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Giants Move Jung Hoo Lee to Right Field as Harrison Bader Takes Over Center

The shift follows Harrison Bader’s arrival in center field, reflecting the club’s push to upgrade a bottom-ranked outfield defense.

Giants outfielders Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and Jerar Encarnacion at spring training on Thursday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
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Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, seen in the batting cage during spring training at Scottsdale, Ariz., hit .266 last season with a .735 OPS in 150 games.

Overview

  • Team leaders Buster Posey and Zack Minasian confirmed the switch after signing Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million deal, and Lee said he welcomed the move.
  • Defensive metrics drove the decision, with Lee at minus-5 Outs Above Average in 2025 and the Giants’ outfield at minus-18, while Bader has totaled plus-77 OAA since 2017.
  • Lee has begun right-field reps in Scottsdale and plans extra work at the Oracle Park replica field at Papago Park to learn the challenging 24-foot wall and angles.
  • He expects to seek pointers from former Giant Mike Yastrzemski to master Oracle Park’s complex right-field corner.
  • Lee will captain Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic next month, and the team is also weighing whether to relocate the “Jung Hoo Crew” fan section from center field.