MLB's Lee Jung-hoo Finishes 2025 Season as Team's Batting Leader, Ranks 3rd in League for Triples

Kim Hye-seong Has Possibility of Entering 'Autumn Baseball' Roster; Kim Ha-seong Considers Free Agency Decision

Lee Jung-hoo walking with teammate Ramos (right). [Reuters=Yonhap News] Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) and Kim Ha-seong (29, Atlanta Braves), playing in Major League Baseball (MLB), concluded their 2025 seasons on the 29th (Korean time).

Lee Jung-hoo recorded a batting average of 0.266 (149 hits in 560 at-bats), 8 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in the 2025 season.

His team, the San Francisco Giants, finished with an 81-81 record, placing third in the National League West division, and failed to make the postseason.

In his second MLB year, Lee Jung-hoo finished the 2024 season with a batting average of 0.262 (38 hits in 145 at-bats), 2 home runs, 8 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases after suffering a shoulder injury during a game.

This year, he played a full season with a healthy body, showing improvement in most statistical categories compared to his debut season, including home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases.

Notably, his batting average ranked first on the team among qualified hitters, and he recorded 12 triples, placing him third in the entire league.

Lee Jung-hoo, who signed a six-year deal worth $113 million with the San Francisco Giants in December 2023, expressed regret over his slump in June this year, hitting just 0.143 (12 hits in 84 at-bats) for the month.

However, he bounced back in July with a .278 batting average (22 hits in 79 at-bats), followed by .300 in August (30 hits in 100 at-bats) and .290 in September (20 hits in 69 at-bats), looking ahead to the 2026 season.

Kim Ha-seong [Reuters=Yonhap News] Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Kim Ha-seong, who was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Atlanta Braves during the season, posted a .234 batting average (40 hits in 171 at-bats), 5 home runs, 17 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases.

With Atlanta also finishing the season at 76-86, placing fourth in the National League East, Kim Ha-seong's path for the 2026 season is less clear than Lee Jung-hoo's.

Having signed with the Rays as a free agent after the 2024 season, Kim Ha-seong can either become a free agent again after this season or choose to remain with Atlanta.

Since becoming the starting shortstop after joining Atlanta in September, Kim Ha-seong's performance has been respectable with a batting average of .262 (22 hits in 84 at-bats), 3 home runs, and 12 RBIs, leading to speculation that Atlanta might offer him a long-term contract.

Kim Hye-seong (left) and teammate Ohtani. [Reuters=Yonhap News] Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Kim Hye-seong (26) of the Los Angeles Dodgers can continue his 2025 season if his team reaches the 'autumn baseball' playoffs and he is included in the postseason roster.

Kim Hye-seong's regular season performance in his MLB debut year includes a .280 batting average (45 hits in 161 at-bats), 3 home runs, 17 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.

Although he had a difficult start to the season, being sent down to Triple-A, he has adapted well to his debut season, recording a relatively solid batting average even with concerns about his offensive capabilities after being called up to the majors.

Bae Ji-hwan (26) of the Pittsburgh Pirates appeared in 13 games, with only 1 hit in 20 at-bats for a .050 batting average. He also had 5 walks and 4 stolen bases.

Korean players active in MLB during the 2025 season may also have the possibility of joining the national team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in early 2026. Yonhap News