For SF Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, comfort is key to hot start

SAN FRANCISCO The source of Jung Hoo Lee s hot start cannot be exposed in film or stats Visually his mechanics are the same as when he arrived from Korea Statistically his identity as a ball competitor remains the same a low-walk low-strikeout contact-oriented hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills For Lee the key to his hot start lies in a luxury only afforded by time It s all about the comfort level here in the clubhouse and on the field Lee advised this news organization through crew interpreter Justin Han I got to know all the guys and I m close to everybody It just makes everything easier I know what to expect and that s the biggest difference Lee who s hitting with an MLB-leading doubles didn t consider his first year with the Giants to be overwhelming though he did joke that it s hard to drive over here in the city because of San Francisco s numerous one-way roads That declared Lee effectively uprooted his life after he signed a six-year million deal with the Giants New unit and teammates New manager and coaches New country and new beliefs New language and customs And before playing a encounter he became a face of the franchise If I ever had to go to Japan or go play winter ball you realize what they have to go through explained manager Bob Melvin Teams do the best they can to get guys to acclimate but easier announced than done Especially the guys that come over from Asia It s a thoroughly different lifestyle Lee s rookie season ended after games due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder but his first year with the Giants allowed him to learn the ebbs and flows of a major-league season in America Once Lee was out of his sling Lee and Han were constant presences in the dugout at home and on the road To Melvin that was time well spent His first year learning not only a new league but living in a new country and learning a language there s so much thrown at these guys He was way more assured this year from the start of spring training just being in the States and being with his squad Melvin revealed He saw enough last year to kind of know what to expect reported hitting coach Pat Burrell I couldn t agree more with Bob Missing that much time of unit there s a concern but he s such an amazing athlete he just bounces right back after that surgery and doesn t miss a beat Indeed I think he looks better than he did in terms of the freedom of his swing I think he looks more peaceful in the box in general It s fun to watch I think he s opening particular eyes out there Roughly a month into his sophomore season the -year-old has opened plenty of eyes Entering Wednesday Lee s wins above replacement per FanGraphs ranks ninth in all of baseball He hit three homers in three games against the Yankees two of which were against Carlos Rod n in the last event of the series Less than games into the season he has already eclipsed last year s totals in runs doubles triples two home runs three RBIs and steals three It s hand-eye coordination I think he sees the ball extremely well Burrell reported He makes unbelievable decisions His takes are under control He s not in a hurry I think deep down he really believes in himself I think that s a big one The early success is all the more impressive given his first season was over before the end of May As Justin Verlander can attest returning from a season-ending injury requires fending off doubt You just have to fight it disclosed Verlander who underwent Tommy John surgery in and missed all of You have to trust the process In my scenario the rehab was going really well and there would be selected small things that would creep up You just got to remind yourself This is normal and not every day is going to be a great day The only thing that really puts your mind at ease is performing going out there and trusting it and letting it happen Then once that happens you forget about it Related Articles Buster Posey s influence is evident in SF Giants roster continuity SF Giants fall to - in new City Connects with blowout loss to Brewers Bryce Eldridge SF Giants top prospect makes big first impression in Wilmer Flores Jung Hoo Lee come up big again for SF Giants in win vs Brewers Willy Adames keeps on expressing satisfaction through early struggles with SF Giants If Lee has any lingering concern he s certainly not showing it Lee by far garners the majority of media attention of any Giant when accounting for both American and Korean outlets no surprise given he owns the largest deal ever signed by a Korean free agent Along with the Jung Hoo Crew a creation of the Giants themselves an independent group called the Hoo Lee Gans made an appearance during the last homestand Every time Lee moves to the plate he s showered with chants of Jung Hoo Lee For all his popularity Lee says he doesn t feel pressure It s a responsibility that I show the results given the money I got from the gang I also feel if I leave a good impression here it can give more chances to players back in the KBO to come over and play Lee declared