Pirates’ Park Hoy-jun hits first career home run in MLB

Park Hoy-jun of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a home run since making his MLB debut.

In the game with the St. Louis Cardinals held on Wednesday at PNC Park, the Pirates’ leadoff and second baseman, after being struck out in his first at-bat, came to the plate for the second time in the fourth inning when the team was down 0-2 and hit the 146km/h fastball from J. A. Happ, the Cardinals’ starting pitcher, into the right-field seats, which travelled 116 meters.

Park, a one-year junior at Yatap High School to San Diego’s Kim Ha-seong, signed a contract with the New York Yankees for $1.16 million and started at the minor league from 2015. Starting the 2021 season at the Triple-A level, where he made a strong impression with his hitting, Park made his MLB debut for the New York Yankees on July 17, subsequently traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 27, and has been promoted to Major league roster ever since.

Being 13th Korean player to be drafted to play in the Major League, Park Hoy-jun knocked out the first home run of his MLB career. “I don’t consider myself a full major leaguer yet. I wish the team had won; that would have made the home run much more satisfying,” Park said. The Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 1-4 on Wednesday, extending their losing streak to six games.


Kyu-In Hwang kini@donga.com