Jung Hoo Lee embraces move to right field for Giants

Will the Jung Hoo Crew move with him to the new position?

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has accepted his move to right field for the team, but he knows mastering playing that corner at windy Oracle Park will be tough. Lee played 275 games in right field for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization, but gained fame for his wind-breaking style in center field for which he won five straight Gold Gloves. Lee's move to right field and the addition of free agent Gold Glover Harrison Bader should improve an outfield that performed poorly as a group in 2025.

Why it matters

The Giants are hoping that Lee's move to right field and the addition of Bader will shore up their outfield defense, which struggled in 2025. Lee will have to adjust to the unique challenges of playing right field at Oracle Park, but his experience in the position from his KBO days should help with the transition.

The details

Lee was initially signed to be the Giants' starting center fielder, but the team brought in Bader, who will take over that job in 2026. Though Lee was disappointed to lose the center field job, he has no problem with the shift to right field, as he played that position extensively in the KBO. Lee will have to learn how to play balls hit off Oracle Park's infamous right field wall, and plans to lean on former Giant Mike Yastrzemski, who navigated that wall better than most.

  • Lee played 275 games in right field for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization.
  • Lee won five straight Gold Gloves in the KBO for his wind-breaking style in center field.

The players

Jung Hoo Lee

A San Francisco Giants outfielder who is moving from center field to right field for the 2026 season.

Harrison Bader

A free agent Gold Glover who will take over the Giants' starting center field job in 2026.

Mike Yastrzemski

A former Giants outfielder who navigated the unique challenges of Oracle Park's right field wall better than most.

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What they’re saying

“It was a smooth conversation. I know that bringing in Bader is going to make the outfield way better. It wasn't hard to make a decision saying that I'll move over to right field.”

— Jung Hoo Lee (sfchronicle.com)

“Jung Hoo, he can just hit.”

— Hayden Birdsong (sfchronicle.com)

“I'll for sure give Yaz a call in a couple weeks and ask him about right field. You guys know better than anybody else that the right field in Oracle Park has so many dynamics and so much going on.”

— Jung Hoo Lee (sfchronicle.com)

The takeaway

Lee's move to right field and the addition of Bader should help shore up the Giants' outfield defense, which struggled in 2025. While the transition to right field at Oracle Park will be challenging, Lee's experience playing the position in the KBO and his willingness to learn from veterans like Yastrzemski should help him adapt to the new role.