List of Major League Baseball players from South Korea
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This is an alphabetical list of baseball players from South Korea who have played in Major League Baseball since 1994. There have been 31 players in total from South Korea.[1]
Current players
| Player | Debut | Position | Teams | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ji-hwan Bae | September 23, 2022 23 years, 59 days |
Infielder | Pittsburgh Pirates (2022–2025) Milwaukee Brewers (2026–present) |
[2] |
| Woo-suk Go | July 9, 2026 27 years, 337 days |
Pitcher | Minnesota Twins (2026–present) | [3] |
| Ha-seong Kim | April 1, 2021 25 years, 166 days |
Infielder | San Diego Padres (2021–2024) Tampa Bay Rays (2025) Atlanta Braves (2025–present) |
[4] |
| Hye-seong Kim | May 3, 2025 26 years, 96 days |
Infielder | Los Angeles Dodgers (2025–present) | [5] |
| Jung-hoo Lee | March 28, 2024 25 years, 221 days |
Outfielder | San Francisco Giants (2024–present) | [6] |
| Rob Refsnyder | July 11, 2015 24 years, 107 days |
Outfielder | New York Yankees (2015–2017) Toronto Blue Jays (2017) Tampa Bay Rays (2018) Texas Rangers (2020) Minnesota Twins (2021) Boston Red Sox (2022–2025) Seattle Mariners (2026–present) |
[7] |
| Sung-mun Song | April 26, 2026 29 years, 240 days |
Infielder | San Diego Padres (2026–present) | [8] |
Former players
| Player | Debut | Final Game | Games | Position | Teams | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cha-seung Baek | August 8, 2004 24 years, 71 days |
September 28, 2008 | 61 | Pitcher | Seattle Mariners (2004, 2006–2008) San Diego Padres (2008) |
[9] |
| Jung-keun Bong | April 23, 2002 21 years, 282 days |
June 20, 2004 | 49 | Pitcher | Atlanta Braves (2002–2003) Cincinnati Reds (2004) |
[10] |
| Jin-ho Cho | July 4, 1998 22 years, 323 days |
July 30, 1999 | 13 | Pitcher | Boston Red Sox (1998–1999) | [11] |
| Hee-seop Choi | September 3, 2002 23 years, 171 days |
October 2, 2005 | 363 | Infielder | Chicago Cubs (2002–2003) Florida Marlins (2004) Los Angeles Dodgers (2004–2005) |
[12] |
| Ji-man Choi | April 5, 2016 24 years, 322 days |
October 1, 2023 | 525 | Infielder | Los Angeles Angels (2016) New York Yankees (2017) Milwaukee Brewers (2018) Tampa Bay Rays (2018–2022) Pittsburgh Pirates (2023) San Diego Padres (2023) |
[13] |
| Shin-soo Choo | April 21, 2005 22 years, 282 days |
September 27, 2020 | 1,652 | Outfielder | Seattle Mariners (2005–2006) Cleveland Indians (2006–2012) Cincinnati Reds (2013) Texas Rangers (2014–2020) |
[14] |
| Jae-gyun Hwang | June 28, 2017 29 years, 335 days |
August 1, 2017 | 18 | Infielder | San Francisco Giants (2017) | [15] |
| Jung-ho Kang | April 8, 2015 28 years, 3 days |
July 29, 2019 | 297 | Infielder | Pittsburgh Pirates (2015–2016, 2018–2019) | [16] |
| Byung-hyun Kim | May 29, 1999 20 years, 128 days |
September 28, 2007 | 394 | Pitcher | Arizona Diamondbacks (1999–2003, 2007) Boston Red Sox (2003–2004) Colorado Rockies (2005–2007) Florida Marlins (2007) |
[17] |
| Hyun-soo Kim | April 10, 2016 28 years, 89 days |
September 30, 2017 | 191 | Outfielder | Baltimore Orioles (2016–2017) Philadelphia Phillies (2017) |
[18] |
| Kwang-hyun Kim | July 24, 2020 32 years, 2 days |
October 2, 2021 | 35 | Pitcher | St. Louis Cardinals (2020–2021) | [19] |
| Sun-woo Kim | June 15, 2001 23 years, 284 days |
September 17, 2006 | 118 | Pitcher | Boston Red Sox (2001–2002) Montreal Expos (2002–2004) Washington Nationals (2005) Colorado Rockies (2005–2006) Cincinnati Reds (2006) |
[20] |
| Dae-sung Koo | April 4, 2005 35 years, 245 days |
August 20, 2005 | 33 | Pitcher | New York Mets (2005) | [21] |
| Dae-ho Lee | April 4, 2016 33 years, 288 days |
October 2, 2016 | 104 | Infielder | Seattle Mariners (2016) | [22] |
| Sang-hoon Lee | June 29, 2000 29 years, 110 days |
October 1, 2000 | 9 | Pitcher | Boston Red Sox (2000) | [23] |
| Chang-yong Lim | September 7, 2013 37 years, 95 days |
September 27, 2013 | 6 | Pitcher | Chicago Cubs (2013) | [24] |
| Seung-hwan Oh | April 3, 2016 33 years, 263 days |
May 30, 2019 | 232 | Pitcher | St. Louis Cardinals (2016–2017) Toronto Blue Jays (2018) Colorado Rockies (2018–2019) |
[25] |
| Byung-ho Park | April 4, 2016 29 years, 269 days |
June 28, 2016 | 62 | Infielder | Minnesota Twins (2016) | [26] |
| Chan-ho Park | April 8, 1994 20 years, 282 days |
October 1, 2010 | 479 | Pitcher | Los Angeles Dodgers (1994–2001, 2008) Texas Rangers (2002–2005) San Diego Padres (2005–2006) New York Mets (2007) Philadelphia Phillies (2009) New York Yankees (2010) Pittsburgh Pirates (2010) |
[27] |
| Hoy-jun Park | July 16, 2021 25 years, 100 days |
September 7, 2022 | 68 | Infielder | New York Yankees (2021) Pittsburgh Pirates (2021–2022) |
[28] |
| Hyun-jin Ryu | April 2, 2013 26 years, 8 days |
September 30, 2023 | 186 | Pitcher | Los Angeles Dodgers (2013–2014, 2016–2019) Toronto Blue Jays (2020–2023) |
[29] |
| Jae-kuk Ryu | May 14, 2006 22 years, 349 days |
April 9, 2008 | 28 | Pitcher | Chicago Cubs (2006) Tampa Bay Rays (2007–2008) |
[30] |
| Jae-weong Seo | July 21, 2002 25 years, 58 days |
May 29, 2007 | 123 | Pitcher | New York Mets (2002–2005) Los Angeles Dodgers (2006) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2006–2007) |
[31] |
| Hyeon-jong Yang | April 26, 2021 33 years, 56 days |
September 13, 2021 | 12 | Pitcher | Texas Rangers (2021) | [32] |
Awards and honors
All-Star selections
| Player | Age | Season | League | Team | Position | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chan-ho Park | 28 | 2001 | NL | Los Angeles Dodgers | P | L; 9.00 ERA (1 IP, 1 ER), 1 K | [33] |
| Byung-hyun Kim | 23 | 2002 | NL | Arizona Diamondbacks | P | BS; 54.00 ERA (0.1 IP, 2 ER) | [34] |
| Shin-soo Choo | 36 | 2018 | AL | Texas Rangers | DH | .500 BA (2 AB, 1 H), 1 R | [35] |
| Hyun-jin Ryu | 32 | 2019 | NL | Los Angeles Dodgers | P (SP) | 0.00 ERA (1 IP) | [36] |
Gold Glove Award
- Ha-seong Kim: 2023 NL Utility Player (San Diego Padres)[37]
Player of the Month
- Shin-soo Choo: September 2008 AL (Cleveland Indians)[38]
- Shin-soo Choo (2): September 2015 AL (Texas Rangers)[39]
Pitcher of the Month
- Chan-ho Park: July 1998 NL (Los Angeles Dodgers)[40]
- Hyun-jin Ryu: May 2019 NL (Los Angeles Dodgers)[41]
Rookie of the Month
- Hee-seop Choi: April 2003 NL (Chicago Cubs)[42]
- Jung-ho Kang: July 2015 NL (Pittsburgh Pirates)[43]
Player of the Week
- Chan-ho Park: September 18–24, 2000 NL (Los Angeles Dodgers)[44]
- Byung-hyun Kim: July 8–14, 2002 NL (Arizona Diamondbacks)[45]
- Shin-soo Choo: April 12–18, 2010 AL (Cleveland Indians)[46]
- Shin-soo Choo (2): September 13–19, 2010 AL (Cleveland Indians)[46]
- Jung-ho Kang: September 5–11, 2016 NL (Pittsburgh Pirates)[47]
- Hyun-jin Ryu: May 6–12, 2019 NL (Los Angeles Dodgers)[48]