SF Giants may need to have a difficult conversation about Jung Hoo Lee soon

SF Giants fans have taken a liking to center fielder Jung Hoo Lee. While he may be a fan favorite, the Hoo-Lee-Gans may have to get used to him at a different position at some point given his defensive struggles thus far.

Lee ranked near the bottom of all qualified center fielders for his defense according to Outs Above Average. The eye test backed that up as it seemed like Lee struggled at times out there in what is a demanding position at Oracle Park.

SF Giants may need to address Jung Hoo Lee's defense sooner or later

A center fielder at Oracle has to cover a lot of ground between Triple's Alley and the gap in left-center. Lee has proven that he takes good routes straight to the ball, but maybe he lacks the foot speed needed to be a truly elite center fielder in Oracle.

Lee himself knows he can improve defensively. After the season ended he said, "I believe my defense will improve next year. In July, my defense suddenly declined, and I reflected a lot. As a center fielder, I need to be more aggressive and take charge, but I started overthinking. Having played in many stadiums this year, I’ll adapt better next season. Even at home, unexpected situations arise daily, so I need to stay alert.”

It seems unlikely that the Giants are going to go out and get a center fielder this offseason and move Lee to right field. However, 2026 may be his last chance to prove that he can handle center field duties before the Giants feel compelled to make a change.

If they did want to make a change this offseason, they could go out and get a better defender in center field like Harrison Bader or Trent Grisham.

The Giants will probably show patience with Lee. 2025 was essentially still his rookie season after he missed most of the 2024 campaign with a shoulder injury. He slashed .266/.327/.407 with eight homers and 55 runs batted in across 150 games in what was a streaky season at the plate but the hope is a full year seeing big league pitching and getting used to the grind of a 162-game schedule will help him improve going forward.

Lee has a player option in his contract following the 2027 season that is sneaking up on the Giants. If he turns in two more seasons like 2025, he will almost certainly opt in to the final two years of his deal but if he turns into the hitter and defender the Giants envisioned when they signed him, he could be in for a big pay day.