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Hao-Yu Lee Breaking Records in Fantastic Rookie Season
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- Hao-Yu Lee Breaking Records in Fantastic Rookie Season
Hao-Yu Lee Breaking Records in Fantastic Rookie Season
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
It's been a fantastic rookie season for Hao-Yu Lee so far, and after collecting three base hits on Monday, August 17, Lee surpassed Yu Chang for the most hits in a single season by a Taiwanese-born player.
Lee entered Monday's game tied with Chang's 2021 season total of 54 hits. It took Chang 89 games to accomplish the feat, while Monday marked just Lee's 80th game of the season. Already one hit away from setting the record, Lee wasted no time making history.
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Lee not only delivered in his first at-bat, but he added two more hits to finish the day 3-for-3 with two walks. He reached base in all five of his plate appearances, putting an exclamation point on his new record.
Lee now sits at 57 hits on the season and stands alone atop the record for the most hits in a season by a player born in Taiwan.
According to Logan Reever, a Detroit Tigers reporter who appears on the team's pregame and postgame shows, Lee met Chang at a Nike camp five years ago. At the time, Lee told Chang that in five years he would be in the big leagues. Low and behold, five years later, Lee is now breaking Chang's record in the majors.
Chang played in the majors from 2019 through 2023 for several different teams. His career began in Cleveland, where he spent parts of three seasons, including his record-setting 2021 campaign. Then, in 2022, he was dealt like a hand of poker, playing for four teams in one season: Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Boston. He appeared in 39 games with Boston in 2023, which was the last time he played in the majors.
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Meanwhile, Lee is in the middle of his rookie season and has now played in 81 games. He owns a .274 batting average (57-for-208), along with a .311 OBP and .423 slugging percentage. He has added 11 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 30 RBIs, 21 runs and 12 walks.
The attitude Lee brings every day makes it no surprise that the rookie second baseman is achieving new heights for Taiwanese-born players. Lee seems to approach every at-bat with the utmost confidence, and when he connects, it's with determination.
Lee's .274 batting average ranks second on the Tigers among players with more than 60 at-bats. Only fellow rookie Kevin McGonigle (.281) has a better average. Lee's mark is also better than three-time All-Star Riley Greene (.270) and former All-Star Gleyber Torres (.270).
The Tigers have been a team full of youthful pride, with Lee and McGonigle leading the charge for younger players like Max Clark , Eduardo Valencia and now Brett Callahan.
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Sometimes, being too young to know any better is the best way to play games like these. Just head into every game with an inexperienced confidence that no team can defeat you and no pitcher can put you down. That is something Lee seems to have embraced all season long.
With 36 games still remaining in the season, Lee will look to continue adding to his hit total through the regular season and, if the Tigers can sneak their way in, potentially into the playoffs as well.
