpass his father, Jung Hoo would need to maintain elite performance levels for at least 15 years.
📊 Jong Beom Lee’s Career Stats (Data from KBO):
- 1,797 hits
- 194 home runs
- 510 stolen bases
- 1,100 runs scored
- 730 RBIs
- 716 walks/HBPs
To break these records, Jung Hoo would need to average the following for 15 consecutive seasons:
- 120 hits
- 15 home runs
- 80 runs
- 50 RBIs
- 50 walks
- 35 stolen bases
This projection excludes the time Jong Beom spent in Japan’s NPB, making his actual accomplishments even more impressive.
Even focusing on just one or two of these stats would be a monumental task. However, if Jung Hoo remains healthy and continues at his current pace, he could realistically surpass his father in hits and runs scored. He may reach 2,000 career hits and 1,500 runs. RBIs and walks are also within reach, but home runs and stolen bases remain unlikely.
Although he recorded double-digit steals in 2019, Jung Hoo’s baserunning ability is considered average by league standards. In contrast, Jong Beom was a master base-stealer, with 40–50 steals per season at his peak—including the all-time single-season KBO record of **84 stolen bases in 1994**.
📅 Jong Beom's Peak: The Legendary 1994 Season
Jong Beom Lee’s MVP season in 1994 was one of the most dominant in KBO history:
- Batting average: .393 (1st)
- Hits: 196 (1st)
- OBP: .452 (1st)
- Home runs: 19 (4th)
- Runs scored: 113 (1st)
- Stolen bases: 84 (1st — **still a KBO record**)
He repeated this near-mythical performance in 1997 with:
- 157 hits (2nd)
- 30 home runs (2nd)
- 64 stolen bases (1st)
- 112 runs scored (1st)
And he did all of this while playing shortstop and leading off—making the achievement even more extraordinary. To match even half of his father’s 1994 output, Jung Hoo would need a season with 10 home runs and 42 stolen bases. (For reference, Son Ah-seop posted 16 HR and 42 SB in 2016—a Golden Glove-caliber year.)
⚾ Father vs. Son: A Touch of Humor
Jung Hoo once joked about the ceremonial first pitch at his father’s retirement game in 2012. Jong Beom threw the pitch, and Jung Hoo took the swing. The problem? The throw was off, and Jung Hoo couldn’t swing properly. He laughingly said he still blames his dad for that.
⏳ How Long to Catch Up?
According to one amateur baseball enthusiast’s estimate:
- At his current pace, Jung Hoo would need 10.5 more years to surpass his father’s hit total,
- 32.3 years for home runs, and
- 67.3 years for stolen bases.
📍 A Shared Feat at Jamsil Stadium
In just his seventh professional game, Jung Hoo matched a unique milestone of his father’s: hitting two home runs in one game at Jamsil Stadium. Jong Beom did it once—on August 28, 2004, against LG, after returning from Japan. Jung Hoo accomplished it against the Doosan Bears, homering off Yoo Hee-kwan and Kim Seong-bae in the same game and driving in five RBIs.
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