After an underwhelming start to his US career in 2016, Twins first baseman ByungHo Park has yet to appear in the Majors this season, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press notes. Park arrived in the US with fanfare but batted just .191 in his rookie season, and the 31-year-old is now hitting just .260/.318/.417 with just nine home runs over 368 plate appearances with Triple-A Rochester. Park’s friend and South Korean countryman Shin-Soo Choo says Park “really wants to do something here” in the United States. Choo’s comment came in what appears to have been a response to a question from Berardino about whether Park and the Twins might reach a deal on a buyout for the remainder of Park’s contract. Park is set to make $3MM in both 2018 and 2019, plus a $500K buyout or a $6.5MM option for 2020. Berardino quotes a scout, however, who notes that Park might not be able to make that kind of money were he to leave the US to return to the KBO. Here’s more from the American League.
- Prior to yesterday’s game, the Yankees placed lefty CC Sabathia on the DL with knee inflammation. To take his place on the active roster, they recalled righty Jordan Montgomery from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Sabathia left his last start due to issues with his knee, so his DL placement doesn’t come as a surprise, but his situation has to be frustrating for the Yankees — Sabathia is in the midst of a solid season, with a 4.05 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 thus far. Montgomery is scheduled to start tomorrow against Boston.
- The Royals swing at more of the pitches they see — 50.9% — than any team, and are on pace to swing at more pitches than any team since at least 2002, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes. The approach hasn’t been particularly successful overall — the Royals are currently tied for 12th in the AL in runs scored. Of course, Kansas City’s freest swingers include Salvador Perez (58.5% swing percentage) and Mike Moustakas (56.9%), who are both in the midst of good seasons. “You don’t think we address that all the time?” says Royals manager Ned Yost. “Of course, we do. We talk about being more selective and getting better pitches. But again, these guys are who they are.”
ol’ Ned being all sassy
Montgomery is a lefty.
Byung Ho Park is starting to look like Nishioka
Noshioka was supposed to be a high average guy who could play defense and turned out to not be able to hit it play defense. Park on the other hand was just suppose to be a good power hitter, which he has a lot of power (maybe more than Sano) he just has a terrible average, if he could hit 225-250 in the majors he would pretty much be Joey Gallo.
Joey Gallo is like the 95th percentile outcome for this type of high – power, low – contact corner guy because of his athleticism, not the norm. Park has more of a Chris Carter vibe
Great comparison kleppy. Joey G has 32 monster shots in 320 MLB at bats this year 5th most in baseball. Park has 9 homers at Rochester….yeah, pretty much the same.
Yeah good comparison, to a guy who’d be on pace to hit 55 homers over a full season of AB’s. He also reminds me of Mike Schmidt, Doyle Alexander, and Martin Luther King.
I like how a few months have turned Gallo into HOF player in so many people’s eyes.
Nobody even said that… just said Park wasn’t as good as him which he isn’t not to mention as young as him which he also isn’t
No one said he’s a HOF’r, you just compared him to a guy with 9 home runs in triple A
Hope CC is gonna be alright for the stretch run…