Korean utility player Baek-Ho Kang has hired Paragon Sports to represent him as he plans to pursue major league opportunities, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman adds that Kang will be a full free agent, not subject to the posting system.
Kang just turned 26 at the end of July. Despite his young age, he is currently in his eighth season with the KT Wiz of Korea’s KBO League. Kang debuted way back in 2018 when he was just 18 years old.
He has some good seasons under his belt, though his earlier campaigns were stronger than his more recent ones. From 2018 to 2021, he got into at least 116 games each season and stepped to the plate at least 505 times. He hit 81 home runs over that span while producing a combined .325/.408/.521 line and 145 wRC+. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 and was an All-Star from 2018 to 2020.
Since then, his work has declined in both quality and quantity. Per his scouting report on The Board at FanGraphs, he “broke his toe falling down a flight of stairs before the 2022 season started, then partially tore his hamstring just a few weeks after he returned. A bout with anxiety shelved him for a month in 2023, and his season ended with an oblique tear.”
In 2022, he only got into 62 games and slashed .245/.312/.371 for a wRC+ of 86. Since then, he’s been an above-average hitter but not to his previous level. Over the 2023-25 seasons, he has a combined .276/.353/.456 line and 114 wRC+. He only got into 71 contests in 2023. He got that up to 144 last year but has only appeared in 62 games so far this year. He hit 26 home runs last year but his .289 batting average and .360 on-base percentage weren’t up to his previous level.
Perhaps MLB clubs will have differing opinions on whether Kang can get back to that higher level or not. Earlier in his career, when he was showing 20-30 home run power along with strong on-base numbers, his production was somewhat analogous to Ha-Seong Kim’s KBO years. Kim hit between 19 and 30 home runs in his final six KBO seasons. In his last two, 2019 and 2020, he slashed .307/.393/.507 for a 142 wRC+.
Kim was able to parlay that into a four-year, $28MM deal and become an effective big leaguer. He didn’t do much in 2021 but was a solid player for the next three years. From 2022 to 2024, he slashed .250/.336/.385 for a 106 wRC+ while stealing 72 bases and providing strong glovework at multiple positions. He hasn’t been in good form in 2025, though he may still be getting into game shape after recovering from shoulder surgery.
Kang won’t be as appealing as Kim in terms of his glovework, though he does provide some defensive versatility. Kang has played first base, the outfield corners and a bit at the catcher position as well.
Interest from affiliated clubs likely depends on whether they think his bat can play against MLB pitching. In October of last year, it was reported that a status check was tendered on Kang. An MLB club is required to tender a status check when interested in a KBO player, so that means at least one club was curious about Kang last winter. It was reported at that time that Kang was not interested in making an MLB move but that has apparently changed now that he’s approaching free agency.
He hasn’t many homeruns as he did earlier, but strikeouts are better this year. Probably not a power hitter at the big league level but maybe he can be a good contact hitter with a decent batting average? I do think he gets a shot but not sure what team it would be with.
He had 26 homers in 144 games last year. Only has played 62 games this season
AA will sign him for the Braves and they will keep starting him for 2 months at leadoff with a sub .100 OBP.
I’m leary of this dude. 4/$10-$12 with incentives and an opt-out after two years? That KBO power pre-shoulder surgery won’t transfer to the MLB.
I’ve watched him a lot in the KBO. He had big-time potential that hasn’t completely panned out. He might be the hardest swinger in the entire KBO, which makes him very fun to watch, but I’m skeptical of it translating to MLB.
Power is down across the board in the KBO right now (so far this year only one player with more than 25 HR) so you can’t totally read into the power numbers.
What field can’t use a good Baek-Ho…
Royals have a need in the outfield and will probably be willing to gamble on paying him for the chance to improve at the black hole in left field this year (assuming Jac stays in right)
Seems like the next superstar in the making. Welcome to the MLB.
Probably wouldn’t be a bad bet
In a league where Guillermo Heredia, Patrick Wisdom, and Luis Liberato are the top players, he’s 30th in OPS. Definitely some potential, but not a guarantee by any means and might need some minor league time to adjust like Hye Seong Kim had.
I’m not so gung-ho about Baek-Ho
Since this guy has pitched 2 innings in the KBO, SF will try to sign and make him a two-way player out of Ohtani envy. Reggie Crawford and Bryce Eldridge were drafted out of Ohtani envy. Might as well just let Casey Schmitt pitch.
Welcome to the Dodgers young man!
He seems to be injured a lot, therefore the Angels should sign him to a massive contract to appear in about 4o games a year.
Slightly better version of ji man choi.