![Lee Jung-hoo [Getty Images]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/11/news-p.v1.20260611.684077f72f404c6897bd4143b3b363f6_P1.jpg)
Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants is on a torrid hitting streak, rapidly climbing the MLB batting average leaderboard. Sitting just four points behind the league leader, he is raising hopes that he could become the first Korean player to win an MLB batting title.
Lee went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base Thursday, starting in right field and batting fifth in a home game against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
The performance extended his hitting streak to 18 consecutive games — a new record for Korean players in the major leagues. The previous mark of 16 straight games had been shared by Choo Shin-soo and Kim Ha-seong, both of whom Lee has now surpassed.
The two hits lifted Lee's season batting average to .338 (79-for-234), keeping him second in the MLB batting race. He trails Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins, who leads at .342, by four points.
Lee also moved into a tie for fourth in the hits category with 79, though Lopez leads that race with 91 hits, having played more games.
Lee struck out in his first at-bat in the second inning and grounded out in his second plate appearance in the fourth.
In the sixth, he showcased his bat-handling skills by making contact with a pitch outside the strike zone for a hit. He advanced to second on a wild pitch but was stranded when no run-scoring hit followed.
With San Francisco trailing 3-9 in the eighth inning, Lee worked a full-count walk and stole second base before scoring on a subsequent hit to cut into the deficit.
In the ninth, with San Francisco down 7-10 and runners on first and second with nobody out, Lee delivered a clutch hit to load the bases. The Giants then completed a stunning 11-10 comeback when Eldridge followed with a grand slam.
The Giants are off Friday, giving Lee a day of rest before a three-game home series against the Chicago Cubs begins Saturday.
paq@heraldcorp.com
