Some Koreans Thrive in MLB, Others Struggle as Season Enters Home Stretch

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Of the eight Koreans playing Major League Baseball this season, some are putting up impressive performances, but a few have found the going rough.

Pitcher Oh Seung-hwan of the St. Louis Cardinals started the season as a setup man. But expectations for him grew as he showed a knack for keeping hitters off balance with his occasional sliders and changeups. He eventually replaced the underperforming Trevor Rosenthal as the team's closer.

Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners "not only established himself as Seattle's biggest surprise", MLB.com said on Wednesday, but he also "thrust himself into the conversation for top rookies" in the American League. This is a significant achievement given that Lee wasn't even guaranteed a spot on the Mariners' active roster when he jumped from Korea to the major leagues.

Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers has been on the disabled list twice this season, but if his recent performances are any indication, things are looking up for the second half of the season. Choo got off to a similarly sluggish start last season, ending the first half with 11 home runs and a batting average of 0.221, before going on to lead the team into the postseason with 11 home runs and a batting average of 0.343 in the second half.

MLB.com also praisedKim Hyun-sooof the Baltimore Orioles as an "on-base weapon". He started the season warming the bench, but his strenuous efforts are finally paying off in the form of improved performances.

Meanwhile, Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins and Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates are having a rough time. Park is in a slump and has been sent down to the minors, while Kang sustained a knee injury last season and has recently been accused of sexual assault.

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers is returning to the big leagues after being sidelined for nearly two years due to a shoulder injury. The question now is whether he can come back at full strength.