Lee Jung-hoo has become the face of Major League Baseball (MLB) beyond the San Francisco Giants.
The MLB Office of the Commissioner announced the D-100 for the 2024 regular season on its official social media accounts on Tuesday (July 20), sharing an image of six representatives.
The image is a composite of photos of the league’s top players, including Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox), Trey Turner (Philadelphia Phillies), Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Cavaliers), Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), and Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers). And Lee Jung-hoo, wearing a San Francisco uniform, is proudly displayed alongside them.
Lee signed a six-year, $113 million supersized contract with the San Francisco Giants on July 13. The Giants actively expressed interest in Lee, sending general manager Pete Putilla to South Korea and sending scouts there at least three times, and clearing outfield traffic to make room for Lee in the outfield.
Since signing, Lee has become a star for the Giants, dominating San Francisco’s social media accounts. With a photo of him on the basketball court with the Golden State Warriors going viral, and his dog, Kao, getting tons of attention, Lee became a superstar in San Francisco less than a week after joining the team. By the 20th, a week after joining the team, he became the face of MLB.
The official opening game of next year’s MLB regular season will be a two-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres on March 20-21 at Gocheok SkyDome in Seoul. The other 28 teams will play their opening games locally on March 29, and Lee will make his big league debut against the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California.
Meanwhile, after completing his contract, Lee returned home on the evening of the 19th to prepare for next year. At his return press conference, Lee said, “The club has invested a lot in me, so I feel like I have to be a player who can fulfill their expectations.” “I want to win the championship the most because I have never won a championship (in Korea). The 2017 season, in which I won the KBO Rookie of the Year award, was also a result of playing every day. I want to contribute to the team’s victory,” he said.