SCOTTSDALE — Bob Melvin has a preliminary idea of how his Opening Day lineup will look. When Melvin hands over his first scorecard at Great American Ballpark on March 27, the sheet of paper will likely feature Willy Adames in the two-hole, Matt Chapman batting cleanup and Heliot Ramos batting fifth.
As far as the first spot in the lineup? It could go to Jung Hoo Lee. It could also go to LaMonte Wade Jr.
“I haven’t talked to (Lee) yet, but it might not be the leadoff spot,” Melvin said. “We’ll see. It could be early in the lineup. I mean, Wade gets on base, too. Somebody’s got to hit third, too.”
Melvin elaborated that having Wade and Lee in the first and third spots, respectively, would allow the Giants to split up their left-handed batters. Along with Lee and Wade, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and catcher Patrick Bailey (switch hitter) hit from the left side as well. During Cactus League play, Lee and Wade will have opportunities to hit both first and third.
Wade’s greatest strengths as a player are his plate discipline and ability to get on base. Over the last two seasons, Wade ranks fourth in walk rate (15.0%) and 11th in on-base percentage (.376) (min. 900 plate appearances). Wade has had 870 plate appearances in the leadoff spot since joining San Francisco, accounting for more than half of his trips to the plate in a Giants uniform (56.1%).
While Wade doesn’t provide much power or speed — Wade had a .381 slugging percentage and ranked in the seventh percentile of sprint speed last season — he’s the best Giant at getting on base by a wide margin. Wade, hypothetically, would set the table for Adames, who totaled career-highs in home runs (32) and RBIs (112) in his final season with the Brewers. Lee, then, would have his own opportunities to drive in runs, as well as create traffic for Chapman and Ramos.
In Lee’s injury-shortened rookie season, he had 135 plate appearances in the leadoff spot (.642 OPS) compared to 21 plate appearances in the three-hole (.633 OPS). Lee didn’t tap into the power that he exhibited in Korea (65 homers, .491 OPS), but the center fielder did display his ability to put bat to ball.
Over 158 plate appearances last season, Lee made contact on 91.5% of his swings. If Lee qualified, that mark would’ve ranked third in the majors behind Luis Arraez (94.2%) and Steven Kwan (92.8%). Additionally, Lee’s strikeout rate of 8.2% would’ve ranked second behind only Arraez (4.3%) if he qualified.
Lee, for his part, has no qualms about where he hits in the lineup, pointing out that he often hit third in the KBO.
“It doesn’t matter where I hit in the lineup,” Lee said through team interpreter Justin Han. “I could be in the eighth hole, ninth hole. If Bob puts me in the lineup, I’m playing that game. I’m going to do what’s best for the team.”
What’s truly best for the Giants is Lee staying healthy and playing a full season. Lee doesn’t have any lingering pain from his shoulder surgery and currently has no limitations. That said, Lee noted the necessity of being more careful on defense to avoid another freak injury.
“I don’t really have personal goals at the moment,” Lee said. “I don’t feel too much pressure going on the field. I learned that being a good ballplayer for the team will make everything work better.”
The Giants believe that Lee was on the verge of tapping into the power he exhibited in the KBO before Lee’s season was suddenly cut short. Melvin lauded Lee’s ability to make adjustments last spring, and time will tell whether Lee can build on the foundation he set last season.
“I thought he was on his way to having a really good year and we really missed him,” Melvin said. “I know there’s not a lot of track record at the big leagues with him, but we still feel he’s got a real high ceiling. He’s still a young guy and he’s really motivated to come back and play well this year.”
Wade could see time in outfield
According to Melvin, Wade feels “really good” about the health of his legs following an offseason full of running — so much so that Wade talked to Melvin about playing the outfield during spring.
Wade played only 12 games (42 innings) in the outfield last season, the fewest he’s played in a single season since joining the Giants. In his entire career, Wade has been worth -7 defensive runs saved and -7 outs above average across 221 games in the outfield.
Given the state of San Francisco’s roster, Melvin likely won’t need Wade to play much outfield during the regular season. The Giants already have their starters in place — Lee in center, Heliot Ramos in left, Mike Yastrzemski in right — with Grant McCray, Luis Matos and Marco Luciano competing for the outfield spot. That said, Melvin pointed to the team’s need for versatility.
Lee grateful for “Jung Hoo Crew”
The Giants are introducing a new promotion revolving around Lee for the upcoming season. For weekend games at Oracle Park, the team will sell special tickets to section 142, each ticket including a “Jung Hoo Crew” t-shirt.
“I know that if there wasn’t the love from the fans, I wouldn’t be able to be here,” Lee said. “I wanted to show the fans and the team the type of player I can be. I want to meet the expectations that everybody has.”