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Jung Hoo Lee Aims to Bring Balance Back to Giants-Dodgers Rivalry
Bob Kupbens / Imagn Images
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Jung Hoo Lee has been excellent both on and off the field for the San Francisco Giants as they look to catch up with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers
The rivalry between Major League Baseball‘s San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers dates back to 1889, with the first meeting taking place in Brooklyn before the two teams moved west from New York City to California in 1958. Including the playoffs, the Giants have won 1,286 games in the all-time series to the Dodgers’ 1,282.
San Francisco got the better of Los Angeles in the early part of the 21st century, winning World Series titles in 2010, 2012, and 2014. But over the last 10 years, as of Sunday, the Dodgers have been dominant, with a regular-season win percentage of 62.1, dwarfing the next-best team, the Houston Astros, at 58.5%. The Giants? A mediocre 15th, at 50.5%.
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After winning the 2020 title in the COVID-shortened season, the Dodgers fell frustratingly short in the playoffs over the next three years, despite having the sport’s most talented roster. They then looked east for talent to push them over the top, signing Shohei Ohtani to a then-record $700 million contract and Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million deal. Los Angeles furthered its distance from San Francisco, storming to the 2024 championship and doubling its franchise valuation from $3.4 billion in 2020 to $6.8 billion this year, per Forbes. Over the same period, the Giants’ valuation only grew from $3.1 billion to $4 billion.
While obviously not as splashy a move as Ohtani or Yamamoto, the Giants brought over their own star from Asia last year, inking outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million deal from South Korea’s KBO league as a long-term offensive anchor. Lee, of South Korean descent but born in Japan, unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury last May that limited his first season in the Bay to just 37 games. This year, Lee is more than making up for lost time both on and off the field, leading MLB in doubles and placing fifth in wins above replacement over the first month of the season, ahead of Ohtani. The Giants are neck and neck with the Dodgers in the loaded NL West. As we approach the four-week mark of the season, the Giants have improved their attendance from 10th in MLB last year to fifth in 2025, with more than 36,000 fans per game.
The 26-year-old Lee is also Korean baseball royalty, the son of Jong Beom Lee, an MVP and 13-time KBO All-Star nicknamed “Son of the Wind.” Known as “Grandson of the Wind,” Jung Hoo joined his father as an MVP in 2022 and was posted for MLB teams to sign him following the 2023 season, when the Giants paid $18.8 million to the Nexen Heroes to secure his rights. When he’s not starring on the field, Lee displays his personality to his 350,000 Instagram followers, which has helped him quickly become a fan favorite.
A fan club made up of dozens of diehards wearing fire-colored wigs called the Hoo Lee Gans is now a fixture at Oracle Park, where they bring the Asian cheering section culture to San Francisco. The Giants took notice, launching a dedicated section for Lee fans called the Jung Hoo Crew for weekend games, which includes a ticket package with an official t-shirt. Korean Heritage Night on May 13 will feature a special Lee jersey giveaway that features his name in Korean on the back, along with clouds and wind on the sleeves, signifying his special nickname.
If Lee stays healthy and keeps up his strong start at the plate, he could become the first Asian-born Giants All-Star in the team’s storied 143-year history. Both the team and its fans have clearly embraced the Grandson of the Wind, who they hope can help break the tie in world championships between the Giants and Dodgers, each of which has eight titles. While Los Angeles clearly has the momentum right now, with the attention, revenue, and spotlight to go with it, Lee has the ability and popularity to help bring some long-awaited balance to one of baseball’s most storied rivalries.
