After losing out on Shohei Ohtani to their division rivals, the San Francisco Giants quickly pivoted to acquire KBO star Jung Hoo Lee on a reported six-year deal worth $113 million with an opt-out after four years. It’s been well known that the Giants have been trying to acquire a star for a few years now and while Lee isn’t the flashiest name on the market like an Ohtani or even Cody Bellinger, he may just be one of the best all-around options and makes sense as a fit for the Giants.

Lee has been one of the best hitters in the KBO during his time there. After debuting at the age of 18 in 2017, Lee turned in an impressive seven years in the KBO to the tune of a .340/.407/.491 slash over 884 career games. He never fell below a .318 AVG in any single season while he dipped below a .390 OBP just once. He’s also had just two seasons in which he’s had more strikeouts than walks and the margin for that difference is quite thin. He’s an on-base machine who has regularly put together quality at-bats and makes a fair amount of contact.

His best season came in 2022 when he hit .349 with a career-high 23 homers, 113 RBIs and a .996 OPS over 142 games, earning KBO MVP honors. He was surely on his way to defending his title in 2023 but his season was cut short after 86 games after he sustained a fractured left ankle in July. At the time of the injury, he was slashing .318/.406/.455 with six home runs and 46 RBI along with 23 strikeouts and 49 walks. The injury isn’t expected to hinder him at all, but now the question arises as to what he can provide for the Giants heading into the 2024 season and beyond.

What sticks out immediately is Lee’s ability to reduce strikeouts and get on base. In 2023 the Giants ranked with the sixth-highest strikeout rate at 24.5% and were middle of the pack with an 8.9% walk rate. More specifically in terms of the outfield was that the Giants’ outfield posted a 19th-ranked .314 OBP and a .320 wOBA. The outfield itself wasn’t awful at getting on base or even drawing walks, but Lee presents a singular player who could take the bulk of time at one of the three positions, likely center field, and significantly boost those numbers.

While not much stock is placed in batting averages these days, Lee’s .340 career AVG is a delightful addition to the roster. In many cases, a good comparison for his potential impact on the Giants’ offense is that of Luis Arráez with the Miami Marlins. Arráez played 147 games with the Fish last season batting .354/.393/.469 to not only win the batting title but earn his second-straight Silver Slugger award and finish eighth in MVP voting. His success stems from his incredible plate approach that resulted in 203 hits along with 34 strikeouts and 35 walks. While he wasn’t the driving force of the offense, his approach was a driving force of change of the offense for the Marlins. He scored 71 runs for the team while contributing 30 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 69 RBI. Those numbers are good for any team and it is certainly within the realm of possibility for Lee as he joins the Giants.

While Lee likely won’t be a plus power hitter in the Majors, the new Giant has displayed it at times in the KBO and could average out at least a dozen long balls in the transition to the States.

What will make Lee valuable is the defensive traits he’ll bring to the outfield. Lee won his fifth-straight Gold Glove award in 2022, showing that he has a keen defensive acumen to man the expanse at Oracle Park. While some evaluators are split on whether he can stick in center field, he can still work as a passable fielder there or in a corner spot. The versatility he can bring, allowing the Giants to keep his bat in the lineup while improving the offense, is important. The team has a crowded field of outfielders, but Lee’s glove will allow the team to slide Mike Yastrzemski to a corner spot or cycle Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger through the DH spot more often, either way, he’s going to help upgrade the makeup of the lineup and defensive positioning.

Lee’s overall makeup should help him adjust nicely to MLB pitching. A contact-first approach is a good place to start and as he continues to develop could blossom the power more consistently. While he’s no Ohtani, the Giants have added a versatile bat that will help boost the offense and score more runs. The Giants haven’t been known for power over the past several years, but a high-contact bat can help them reshape their offensive philosophy much like the Marlins did. A complimentary mixture will go a long way to help the Giants get back on track in the National League West