Asian baseball players making a big splash in 2024 (Ohtani, Kwan, Jung-hoo Lee, Yamamoto, Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki, Kim) – The complete list of Asian Baseball Players upate
For the COMPLETE list of Asian players in Major League Baseball
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Rank
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Name
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Ethnicity
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Ht/Wt
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Pos
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Year
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League
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Team
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Accomplishments
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Debut
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| Rank | Name | Ethnicity | Ht/Wt | Pos | Year | League | Team | Accomplishments | ||
| 1 |  |
Yamamoto, Yoshinobu | Japanese | 5’10” 176lbs | SP | present-2024 (MLB) | MLB | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2024 $325mil/12yr biggest ever for pitcher | 2024 |
| 4 |  |
Imanaga, Shota | Japanese | 5’10” 175lbs | SP | present-2024 (MLB) | MLB | Chicago Cubs | 2024 $53mil/4yr | 2024 |
| 5 |  |
Lee, Jung-hoo | Korean | 6’1″ 192lbs | CF | present-2024 (MLB) | MLB | San Francisco Giants | 2024 $113mil/6yr | 2024 |
| 7 |  |
Matsui, Yuki | Japanese | 5’8″ 165lbs | RP | present-2024 (MLB) | MLB | San Diego Padres | 2024 $28mil/5yr | 2024 |
| 7 |  |
Teng, Kai-Wei | Taiwanese | 6’4″ 260lbs | SP | present-2024 (MLB) | A | SF Giants | 2022 6-12 5.22 136.1inn 169Ks (minors) | 2024 |
| 5 |  |
Pham, Alex | Vietnamese/Chinese | 5’11” 164lbs | P | present-2024 (AAA) | AAA | Baltimore Orioles | 2024 Spring training | |
| 8 |  |
Cheng, Tsung-che | Taiwanese | 5’7″ 173lbs | SS | present-2024 (AAA) | AAA | Pittsburgh Pirates | 2024 Spring training | 2024 |
| 8 |  |
Go, woo-suk | Korean | 5’11” 198lbs | RP | present-2024 (AAA) | AAA | San Diego Padres | 2024 $4.5mil/2yr | |
| 3 |  |
Senga, Kodai | Japanese | 6’1″ 202lbs | P | present-2023 (MLB) | MLB | New York Mets | 2023 2.98 12-7 166.1inn 202Ks 2022 signs 5-yr $75 million contract |
2023 |
| 3 |  |
Yoshida, Masataka | Japanese | 5’8″ 176lbs | LF | present-2023 (MLB) | MLB | Boston Redsox | 2023 .289 15HR .445 537ab 2022 signs 5-yr $90 million contract |
2023 |
| 6 |  |
Fujinami, Shintaro | Japanese | 6’6″ 180lbs | P | present-2023 (MLB) | MLB | New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A’s | 2023 7.18 7-8 79.0inn 83Ks (OAK-BAL) 2023 signs 1-yr $3.25 million contract |
2023 |
| 7 |  |
Woo, Bryan | Chinese/White | 6’2″ 205lbs | SP | present-2023 (MLB) | MLB | Seattle Mariners | 2023 4.21 4-5 87.2inn 93Ks | 2023 |
| 2 |  |
Suzuki, Seiya | Japanese | 5’11” 182lbs | RF | present-2022 (MLB) | MLB | Chicago Cubs | 2023 .285 20HR .485 515ab 2022 .262 14HR .433 397ab 2022 5-yr $85 million |
2022 |
| 3 |  |
Kwan, Steven | Chinese/Japanese | 5’9″ 175lbs | CF | present-2022 (MLB) | MLB | Cleveland Guardians | 2023 .268 5HR .370 638ab 2022 .298 6HR .400 563ab 2022 Broke MLB record for most times-on-base to start career 2018 5th round pick (CLE) |
2022 |
| 8 |  |
Bae Ji-Hwan | Korean | 6’1″ 185lbs | 2B, CF | present-2022 (MLB) | MLB | Pittsburgh Pirates | 2023 .231 2HR .311 334ab 24SB 2022 .333 0HR .424 33ab |
2023 |
| 3 |  |
Kim, Ha-Seong | Korean | 5’9″ 168lbs | SS, 3B | present-2021 (MLB) | MLB, KBO | San Diego Padres | 2023 .260 17HR .398 538ab 2022 .251 11HR .383 517ab 2021 .202 8HR .352 267ab 2020 4yr $28mil |
2020 |
| 8 |  |
Park, Hoy | Korean | 6’1″ 200lbs | SS, 2B | present-2021 (MLB) | MLB | Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, NY Yankees | 2022 .216 2HR .373 51ab 2021 .195 3HR .339 128ab (PIT) 2015 signed by Yankees |
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| 3 |  |
Hiura, Keston | Japanese | 6’0″ 200lbs | 2B | present-2019 (MLB) | MLB, NCAA | Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, UCIrvine | 2023 minors 2022 .226 14HR .449 234ab 2021 .168 4HR .301 173ab 2020* .212 13HR 217ab .410 .410 2019 .303 19HR .570 314ab 2017 1st round #9 |
2019 |
| 4 |  |
Kikuchi, Yusei | Japanese | 6’0″ 200lbs | P | present-2019 (MLB) | MLB, NPB | Toronto BlueJays, Seattle Mariners, Seibu Lions | 2023 3.86 11-6 167.2inn 181Ks 2022 5.19 6-7 100.2inn 124Ks (TOR) 2021 4.41 7-9 157.0inn 163Ks (All-star) 2020* 5.17 2-4 47.0inn 47Ks 2019 5.46 6-11 161.2inn 116Ks 2019 3-yr $43mil |
2019 |
| 6 |  |
Joe, Connor Kok-wy | Chinese | 6’0″ 205lbs | LF | present-2019 (MLB) | MLB | Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, SF Giants | 2023 .247 11HR .421 413ab (PIT) 2022 .238 7HR .359 404ab 2021 .285 8HR .469 179ab 2020 Battled cancer |
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| 6 |  |
Chang, Yu | Taiwanese | 6’1″ 180lbs | CF | present-2019 (MLB) | MLB | Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, PIT, Boston RedSox | 2023 .162 6HR .352 105ab (BOS) 2022 .208 4HR .315 168ab (CLE,PIT,TB,BOS) 2021 .228 9HR .426 237ab 2019 .178 1HR 73ab |
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| 1 |  |
Ohtani, Shohei | Japanese | 6’4″ 210lbs | DH, P | present-2018 (MLB) | MLB, NPB | Los Angeles Dodgers, Anaheim Angels | 2024 Signs record-breaking $700 million/10yrs contract 2023 .304 44HR .654 497ab MVP [3.14 10-5 132.0inn 167K] 2022 .273 34HR .519 586ab MVP [2.33 15-9 166.0inn 219K] 2021 .257 46HR .592 537ab MVP [3.18 9-2 130.1inn 156K] 2020* .190 7HR .366 153ab [37.80 0-1 1.2inn 3Ks] 2019 .286 18HR .505 384ab 2018 .285 22HR .564 326ab (ROY) [3.31 4-2 51.2inn 63Ks] |
2018 |
| 6 |  |
Higashioka, Kyle | Japanese, white | 6’1″ 202lbs | C | present-2017 (MLB) | MLB | San Diego Padres, New York Yankees | 2023 .236 10HR .413 242ab 2022 .227 10HR .389 229ab 2021 .118 10HR .389 193ab 2020* .250 4HR 48ab .521 .521 2008 7th round pick (NYY) |
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| 2 |  |
Maeda, Kenta | Japanese | 6’1″ 185lbs | P | present-2016 (MLB) | MLB | Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins | 2023 6-8 4.23 104.1inn 117so 2022 –injured– 2021 6-5 4.66 106.1inn 113so 2020 6-1 2.70 66.2inn 80so (CY2) 2019 10-8 4.04 153.2inn 169so 2018 8-10 3.81 125.1inn 153so 2017 13-6 4.22 134.1inn 140so 2016 16-11 3.48 175.2inn 179so (ROY3) |
2016 |
| 8 |  |
Kim, Jung-tae (Rob Refsnyder) | Korean (adopted by American parents) | 6’0″ 205lbs | OF | present-2015 (MLB) | MLB | Boston Redsox, TOR, TEX, TBR, MIN, New York Yankees | 2021 .325 2HR 139ab 2015 .302 2HR 43ab |
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| 9 |  |
Wong, Connor | Chinese, white | 6’1″ 181lbs | C | present-2015 (AA) | AA | Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers | 2022 .188 1HR .313 48ab 2021 .308 0HR .538 13ab 2017 3rd round pick (LA Dodgers) |
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| 5 |  |
Pham, Tommy | Vietnamese, Black | 6’1″ 223lbs | CF | present-2014 (MLB) | MLB | Chicago WhiteSox, AZ Diamondbacks, NY Mets, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, St Louis Cardinals | 2023 .256 16HR 426abs 2022 .236 17HR 554abs 2021 .229 15HR 475ab 2019 .273 21HR 2018 .275 21HR 2017 .306 23HR 25SB (MVP-11) 2006 16th round pick |
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| 2 |  |
Wong, Kolten | Chinese, Hawaiian | 5’7″ 185lbs | 2B | present-2013 (MLB) | MLB | Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, St Louis Cardinals | 2021 .272 14HR 445ab 2019 .285 11HR 24sb 549ab (MVP20) 2015 .262 11HR 557ab 15sb 2014 .249 12HR 402aab 20sb 2011 1st round pick #22 |
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| 1 |  |
Darvish, Yu | Japanese, Iranian | 6’5″ 215lbs | P | present-2012 (MLB) | MLB, NPB | San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, LA Dodgers, Texas Rangers | 2023 4.18 8-10 136.1inn 141Ks 2022 3.10 16-8 194.2inn 197Ks 2021 8-11 4.22ERA 166.1inn 199Ks (AllStar) 2020 8-3 2.01ERA 76.0inn 93Ks (CY-2) 2017 3.86 10-12 209Ks (AllStar) 2014 3.06ERA 10-7 182Ks 144.1inn 2013 2.83ERA 13-9 277Ks 209.2inn (AllStar, CY-2) 2012 3.90ERA 16-9 221Ks (ROY-3) 2012 6-yr $60mil |
2012 |
| 4 |  |
Choi, Ji-Man | Korean | 6’1″ 260lbs | 1B | present-2010 (MLB) | MLB | New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, LA Angels, NY Yankees | 2023 .163 6HR 104ab 2021 .229 11HR 258ab 2019 .261 19HR 410ab 63rbi .459 2018 .263 10HR 190ab .505 2016 .170 5HR 112ab |
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