Star Players of Major League Baseball

There will be at least six and as many as nine Korean players active in Major League Baseball this year. A lot has changed compared to six years ago when only Park Chan-ho was a major leaguer.

“Eldest Brother” Park (31 years old, Texas) got out from long slump and waits for comeback. Choi Hee-seop (25 years old, Florida) secured a position in the main lineup as well as a starting first base job. Kim Byoung-hyun (25 years old, Boston) suffers from injury, but “Young Guns” of the minor leagues are about to land in the big leagues soon.

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay already had their openers in Tokyo on March 30 and 31, and Major League Baseball will begin its long seven-month journey in the states with Boston versus Tampa Bay on April 5. The current state of Korean players through results of exhibition games:

--Park Chan-ho regains his 155km/h fastball while Bong Joong-keon gets a chance to start

Park started in four games, marked no wins and one loss with 5.50 ERA and allowed 16 hits in 18 innings. His apparent records are never impressive.

But Texas is excited and convinced of his revival. Park threw a 155km/h fastball even in exhibition games. It is the fastest ball speed he made since he was transferred to Texas. Also he only gave up seven walks, lowering his WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched) to 1.28, which is the standard of great pitchers. This figure almost reaches 1.20 which he made in his peak, 2001, with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Choi Hee-seop didn’t get a hit in three bats in his game against Montreal on March 31, but he has put on a slugging show with 16 RBIs and nine extra-base hits, including four homers out of 17 hits.

Moving to Cincinnati lately, Bong Joong-geon (24 years old) won a good chance to debut as a starting pitcher. He have never allowed runs for 6 games straight, and pitched with good results including two wins and a 2.38 ERA.

- Seo Jae-eung not cleared to start pitching; Kim Byoung-hyun injured

Seo (27 years old, New York Mets) has had unexpected trouble. He allowed eight hits and five runs, including two homers, in four and a third innings in the game against Cleveland on March 31. Manager Art Howe said in the interview with the official homepage of Major League Baseball that “we don’t have enough room for players who have lost their pace. Seo’s starting pitching job is not definite and we have to evaluate him again.”

Recovering from the injury to his right shoulder, Kim (25-year-old, Boston) has recovered faster than expected, but there is still no possibility of his appearance at the beginning of season.

--Kim Seon-woo will be able to play in the opener

Prospect Kim Seon-woo (27 years old, Montreal) showed near-perfect pitching, allowing no runs in 11 innings in his last two games.

Invited players such as Song Seung-joon (24 years old, Montreal), Baek Cha-seung (24 years old), and Choo Shin-soo (23 years old, Seattle so far) have returned to the minor leagues, but they still have the chance to be promoted according to their good performance in exhibition games.

Hwan Soo Zang zangpabo@donga.com