The Most Famous
BASEBALL PLAYERS from South Korea
This page contains a list of the greatest South Korean Baseball Players. The pantheon dataset contains 91 Baseball Players, 3 of which were born in South Korea. This makes South Korea the birth place of the 7th most number of Baseball Players behind Venezuela, and Cuba.
Top 3
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary South Korean Baseball Players of all time. This list of famous South Korean Baseball Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Shin-Soo Choo (b. 1982)
With an HPI of 45.36, Shin-Soo Choo is the most famous South Korean Baseball Player. His biography has been translated into 14 different languages on wikipedia.
Shin-Soo Choo (Korean: 추신수; Hanja: 秋信守; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰu.ɕin.su]; born July 13, 1982) is a South Korean former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers, before ending his career in the KBO League with the SSG Landers. Choo left MLB as the record holder for most career home runs (218) hit by an Asian-born player in the league, which was later passed by Shohei Ohtani. Choo was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Pitcher of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup as South Korea won the event. Choo signed a $1.35 million contract with the Mariners after the championship and converted to the outfield. With the Cleveland Indians, Choo recorded two consecutive seasons of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Before the 2014 season, he signed a $130 million contract with the Texas Rangers. In 2015, Choo became the first Asian-born player to hit for the cycle in MLB. In 2018, Choo earned a selection to his first career Major League Baseball All-Star Game. During that season, he safely reached base in 52 consecutive games, the longest such single-season streak in Texas Rangers history. He also ranks 24th among all major leaguers in career hit by pitch, with 152. In 2021, Choo returned to South Korea to play in the KBO League, before retiring at the end of the 2024 KBO League season.
2. Hyun-jin Ryu (b. 1987)
With an HPI of 44.93, Hyun-jin Ryu is the 2nd most famous South Korean Baseball Player. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Hyun-jin Ryu (Korean: 류현진; Hanja: 柳賢振; pronounced [ɾju.çʌndʑin]; born March 25, 1987) is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. In 2013, after spending seven seasons with the Eagles, he became the first player from the KBO to join an MLB team via the posting system. During the 2018 World Series, Ryu became the first Korean pitcher to start in a World Series game. In 2019, Ryu earned a selection to his first career Major League Baseball All-Star Game. During that season, he led the Majors in earned run average (ERA) and achieved an ERA of 1.26 through his first 14 starts, the lowest by a Dodgers pitcher since the statistic became official in 1912.
3. Park Kun-woo (b. 1990)
With an HPI of 32.54, Park Kun-woo is the 3rd most famous South Korean Baseball Player. His biography has been translated into 6 different languages.
Park Kun-woo (Korean: 박건우; born September 8, 1990) is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder for the NC Dinos of the KBO League. He joined the Doosan Bears through the second draft in 2009 after graduating from Seoul High School. On September 2, 2009, he made his first hit and scored his first run in his debut game. After the 2010 season, he temporarily left the Doosan Bears to serve a two-year mandatory military commitment. He played for the Korean Police Baseball Team during the military duty in 2011 and 2012. He played for the South Korea national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In 2017, he joined the 20–20 club as the first player in the Bears history.
People
Pantheon has 3 people classified as South Korean baseball players born between 1982 and 1990. Of these 3, 3 (100.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living South Korean baseball players include Shin-Soo Choo, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Park Kun-woo. As of April 2024, 1 new South Korean baseball players have been added to Pantheon including Shin-Soo Choo.
Living South Korean Baseball Players
Go to all Rankings
Shin-Soo Choo
1982 - Present
HPI: 45.36
Hyun-jin Ryu
1987 - Present
HPI: 44.93
Park Kun-woo
1990 - Present
HPI: 32.54
