SF Giants get a big boost from center fielder who is coming out of slump

Early this season when things were good for the SF Giants, Jung Hoo Lee was swinging a hot bat. As he cooled off, so did the team. Now, Jung Hoo Lee is making a long-awaited return, recovering from his slump in May and June.

After a blazing start to the first two months, Lee had a .318 average, and a .215 ISO in April which is particularly impressive. But at the end of June, Lee found himself struggling. His average dropped to .231 with a .270 OBP in May, and then to .143 with a .277 OBP in June.

SF Giants get a big boost with Jung Hoo Lee's hot streak at the plate

Despite having his worst month in June, Lee still recorded four triples. Players like Lee, who have the speed to rack up singles, doubles, and hit for average, are indispensable to the Giants. Especially this year's team, which has struggled to get on base with a .312 team OBP on the season, good for 20th in MLB. Also, it is important to score runs in different ways considering it is rare to have a hitter with enough power to hit 30 home runs playing at Oracle Park.

That being said, Lee has been hitting for both power and average in the past two months. Posting a .733 OPS in July and a 1.250 OPS in August. Lee has already recorded four doubles and a triple in 20 at bats so far in August.

In June, Bob Melvin made the decision of dropping Lee to seventh in the lineup. Since then, Lee has found success. In 52 at bats batting seventh, Lee is slashing .346/.404/.519 with a .923 OPS.

Lee boasts a .789 OPS and a 2.14 ISO with runners in scoring position. With a top of the order that is beginning to find themselves again, it makes sense to take advantage of Lee's stats with runners in scoring position.

It's also worth noting that Lee has been outstanding while playing in New York this season. Slashing .524/.615/1.143 and 1.578 OPS while playing in the city that never sleeps. Let's hope that this isn't indicative of anything non-surface level.

If Lee can continue to be a spark plug at the end of the order, the Giants' playoff hopes may not be dead yet. With some favorable upcoming matchups in Pittsburgh and D.C., the Giants could pick up some much-needed steam before having to face the Padres twice and the Cubs before the end of August as the team tries to make up ground in the NL Wild Card race.

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