Shin-Soo Choo, baseball player, 218 home runs, 2005-2020

Shin-Soo Choo

Born: 7/13/1982 in Busan, Busan, South Korea

MLB Debut: 2005-04-21 | Final Game: 2020-09-27

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 205 lbs

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Biography

Shin-Soo Choo, born in 1982, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 2005 to 2020. Choo established himself as a key contributor on the field, playing in 1,652 games and amassing 1,671 hits, 218 home runs, and 782 RBIs, all while maintaining a batting average of .275. Known for his keen eye at the plate and ability to get on base, Choo was also a threat on the base paths, finishing his career with 157 stolen bases. His versatility and consistent performance made him a valuable asset to every team he played for. Choo's career included a notable All-Star selection, highlighting his impact during his time in the league. He played through an era characterized by significant changes in player dynamics and the increasing emphasis on analytics, adapting his game to remain effective. His journey from South Korea to the Major Leagues exemplified the globalization of baseball, as he became one of the most successful Asian players in MLB history. Choo's contributions to the game extended beyond statistics; he was admired for his work ethic and leadership both on and off the field, leaving a lasting legacy in the baseball community.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1652 6087 961 1671 339 29 218 782 157 868 1579 0.275 0.377 0.447 0.824 19093.7

Career AVG .275 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — +6.7% above league average.

Career OBP .377 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +16.0% above league average.

Career SLG .447 vs. league average .413 across their career seasons — +8.3% above league average.

Career OPS 0.824 vs. league average 0.737 across their career seasons — +11.7% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
2005 SEA AL 10 18 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 0.056 — — — — 0.0
2006 SEA AL 4 11 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.091 — — — — 0.0
2006 CLE AL 45 146 23 43 11 3 3 22 5 18 46 0.295 .269 (+9%) .336 (+11%) .431 (+9%) .768 (+10%) 0.0
2007 CLE AL 6 17 5 5 0 0 0 5 0 2 5 0.294 — — — — 0.0
2008 CLE AL 94 317 68 98 28 3 14 66 4 44 78 0.309 .263 (+17%) .333 (+19%) .416 (+32%) .749 (+26%) 1648.8
2009 CLE AL 156 583 87 175 38 6 20 86 21 78 151 0.300 .262 (+14%) .332 (+18%) .417 (+17%) .750 (+18%) 2408.9
2010 CLE AL 144 550 81 165 31 2 22 90 22 83 118 0.300 .257 (+17%) .325 (+23%) .402 (+20%) .728 (+21%) 2751.8
2011 CLE AL 85 313 37 81 11 3 8 36 12 36 78 0.259 .255 (+1%) .320 (+7%) .399 (-2%) .719 (+2%) 194.4
2012 CLE AL 155 598 88 169 43 2 16 67 21 73 150 0.283 .254 (+11%) .318 (+17%) .405 (+9%) .724 (+12%) 1820.2
2013 CIN NL 154 569 107 162 34 2 21 54 20 112 133 0.285 .253 (+12%) .317 (+33%) .396 (+17%) .714 (+24%) 3586.8
2014 TEX AL 123 455 58 110 19 1 13 40 3 58 131 0.242 .251 (-4%) .313 (+8%) .386 (-3%) .700 (+2%) 388.1
2015 TEX AL 149 555 94 153 32 3 22 82 4 76 147 0.276 .254 (+8%) .316 (+18%) .404 (+14%) .721 (+16%) 2100.2
2016 TEX AL 48 178 27 43 7 0 7 17 6 25 46 0.242 .255 (-5%) .321 (+11%) .417 (-4%) .738 (+2%) 186.2
2017 TEX AL 149 544 96 142 20 1 22 78 12 77 134 0.261 .254 (+2%) .324 (+10%) .425 (-1%) .750 (+4%) 674.5
2018 TEX AL 146 560 83 148 30 1 21 62 6 92 156 0.264 .247 (+7%) .318 (+18%) .409 (+6%) .727 (+11%) 1689.9
2019 TEX AL 151 563 93 149 31 2 24 61 15 78 165 0.265 .252 (+5%) .322 (+15%) .434 (+5%) .757 (+9%) 1404.1
2020 TEX AL 33 110 13 26 3 0 5 15 6 13 33 0.236 .244 (-3%) .321 (avg) .417 (-4%) .739 (-2%) -36.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 27 6 6 0 0 2 4 1 9 0.222

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2016 ALDS1 TEX 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0.000
2015 ALDS2 TEX 5 21 4 5 0 0 1 2 1 6 0.238
2013 NLWC CIN 1 3 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1307 1285 2632 80 51 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2005 SEA OF 5 5 16 0 0 0
2006 SEA OF 4 4 16 1 1 0
2006 CLE OF 39 38 81 2 2 1
2007 CLE OF 5 4 10 1 0 1
2008 CLE OF 75 70 128 4 2 0
2009 CLE OF 143 142 317 11 7 2
2010 CLE OF 142 142 267 14 4 3
2011 CLE OF 85 84 172 9 4 2
2012 CLE OF 154 151 293 7 2 1
2013 CIN OF 153 153 353 9 4 0
2014 TEX OF 75 75 129 4 4 0
2015 TEX OF 148 144 315 5 5 2
2016 TEX OF 43 42 85 4 3 0
2017 TEX OF 77 75 151 7 4 0
2018 TEX OF 59 59 105 2 4 0
2019 TEX OF 81 80 153 0 4 0
2020 TEX OF 19 17 41 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 207
Center Field 160
Right Field 947
Designated Hitter 303

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2015 Player of the Month September
2010 Player of the Week Week of 2010-04-18
2010 Player of the Week Week of 2010-09-19
2008 Player of the Month September

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2016 TEX AL $20,000,000
2015 TEX AL $14,000,000
2014 TEX AL $14,000,000
2013 CIN NL $7,375,000
2012 CLE AL $4,900,000
2011 CLE AL $3,975,000
2010 CLE AL $461,100
2009 CLE AL $420,300
2008 CLE AL $390,400
Total Career Earnings $65,521,800

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2013 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 23.0 420 0
2010 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 9.0 392 0