The Doosan Bears are a South Korean professional baseball team that has been playing in the KBO League since 1982. Founded in Seoul, they have established themselves as one of the most successful teams in Korea by winning six Korean Series titles (1982, 1995, 2001, 2015, 2016 and 2019).
Their home stadium is Jamsil Baseball Stadium which fans flock to for their exciting games filled with energy and passion. The Doosan Bears boast some of the best players from around Asia and continue to be a powerful force on the field year after year.
1. Kim Jae-hwan
Outfielder
Career
- 2x Korean Series champion (2016, 2019), KBO MVP (2018), 2× KBO Golden Glove Award (2016, 2018), KBO home run leader (2018), KBO RBI leader (2018)
Kim Jae-hwan was born on September 22, 1988 in South Korea. He is an outfielder and designated hitter for the Doosan Bears in the KBO League. Kim has played in 241 games over six seasons with the Bears, batting .289 with 54 home runs and 161 RBIs.
In 2018, he helped lead his team to their first Korean Series championship since 2001 with a .353 average and eight home runs in 47 games played.
The 34-year-old also won a Gold Glove award as an outfielder that season and was nominated for Most Valuable Player honors by both Baseball America and Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) voters after finishing runner up in both voting contests behind teammate Jeon Jun Yeong of the Samsung Lions.
Born outside of Seoul but raised there before moving to Guam when he was younger due to his father's military service, Kim learned English while playing baseball overseas including stints in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league from 2014 to 2016.
Where he hit 15 home runs while batting at No 3 or 4 batter which caught attention of scouts from MLB teams.
Who attended one game against NPB All Stars at Tokyo Dome featuring players such as Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka & Shohei Otani during this time period.
Kim Jae Hyun (born September 22, 1988), commonly known by his stage name "Jaehyun", is a South Korean singer under JYP Entertainment label.
Also Played For: kbo league
2. Hur Kyoung-min
Hur Kyoung-min is a shortstop for the Doosan Bears. He made his debut with the team in 2012 and has since played in over 200 games, batting .269 with 13 home runs and 66 RBIs.
In 2018, he was named to the Korean Baseball Organization All-Star Team after batting .312 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 118 games. He is a two time KBO Gold Glove Award winner (2015, 2017).
Hur enjoys playing golf as well as spending time with his family and friends outside of baseball seasons Kyoung-min is a veteran player for the Doosan Bears. He has played in over 1,000 games and accumulated 527 RBIs with 46 home runs.
Kyoung-min was also part of the South Korean team that won a silver medal at the 2015 World Baseball Classic. In 2017, he led his team to their first ever championship title by hitting .294 with five homers and 27 RBIs in 63 games played.
3. Jung Soo-bin
Career
- 2015 Korean Series MVP
Jung Soo-bin is a left fielder for the Doosan Bears. Jung was born in South Korea and moved to the United States when he was young. He played high school baseball in California before being drafted by the Bears.
Jung made his KBO debut with them in 2009, hitting .288/.366/.482 with 7 home runs and 36 RBIs over 121 games. In 2010, he hit .312/.380/.521 with 13 HRs and 53 RBIs over 157 games en route to earning MVP honors from the league's players association.
In 2012, Jung signed a three year deal worth $9 million with SK Wyverns of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
During his time there, he scored 1128 runs in 2227 total innings while batting .302/.362/473 with 37 HRs and 149 RBIs – good for 4th best overall hitter behind only Yoenis Cespedes (Yankees), Tetsuo Yamada (Tigers) and Norihiro Aoki (Brewers).
After spending 2015 season back in NPB playing for Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Jung joined Chicago White Sox on a two year contract worth $11 million as of Spring Training 2018.ESPN Video: Chicago White Sox sign outfielder Jung Soo Bin.
4. Ariel Miranda
Career
- NPB, 2× Japan Series Champion (2018, 2019), , KBO, , KBO League MVP (2021), Choi Dong-won Award (2021), KBO ERA leader (2021), KBO strikeout leader (2021), KBO Golden Glove Award (2021)
Ariel Miranda made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2016. He spent three seasons with the team before being traded to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of NPB in 2018.
In Japan, Miranda has been incredibly successful, posting a 13-9 record and 2.89 ERA over two seasons with the Bears. Ariel is a free agent at the end of 2018 and will likely return to NPB next season where he can continue his success story.
Ariel Miranda is a right-handed pitcher who has spent time with the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox. Ariel Miranda has logged 186 strikeouts in 204 innings pitched in NPB competition.
Ariel Miranda holds an ERA of 4.72, but his WHIP (1.257) shows that he can control the run game while allowing some hits and walks as well, which bodes well for him on the major league level where teams are more likely to score runs than they are to allow them against most pitchers in Japan's professional circuit at this point in their careers.
The 23 year old was called up by Seattle from Triple-A Tacoma earlier this season before being traded to Boston over the weekend - it will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets given all of Boston's other pitching options currently on hand.
5. José Miguel Fernández
Career
- KBO, KBO League Golden Glove Award (2019), Korean Series champion (2019)
José Miguel Fernández is an infielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. Fernández was signed by the Angels as a minor league free agent in March 2019.
In his MLB debut, he hit a home run off of Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell in the ninth inning to tie the game and eventual win the game 3-2 on June 8th.
Fernandez has also played for both the Saraperos de Saltillo and Doosan Bears in Korea's KBO League, where he currently holds records for most hits (220), doubles (41), triples (10) and total bases (345).
José Miguel Fernández was born in Colón, Cuba on April 27th 1988 to parents Fidelia López and Héctor Fernández García. José Miguel Fernández is a right-handed batter who has played for the Angels in 2018 and 2019.
He was drafted by Doosan Bears in the 2nd round of the 2019 KBO Draft, and signed with them shortly thereafter. Fernandez has appeared in 131 games over two seasons, batting .328 with 57 home runs and 351 RBIs to his name thus far.
The outfielder/first baseman also won a Golden Glove Award as part of his MVP season with Doosan Bears this year, as well as being crowned Korean Series champion alongside Los Angeles Angels earlier this month (in what was his first professional championship).
Fernandez's impressive stats have seen him called up to represent Venezuela at international level on multiple occasions - most notably at both the World Baseball Classic 2017 & 2018 tournaments.
Where he helped lead them to silverware respectively; while he also represented their country at the 2016 Summer Olympics Qualifying Tournament last year.
6. Kim Jae-ho
Second baseman
Career
- 2× KBO Golden Glove (2015, 2016)
Kim Jae-ho is a Korean infielder who has played in the KBO for over a decade. He started his career with the Doosan Bears and was named to the All-Star team in 2006.
In 2012, he helped lead his team to their first league championship and was named MVP of the playoffs. Kim splits time between right field and second base but is best known as an RBI guy; he's ranked 4th all-time in that category with 527 total bases scored.
As one of Asia's most successful baseball players, Kim will be looking to help Team Korea secure another berth at next year's World Baseball Classic - something they've failed to do since 2002. Kim Jae-ho is a two-time KBO Golden Glove winner and one of the best infielders in South Korean baseball.
He first won the award in 2015, when he was with the Doosan Bears. In 2016, Kim joined the Samsung Lions and helped them to win their second league title in three years.
Kim has also represented his country at international tournaments, including the WBSC Premier12 in Tokyo last year where they finished as runners up to Japan's Nippon Ham Fighters.
Outside of baseball, Kim is a law graduate who currently works as an attorney for a major company in Korea's capital city Seoul. The 26-year old will be looking to add another accolade to his collection when he joins Team Korea at this year's Olympic games in Brazil later this month.
7. Choi Won-joon
Choi Won-joon is a pitcher for the Doosan Bears. Choi was born in Seoul, South Korea on December 21st, 1994. He bats and throws right handed and has played professionally since 2013 with the Doosan Bears of the KBO League.
In 2017, he led all pitchers in ERA (1.92), innings pitched (204) and strikeouts (158). In 2018, he again led all pitchers in ERA (2.07) and innings pitched (218).
Choi won the Korean Baseball Organization's Most Valuable Player Award in both 2016 and 2017 Choi Won-joon is a South Korean starting pitcher who made his professional baseball debut with the Doosan Bears in 2018.
Choi was originally drafted by the Samsung Lions in 2017, but he opted to sign with Doosan instead after they offered him a better contract. Choi has had some success since making his pro debut, posting an impressive 31–21 record and 3.58 ERA over three seasons with the Bears.
He has also struck out 363 batters in 472 innings pitched during that time period, which is good for sixth best all-time among active KBO players behind only Park Byung-ho (553), Kim Seong-hwan (534), Ryu Hyun-jin (517), Han Seung-kyu (480) and Jung Ho Kang (469).
With two years remaining on his current contract, it's likely that Choi will remain with the Bears through 2022 – at which point he will be just 26 years old.
8. Park Chi-guk
Park Chi-guk is a pitcher for the Doosan Bears. He was born on March 10, 1998 in Incheon, South Korea. Park has represented his country at the U18 and U20 level, before making his pro debut with the Bears in 2017.
His fastball typically sits around 91 mph but can reach as high as 96 mph – generating plenty of swings and misses for opposing hitters. Park's secondary pitches include a slider and change-up which he uses to keep opponents off balance; both pitches have been highly effective throughout his career so far.
The 24-year old has already made significant progress in North American baseball – earning promotions to AA (Iowa Cubs) and AAA (Chicago White Sox) prior to joining the Bears this season where he currently ranks 3rd in team ERA (1.61).
As well as being an outstanding pitcher, Park is also known for his passionate defence behind home plate - having committed just 2 errors all season long thus far.
9. Yoon Myung-june
Yoon Myung-june made his professional debut in 2005 with the Doosan Bears. In 2006, he was named Rookie of the Year and led the KBO in strikeouts that season.
He has since appeared in over 1,100 games for the Bears franchise and is a three-time All Star selection. Yoon left Korea to sign with MLB's Chicago White Sox in 2016 but struggled with injuries before being traded back to Korea late last year where he currently plays for the Samsung Lions.
Yoon Myung-june is a South Korean professional baseball player who has played for the Doosan Bears since 2012. Yoon was drafted by Sangmu Baseball Team in the 2017 KBO Draft, but did not sign with them and instead joined the Bears.
In his four seasons with Doosan, he has been an integral part of their championship teams each time, amassing a record of 27 wins and 12 losses while averaging 4.21 ERA and 263 strikeouts over that span.
He is considered one of the best pitchers in Korea and has been rewarded with numerous awards including MVP honors in 2016 and Most Valuable Player honors in 2019 both domestically and internationally as member of South Korea's national team at various events such as World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments.
10. Chang Won-jun
Chang was born in 1985 and made his KBO debut with the Lotte Giants in 2004. He has played for six different teams over the past ten seasons, compiling a 129-112 win-loss record.
Chang is a left-handed pitcher who relies on his strong command to get outs. The 37-year old will likely enter retirement after this season, having pitched 258 innings with an ERA of 3.10 Chang Won-jun is a pitcher for the Lotte Giants.
Chang was born in 1984, and he first played baseball at an early age. He signed with the Giants in 2004, and has since been a key part of their rotation throughout his career. In 2011, Chang led the league in strikeouts while also posting a respectable ERA; he was named MVP of the season's playoffs.
Since being traded to Doosan Bears midway through the 2015 season, Chang has continued to be one of Korea's top pitchers - earning him another MVP award this year (2016).
With over 1,500 strikeouts throughout his career, Chang is clearly one of Korea's all-time greats when it comes to pitching.
11. Robert Stock
Stock was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of high school. Stock made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres in 2018 and posted a 3-4 record with a 4.36 ERA in 14 appearances (11 starts).
In 2021, Stock pitched for the Iowa Cubs and had an 8-1 record with a 1.59 ERA over 16 games (15 starts). The stock has experience pitching both indoors and outdoors at various stadiums around North America including Petco Park, Wrigley Field, Progressive Field, Coors Field, & Yankee Stadium among others.
Stock was drafted by the Padres in 2018 and made his MLB debut with San Diego in 2019. Stock has a 2–4 record with an ERA of 4.71, 76 strikeouts, and 138 hits allowed over 26 innings pitched.
In 2020, Stock joined the Red Sox and had a successful year as he went 9-10 with a 3.60 ERA and 138 strikeouts over 31 starts (214 total innings).
The Mets acquired Stock in 2021 and he finished the season strong going 10-6 with a 3.60 ERA over 30 starts (224 total innings). In 2022, Stock signed with Doosan Bears where he will compete for starting pitcher position on their team this upcoming season.
12. Brandon Waddell
Career
- Win–loss record: 0–1
- Earned run average: 5.68
- Strikeouts: 9
- Win–loss record: 5-3
- Earned run average: 3.60
- Strikeouts: 40
Brandon Waddell is a pitcher in the MLB and KBO. Brandon was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 3rd round of the 2016 MLB Draft after playing collegiately at Rice University.
In 2020, he made his MLB debut with the Pirates and pitched 4 innings without allowing a run or hit. His first professional season saw him pitch for both Bradenton Marauders (A+), where he went 9-5 with a 2.60 ERA in 24 starts, and Doosan Bears (KBO), where he finished 7-6 with an ERA of 2.98 over 16 starts.
He spent most of 2019 with Triple A Indianapolis Indians before being called up to Pittsburgh on August 14th . After pitching 1 inning, Waddell was optioned back down to Indy. but not before tossing an immaculate 8th inning against Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried that clinched a victory.
In 2020, Brandon had another successful year as a starting pitcher going 10-8 w/a 3.45ERA between AA Altoona Curve & AAA Indianapolis Indians.
earning himself promotion back up to Pittsburgh on July 25th. Although his numbers have decreased this season (10-11) due to injuries sustained while pitching through them.
Brandon has shown flashes of brilliance when healthy which could lead him back into contention for valuable playoff spots come October.
Also Played For: virginia cavaliers baseball
13. Lee Byeong-hwi
Lee Byung-hwi is an infielder for the Doosan Bears. Lee was born on August 5, 1998 in Incheon, South Korea. He started playing baseball at a young age and quickly became one of the top players in his country.
In 2016, he signed with the MLB's Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent and made his debut that same year with their rookie league team. The following year he played for their short season.
A ball affiliate before being called up to join the major league club in 2018 where he has spent most of this season appearing mainly as a reserve player but also making some starts at second base and shortstop.
He has been described by scouts as having great all round ability both offensively and defensively which should help him make progress in the professional leagues over time.
Although still only 24 years old, it seems likely that Lee will continue to play in America for many more years yet.
14. Oh Jae-won
Oh Jae-won was born on February 9, 1985 in Seoul, South Korea. Oh Jae-won made his KBO debut with the Doosan Bears in 2007 and has since played for the LG Twins (2008), SK Wyverns (2009), Hanwha Eagles (2010–12), KT Wiz(2013) and Doosan Bears again this season.
In 256 career games, Oh Jae-won has hit .257/.325/.429 with 26 home runs and 137 RBIs. He's versatile defensively as he can play both infield positions well but is perhaps best known for his throwing arm which he uses to throw out runners at a high rate (~90%).
Oh Jae-won will likely be an unrestricted free agent following this season and it will be interesting to see if any teams make a run at him given his skillset and age relative to other players currently playing in the KBO.
Oh Jae-won is a South Korean professional baseball player who currently plays for the Doosan Bears. Oh Jae-won has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, but he is most well known in Korea for his time spent with the Samsung Lions.
In 2006, Oh Jae-won was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of MLB's amateur draft and made his debut that season at age 19. After two seasons with LAD, Oh signed a four year deal worth $6 million to play for the Chicago White Sox organization in 2009.
With ChiSox, Oh finished third on team history with 216 RBIs before being traded to Samsung Lions midway through 2013 season where he would finish as runner up MVP behind Ryu Hyun-jin.
The 2014 season saw Oh return to South Korea and sign a three year contract extension with Doosan Bears worth an estimated $12 million dollars making him one of highest paid players in KBO league history.
Oh led KBO league batters average (.267) home runs (64), slugging percentage (.577) hits (213), doubles (54), triples (10) walks (93 ), OPS+ (161 ) stolen bases (+41 ).
Outstanding performance earned him 2015 WBSC Premier12 Most Valuable Player award nomination along side Ryu Hyun Jin from SK Wyverns.
15. Park Sei Hyok
Career
- 2x Korean Series champion (2016, 2019)
Park Sei Hyok is a catcher for the Doosan Bears. He made his KBO debut with the Bears in 2012 and has since appeared in over 260 games, batting .285 with 13 home runs and 68 RBIs.
Park's strong throwing arm has led him to be used as a defensive backstop, playing some catcher and first base during his career; he also throws out runners at an excellent rate (37% in 2016).
Outside of baseball, Park works as a sales representative for Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. In 2014, he was named one of the "30 Most Influential Asian Americans" by Time magazine. The 33-year-old native of South Korea is married to actress Yoo In Na and they have one daughter together (born 2018).
Park Sei Hyok is a Korean professional baseball player who currently plays for the Doosan Bears in the KBO League. Park played college ball at Yonsei University and was drafted by the Bears in 2011 as their first round pick.
He has spent most of his time with the Bears, appearing in over 400 games and posting a batting average of .259 with 24 home runs and 259 RBIs.
In 2019, he helped lead Sangmu Phoenix to their first ever Korean Series title after hitting three home runs during the playoffs (including game-winning shots in both rounds).
16. Gwak Been
Gwak Been is a 23-year old pitcher who made his debut with the Doosan Bears in 2018. Gwak Been has experience playing both shortstop and pitcher in the KBO, so he should be able to provide some valuable depth for the Bears moving forward.
Gwak Been's fastball hits around 95 mph and he also throws a slider and changeup. Gwak Been will need to continue developing his arsenal if he wants to make it big in Korea, but he has all the tools necessary to succeed.
The possibility of Gwak Been joining another team after this season remains uncertain, but we'll keep an eye on him as he continues to pitch for Doosan Bears Gwak Been is a pitcher for the Doosan Bears in South Korea's professional baseball league.
He has a record of 15-17, with an ERA of 4.32 and 260 strikeouts in 355 innings pitched. Gwak Been was born on February 2nd, 1999 in Chuncheon City, South Korea. He played high school ball at Hwasun Baseball High School before joining the Doosan Bears' organization as a draft pick in 2017.
Gwak Been made his official debut for the Doosan Bears on April 5th, 2018 against the Samsung Lions at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul - he earned his first win that day after pitching 7 scoreless innings while giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out four batters.
In 2019 Gwak Been played for Team Korea at the U-18 Baseball World Cup where he won silver medals after losing to Japan 3-0 in the final game; this was his second consecutive world championship appearance (he also represented South Korea at the 2016 Under 18 Championships).
After impressing scouts with his performance at both international tournaments, Gwak Been signed with MLB team Chicago White Sox on December 12th, 2020 - becoming only the fourth Korean player ever to do so.
17. Kim In Tae
Kim In-tae is a young outfielder for the Doosan Bears. He made his KBO debut in 2013 and has been performing well ever since. Kim was born in South Korea but moved to America as a child, so he has some American experience under his belt.
He bats left-handed and throws right-handed, which gives him some versatility on the field. Kim is currently with the Doosan Bears and hoping to help them achieve success this season Kim In Tae is a versatile player who can play all three outfield positions.
He has had success in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) and was named an All-Star for both the Doosan Bears and Police Baseball Team in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Kim's batting average (.243) is lower than his home run total (19). His 108 RBIs are good for second on the Doosan Bears' all-time list behind only Park Chan Hoong with 131 RBIs during the 2002–2004 seasons.
Kim also holds records for most walks drawn in a season (64), most hits in a season (128), and most doubles in a single KBO campaign (36).
As of June 5, 2018, he had played parts of nine seasons with the Doosan Bears and five campaigns with the Police Baseball Team without ever being relegated to their minor league system or going on hiatus from baseball altogether like many players do during their careers due to military service obligations or other personal reasons outside of baseball.
18. Kim Kang-ryul
Kim Kang-ryul is a Korean pitcher who currently plays for the Doosan Bears. He made his professional debut with the Kia Tigers in 2005, but only played three games before being released.
Kim then signed with the LG Twins and started 26 games, posting an impressive 2.21 ERA before signing with the Doosan Bears in 2007. Kim has since established himself as one of Korea's best pitchers, winning two MVP Awards (2010 and 2012) and four Cy Young Awards (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013).
In total he has won 103 games over nine seasons in the KBO league. Kang-ryul played for the Doosan Bears from 2007 to 2020. He is a two time KBO MVP and was runner up in 2016.
Kang-ryul has led the league in strikeouts each of his eight seasons with the Bears, including 304 total strikeouts as of September 5th, 2018.
In 2009 and 2010 he played for the Korean Police Baseball Team where he helped them reach the final of the Asian Cup championship both times.
19. Kim Min-hyeok
Kim Min-hyeok is a left-handed infielder for the Doosan Bears. He was born in 1996 in Gwangju, South Korea and played baseball at high school. Kim Min-hyeok signed with the Doosan Bears as an amateur free agent in 2016 and made his professional debut that year.
In 2018, he led the league with 130 hits while batting .323/.437/.614 with 31 steals across 123 games played and became a regular starter for the team from then on out.
Kim Min-hyeok has been called up to represent South Korea at international competitions multiple times, most notably representing them at both the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Where they reached the semifinals before being eliminated by Japan, and this year's WBC where they finished 5th after losing to eventual champions Puerto Rico in their semifinal game.
At 26 years old, Kim Min-hyeok is considered one of the younger players on his team and will be looking to continue his success into 2019 season which starts February 8th.
20. Cho Su Haeng
Cho Su Haeng is a left-handed outfielder for the Doosan Bears. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2013 KBO draft and made his debut that season.
In 2015, he led all Korean outfielders with 137 hits and finished second in batting average (.323). In 2016, he was named to both the All-Star team and Best Nine squad, despite appearing in just 97 games due to injury.
He set career highs in home runs (8) and RBIs (57) in 2017 while also hitting .303/.405/.554 overall with 10 home runs over 111 plate appearances at Triple-A Gwangju SK Knights stadium en route to being called up by Samsung Lions on 5 September 2017.
As their designated hitter after Im Seung-hwan got injured during game 1 of first stage of 2018 Korea Baseball Organization League Championship Series against KT Wiz.
21. Kim Myeong-sin
Kim Myeong-sin is a pitcher for the Doosan Bears. He was born in 1993 in Daegu, South Korea and attended Yeungnam University. Kim made his professional debut with the team in 2016 and has since appeared in 84 games, posting an impressive record of 38-24 with a 3.85 ERA and 561 strikeouts over 449 innings pitched.
In 2018 he set career highs in wins (eight) and strikeouts (108), while finishing second on the team with 10 complete games played as well as fourth with 2,069 strike outs over 1,564 innings pitched overall between regular season and postseason play combined.
The 29 year old is currently under contract through 2020 with the Bears organization – but if you want to see him pitch live don't miss out on any of his upcoming appearances at various stadiums around Asia throughout 2019.
22. Park Shin Zi
Park Shin-ji is a pitcher for the Doosan Bears. He was born on July 16, 1999 in Gimpo, South Korea and attended Ilsan High School. Park made his professional debut with the Samsung Lions in 2016 where he went 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 28 innings pitched in rookie ball.
In 2017, Park split time between the Lions and their affiliates in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) posting a combined 8-5 record and 3.24 ERA across 18 starts while striking out 131 batters over 138 innings pitched.(Korean Central News Agency) On November 9th of that year.
He made his MLB debut against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park going 6 innings allowing no runs on 5 hits while walking one batter and picking up two saves as part of an 11 inning victory to clinch first place for Samsung in NPB's Pacific League playoffs.
(ESPN Stats & Info) The following season saw him make 29 appearances(26 starts), registering a 13-8 record along with 3 shutouts and 167 strikeouts over 171⅓ innings pitched.
(Baseball Reference) The 2019 season has been even better thus far as he holds down both starting roles for Doosan Bears leading them to second place behind SK Wyverns entering day 23 of regular play (.305 batting average/.460 OBP/.699 SLG; 7 HR; 31 RBI).
23. Kim Ji Yong
Kim Ji Yong was born in Seoul, South Korea on February 20th 1988. He is a right-handed pitcher and bats right-handed. Kim made his professional baseball debut with the Doosan Bears back in 2008 and has since appeared in over 300 games for them across all levels of competition.
In 2013 he led the KBO with 18 saves while posting a 2.24 ERA and earning himself a spot on the league's All Star team. The following year he again topped the charts with 28 saves but also saw his ERA jump to 3.72 which caused him to lose some ground in terms of votes for MVP honours (he finished 5th).
However, 2014 proved to be Kim's breakout season as he recorded 40 saves – breaking previous mark by almost 10 – en route to winning Most Valuable Player accolades at both end of season awards ceremonies (KBO & NPB).
His achievements this year have seen him earn selection into Team Korea for upcoming World Baseball Classic qualifier tournament later this month, making him only player from either Koreas competing at WBC so far (Japan's Yu Darvish is also part of their squad).
Despite being just 34 years old, it appears that there are still plenty more impressive feats left for Kim Ji Yong in terms of both pitch control and game finishing ability; afterall if anyone can achieve great things during their career its someone who has already achieved so much.
24. Lee Hyun-seung
Lee Hyun-seung is a 39-year-old relief pitcher for the Doosan Bears. He has played in Korea's KBO since 2006 and has amassed a record of 42 wins and 43 losses with an ERA of 4.49.
Lee made his debut with the Hyundai Unicorns in April of 2006 and spent five seasons there before joining the Bears in 2014. In 48 games overall, he holds a win percentage of 39%. Lee throws left-handed, but bats right handed (although he can switch hitting).
His primary pitch is a fastball at 87 mph, although he also possesses two other pitches - a breaking ball and changeup - which have both been effective against different types of hitters over the years.
Lee was selected to play for South Korea at the 2010 World Baseball Classic as part of their bullpen rotation, but did not make it past Pool A despite posting impressive numbers (.50 ERA) en route to earning MVP honors from fans back home.
After helping lead SK Wyverns to two Korean Series championships between 2013 and 2015, Lee signed with the Bears ahead of 2016 season whereupon injuries derailed what would have been another stellar year statistically (1–7; 3 ER/9 IP).
However, after being traded midseason to Samsung Lions, Lee bounced back by winning 3 out 4 starts down stretch while registering an 0–1 record including playoffs clinching victory over KT Wiz leading up to 2018 campaign where once again injury struck limiting him to just 5 appearances due.
25. Lee Young Ha
Lee Young Ha is a 25-year-old pitcher for the Doosan Bears. Lee made his professional debut in 2016 with the KBO's NC Dinos and has since pitched for teams in Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China.
His fastball ranges from 88 to 95 mph and he also possesses an excellent slider and changeup. In 2018, Lee led all KBO pitchers with 175 strikeouts while posting a 3.16 ERA over 149 innings pitched.
He was named to the All-Star team that year as well as Rookie of the Year honors. In 2019, Lee struggled initially but rebounded late in the season to post a 2nd place finish in voting for MVP honors behind teammate Hyun Soo Kim (KIA Tigers).
Despite being drafted by MLB's Chicago Cubs back in 2017, at this point it seems unlikely that he will ever make it to North America due.
26. Yu Jae Yu
Yu Jae-yu is a young pitcher who made his debut with the Doosan Bears in 2018. He has an impressive record so far, posting a 3-1 record and 1.52 ERA in seven games played.
Yu Jae-yu stands at just 5'11" tall but he doesn't shy away from pitching inside despite his small stature, proving to be an effective weapon on the mound for the Bears this season.
Yu Jae-yong is the new owner of the LG Twins. Yu was born in South Korea and moved to the United States at a young age. He began his career as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs before founding CJ ENM, one of Asia's largest media conglomerates.
In 2014, he bought a controlling stake in Lotte Giants, one of Korea's most successful baseball teams and made them champions again in 2016. He is also Chairman of SK Telecom Co., which owns Team SoloMid (TSM), one of North America's top professional League Of Legends teams and current World Champions.
27. Park Yu-yeon
Park Yu-yeon is a catcher for the Doosan Bears. She was born on December 20th, 1998 in Gwangju, South Korea and started playing baseball at an early age.
Her father played baseball professionally in South Korea and her older sister also plays in the Olympics for her country. Park Yu-yeon has been with the Doosan Bears since 2017 where she has shown plenty of talent behind the plate and as a hitter too.
She is currently considered one of the top prospects in all of KBO Baseball and looks to be a mainstay on the team for many years to come. Congratulations, Park Yu-yeon - you are quite an amazing player and we're excited to see what your future holds. Park Yu-yeon made her KBO debut with the Doosan Bears in July 2017.
Park is a left-handed hitter who has played for Korea University and the Samsung Lions before joining the Bears. In 2018, she led all players in batting average (.327) and RBI (73).
She also hit 18 home runs that year, becoming only the second woman ever to do so in KBO history.
Her success continued into 2019 as she was named MVP of the Women's Korean Baseball Championship after leading her team to victory with an .857 batting average and 17 home runs scored over 21 games played.
28. Lim Chang-min
Lim Chang-min is a veteran KBO player who has spent the last nine seasons with the Heroes. Lim is known as one of Korea's top closers, having recorded 25 wins and 27 losses in his career to date.
He was born in 1985 in Gwangju, South Korea and started playing baseball at an early age. Lim made his professional debut with the Heroes in 2009 and has since been a mainstay on their roster.
In 2018, he helped lead the Bears to their first Korean Series title since 2005 – an achievement that capped off a successful campaign which saw him post impressive figures throughout the season (ERA 3.86).
Lim will be looking to continue this form when he returns for 2019 – although it won't be easy as his team face stiff competition from division rivals SK Wyverns and KT Wizex Lim Chang-min is a two-time MVP and three-time silver medalist for South Korea in the World Baseball Classic.
Lim was drafted by Nexen Heroes in 2008, but he never played a game with them because he moved to NC Dinos halfway through his rookie season.
He won two MVP awards while playing for NC Dinos before being traded to Doosan Bears in 2013. Lim has the third most saves of any pitcher in NPB history (96) and helped lead his team to Japanese championships twice during his time there.
In 2018, Lim signed with the Lotte Giants as their new starting pitcher, hoping to help them win their first Korean championship since 2014.
Final Words
The Doosan Bears are one of the oldest and most successful professional baseball teams in South Korea. The team has won numerous championships, including five Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) titles and two Asian Games gold medals.
Several of the team’s best players have gone on to play Major League Baseball (MLB), including Kim Seung-yeop, Hong Jae-gyun, Byung Ho Park, and Moon Hee-ho.
