Lee Jung-hoo Achieves Historic Feat Amid Grueling Schedule; Finally Gets Rest Tomorrow

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants, who extended the longest consecutive-game hitting streak by a Korean Major Leaguer to 18 games, is finally getting a rest.

Lee will enjoy a sweet "day off" tomorrow (June 12) for the first time in about two weeks, thanks to a scheduled rest day for the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants have played 13 consecutive games without a single day off since May 30.

After playing a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies in Denver, Colorado, they traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and then immediately moved to Chicago, Illinois, for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Following that, they returned to San Francisco, California, for a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals.

Lee played in every single game during this stretch.

Despite constantly flying across the continent, he showed no signs of fatigue.

Instead, he showcased the best performance of his MLB career.

He hit safely in 18 consecutive games, starting from the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 15 to the game against the Nationals on June 11.

During this span, Lee went 36-for-72, posting a batting average of .500.

He recorded multi-hit games (two or more hits in a single game) in nine of the 18 games—exactly half—including three four-hit games and one five-hit game.

His season batting average, which stood at .265 as of May 14, soared to .338.

He rose to second in batting average among all MLB hitters with enough qualifying plate appearances.

What is remarkable is that he struck out only twice during this period.

His only strikeouts came in his second plate appearance against the Cubs on June 6 and his first plate appearance against the Nationals on June 11.

Even amidst a grueling schedule that barely allowed him to catch his breath, Lee demonstrated incredible focus.

The secret behind Lee's flurry of hits during this grueling schedule lies in his rest, dynamic visual acuity training, and the stamina management know-how he built in the KBO League.

On May 19, after hitting safely in five consecutive games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Lee was placed on the 10-day injured list (IL) due to lower back muscle soreness, and returned for the game against Colorado on May 30.

During those ten days, Lee fully recovered from his back pain and restored his physical stamina.

He did not just rest, however.

During this period, he focused on maintaining his dynamic visual acuity using a state-of-the-art pitching machine called the Trajekt Arc.

When his interpreter randomly set the opposing pitcher, pitch type, and location, Lee focused on training to discern whether the pitch was a strike or a ball without swinging the bat.

The Trajekt Arc is a device that accurately replicates pitches based on real pitchers' delivery videos and data. By recreating balls that drop sharply or spin just like in an actual game, it helps batters maintain and improve their hitting sense.

Returning with his sharp plate discipline intact, Lee showcased an outstanding ability to avoid strikeouts while churning out hits every day.

Lee also credited his experience in the KBO League for helping him overcome the challenges of frequent travel and lack of sleep.

After the game against the Nationals on June 9, he said, "Even when playing in Korea, it was common to go to bed late while traveling after away games. I am already used to getting back at 3 or 4 a.m."

This means that the late-night travel and irregular sleeping patterns he experienced in the KBO League helped him adapt to the grueling U.S. schedule.

After resting on June 12, Lee will play a three-game home series against the Cubs starting June 13.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.