Giants Star Jung Hoo Lee Has One of Major League's Most Unique Swings

The San Francisco Giants have impressed executives around the league and been performing at such a high level this season because of contributions from so many different players.

One of the players whose performance has stood out the most has been that of center fielder Jung Hoo Lee.

Signed to a six-year, $113 million deal ahead of the 2024 campaign after several stellar years in the KBO, his first taste of the MLB was cut short because of a season-ending shoulder injury after only 37 games.

This offseason, there was a lot of speculation about whether Lee would ever come close to living up to expectations with the Giants since the start of his tenure in San Francisco was a slow one.

A former MVP and multi-time Gold Glove Award winner in South Korea, there was a lot to like about his game. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the opportunity to showcase it much in his first year with the franchise.

Thus far in 2025, his impact has been on full display.

What Makes the Swing of Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee So Unique?

An elite ball-to-at player, one of the most unique things about him at the plate is his unique swing.

Lee has one of the steepest swings in baseball at 39 degrees, per MLB.com. Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers has the steepest at 46 degrees, followed by Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers at 42 degrees.

That has created a unique blend of consistent contact and power for the Giants star this season.

His 12.1 percent strikeout rate is well below the league average of 22.4%, always attacking and looking to make contact. He isn’t a singles hitter like Luis Arraez, who has a 37-degree swing and is the ultimate contact hitter.

Lee is an extra-base machine, already racking up 13 doubles, which has him in the mix to accomplish a rare franchsie feat, to go along with two triples and six home runs for a strong .460 slugging percentage and 122 OPS+.

An early season MVP candidate, the international sensation is certainly living up to expectations now as a key cog in the team’s lineup.

His performance is a major reason they are going to remain in the mix in the highly competitive National League West race.