FG on Fox: Getting Ready for Jung-Ho Kang
What if I told you there’s a shortstop in his 20s, available for presumably less than Ervin Santana money, coming off a year in which he hit 40 dingers with a four-digit OPS? It’s true — all of those things are true. The shortstop’s name is Jung-Ho Kang, and he really did have such a season. It just didn’t take place where you were looking.
It did take place where several different major-league organizations were looking. Maybe you can try to think of Kang as the Troy Tulowitzki of Korea, and while that’s a stretch, it’s pretty damn promising, at least until the “of Korea” part. There’s no debating Kang’s record; the 27-year-old just batted .356 while slugging .739 for Nexen in the KBO. He owns a career OPS of .886. In 2012, he finished second in the league in OPS. In 2013, he finished ninth. In 2014, he finished first, by dozens of points. The real concern is simple: Kang is trying to become the first KBO position player to reach the major leagues. So such a transition would be unprecedented.
It’s true, we have Hyun-Jin Ryu, but then Ryu was (and is) a starting pitcher. As far as Korean hitters are concerned, Shin-Soo Choo and Hee Seop Choi have each had success, but then they were raised within big-league organizations, so they didn’t come over from the KBO as vets. That’s why so many people wonder about Kang’s potential. This is why he could be a bargain, and this is why he could be a bust.
Jeff made Lookout Landing a thing, but he does not still write there about the Mariners. He does write here, sometimes about the Mariners, but usually not.
Isn’t that the same league that Eric Thames hit way over .300 and had 37 dingers?
Yes, that is mentioned in the article.
Think of it this way: in the majors, Thames posted a 96 wRC+. Now what if you could get that from a potential shortstop instead of a clumsy corner outfielder?
he is a gay
Piazza likes this
Who is gay?
Me.
Don’t blame me…I voted for Kang
Note to Jeff and Fangraphs:
Please show yourselves to be better than the typical ignorant American and write Korean names in their correct form. It is Kang Jung-Ho, just like it is also Choo Shin-Soo, Ryu Hyun-Jin, Park Ji-Sung etc. The family names (i.e. Kang in this instance) should be written first. If there are any Koreans who do not correct you on this error it is simply because they are too polite to do so.
I realize this is a difficult concept to grasp as we are used to writing names in the typical English format, but it would be nice to show some sense of culture.
Thank you.
I am not going to refute your argument as I know you are correct in regards to Korean naming conventions. However, “Jeff and Fangraphs” are not writing for a Korean audience. They are writing for a mostly American audience that speak and read English. Even in school, Korean children would be referred to and referenced as the incorrect form. Would you also like them to write the article in Korean?
Additionally, beginning with an insult is never a good tactic when trying to convince someone of something.
?? ??? ?? ? ?? OPS 40 dinger ???? ???, ?? ?????, 20 ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? – ?? ??? ??? ??.???? ??? ?? ????, ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???. ??? ??? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ????.
??? ???? WHERE ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???. ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ? ?? ??? ????? ? ???, ? ??????? ??, ??? “???”????, ??? ??????. ?? ??? ???? ??;?? ????? (KBO)? ?? ???? ?? 0.739 ??? ?? 27 ??? 0.356? ??. ?? 0.886? OPS ??? ??????. 2012 ?, ?? OPS ?? 2 ?. 2013 ??, ?? ?? ?? ????. 2014 ??, ?? ?? ??, 1 ?.??? ?? ?????? : ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? KBO ????? ?? ??????. ??? ??? ??? ????? ????.
??? ??, ??? ???? ??? ???, ?? ?? ?? ???? (?)???. ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???, ??? ?? ?? ??? ? ??, ? ? ??? ?????, ??? ???? KBO?? ?? ????. ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?????. ??? ?? ? ? ?????, ?? ??? ? ? ?????.
Woah no need to get racist bro. Stephen is just tryna stick up for his mail-order North Korean bride
Maybe Korea should chill on the terrorists threats over a movie before they start worrying about the order in which US baseball bloggers say their names.
I knew I shouldn’t have retired as Alex Trebek in-training when America needs me most!
Maybe you should stop making our masses look bad by pretending that the South Korean baseball league and North Korean government should be lumped together.
America…fyi: It’s not Korea but South Korea and North Korea…two separate nations. Just like it’s not America but North America and South America…
Yeah! Murica! Dat country called Europe can go fudge itself too! For doin’ stuff!
and you’re a dope. SOUTH Korea is not NORTH, dumbass.
Hey rest of the world, and Americans…sorry, this guy isn’t a representation of us.
This has to go down as the most stupidly ignorant comment over the last week at fangraphs, and it’s got some serious competition.
Attention close to this should be paid, FanGraphs inclusive of Jeff. Live we now in times when ranks at front of Korean files, riled perhaps by slights that are needless, are not in a place congenial to the optimum of ethic felicitations nor to engenderment of feelings harmonious to the maximum of bilateral relations. Reid Ste-Phen to help is just trying.
I’m a little surprised how much snark this comment got, which leads me to believe that it’s in response to the tone of the message and not its content.
I mean, really, it’s not a bad idea. We’re starting to see names spelled with the proper accent marks, so this is a logical extension of that.
Thank you, Stephen Reid, for speaking on behalf of all Koreans. What could us Koreans accomplish without the help of White People like you?
Why stop just there, Stephen Reid? We should not only insist on this format for all Asian players (your insistence on just Koreans is a bit bizarre), we should insist that names be spelled in their original writing system. Hangul for Koreans, Kanji for Japanese, etc. Or we could just chill out and get a grip and realize that that’s just the naming convention used in America, you pretentious dweeb.
It’s Chan Ho Park, buddy
Oh right. Thanks!
In addition, the fact that you didn’t write out from top to bottom just shows how ignorant and racist Jeff is.
And from right to left as well
I must first say that I am no expert when evaluating defensive ability, but it appears that Kang does not have the athleticism to do what he is trying to do on the field. It appears almost as if he has watched highlight reels of Ozzie Smith and is mimicking him. It does not look natural in my opinion. I bet if he played within his limitations he could pull off a Peralta imitation relatively easy.
The only videos available online are videos of him making plays, not screwing them up… so I don’t get how you make this analysis. It’s like saying every shortstop who dives and makes a play but doesn’t do it “smoothly” or “gracefully” enough are imitating Ozzie to his detriment. Makes no sense.
I made the observation (calling it an analysis is very generous) based on the footage available of him making plays. To his credit, he makes the plays, but he appears to be putting in a lot of effort in making them. His first move appears to be delayed. His jumps appear to reach the apex sooner than they should. His throws seem to be just accurate enough to get make the play.
I hope the Padres sign him just to have an even more hilarious Padres week.
They haven’t traded for a SS yet, have they?
Day’s not over, though, and Cleveland has a surplus. 🙂
It’d be funny if they signed an outfielder
“Tens of millions…” That would indicate something over $20M.
Since Thames is the top performing MLB comp, 96+ RC is probably at the high end of Kang’s projections. Why risk that when you could just have Jed Lowrie (proven 100+ RC as a competent infielder) for the same $ or less?
Upside gamble.
To tap into the current hot Korean demo?
Lowrie just had a 93 wRC+, and is 31 in April. Lowrie, clearly, is more predictable, but Kang has a bit more upside and could last longer.
I’m calling it now. Nats. Use him at 2nd – would also add a good amount of flexibility to Rizzo’s plan. Could trade Desmond and play either Espinosa (or Kang) at ss or 2nd. That’s sounds a bit risky…so doubtful..but what it does do is allow them to let Desmond walk at the end of the year if they think he can play SS. He will also will only require a 2-3 year deal..perfectly aligning for either Difo/Turner to replace him in 2017. If it’s apparent that he doesn’t have the defense for SS..then you have the ability to play Espinosa at SS (letting Desmond walk) in 2016 or trade for FA and still play Kang at 2nd..and by 2017 Turner or Difo should be ready for either 2nd or ss or both.
Problem is Rizzo doesn’t like big risks like this. Should have just gone out and signed Lowrie.
Most fascinating Asian position player come over that I can remember. Will he be a right fielder with a wRC+ under 100? Will he be an above average defensive shortstop with a wRC+ of 120? I for one an eager to see.
One area I suspect we CAN look at him for, with some higher degree of confidence in prediction, is his ability, having nabbed balls hit into the holes around shortstop, to get the ball to first in time. I’d be happy to be enlightened otherwise, but seems to me there’s no basis for thinking the typical Korean league batter runs home to first slower than the typical MLB batter; my guess would be at least a bit faster.
Which, if so, would suggest that Kang! (looking forward to the first GIF of Captain James T. Kirk yelling) might better suit 3B. AFAIK that’s where the Giants have envisioned him.
He has power in that swing but his hips fly open early which I worry might lead to problems with breaking stuff and change ups away. If that was his defensive highlight video I would be concerned about his defense in general. None of it showed off a plus defensive arm or even good range. Nice looking raw power for his size though.
minus the waggle, doesn’t that swing look a little like Mike Napoli? maybe Yan Gomes minus the giant leg kick??
can kiley mcdaniel give a rough prospect grade for Kang from those videos?
??? ? ?? ? ?? ?? ??. ?? ?? ?? ???. ??? ??? ????.
Okay, for future reference, Korean characters do will NOT show up on this site.
I bet Stephen Reid’s got a comment to make about this being another example of the site’s anti-Korean bias.
Now that U.S.-Cuba relations have normalized, I wonder if some ex-MLB prospects will go down to play there, only to have legions of fans look at a Puig-level Cuban prospect and go, “well, that former AAA player hit .450/56/130 in Cuba, so this young Cuban can’t be that good!”
Can we all just agree that the MLB = the best; therefore, all other leagues =/= the best. After we agree there, could you guys start scouting based on these players’ actual tools/skills instead of some arbitrary statistics? EVERYONE KNOWS ALL OTHER LEAGUES ARE INFERIOR. Jeesh.
“could you guys start scouting based on these players’ actual tools/skills instead of some arbitrary statistics?”
Ummm…Jeff’s not a scout. Want a scouting report…try Baseball America. Let’s let fangraphs’ writers play to their strengths just like you play to yours — being needlessly critical.
Welcome to the Internet bud. If you can’t handle people being critical, then try anything that’s not the Internet.
The whole article’s premised on the same thing all other articles about Japanese/Korean players are premised on: the leagues aren’t as good as MLB. Oopdi doop. That’s so helpful! Did you know guys like Tuffy Rhodes and Felix Pie were/are really good there, and weren’t really good here?! GASP!!! Oh, also, did you know there are guys in the minors that succeed that haven’t succeeded in the Show? GASP!!!
Since this is the internet, I’ll tell you that you are an asshole AC. Since the internet does not magically alter personality but merely provides a way for assholes to reveal themselves with impunity, I’m sure that your asshole tendencies are quite clear in real life but not expressed as much, except when you’re drinking.
Go fuck yourself.
QED
Konnie Wand Chung
Wang