Jae-Gyun Hwang could be Korea’s next position-player import
By
Sung Min Kim
Posted on October 24, 2016
During the past two seasons, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has produced three positional talents now in MLB: Jung Ho Kang (Pirates), Hyun Soo Kim (Orioles) and Byung Ho Park (Twins). They were all signed to what could be considered a “below-market value” deal (Kim for $7 million/two years, Kang for $11 million/four years) and more often than not, they have outperformed their contracts.
One positional player that is garnering MLB interest out of Korea this year is third baseman Jae-Gyun Hwang from the Lotte Giants. Several teams have kept close tabs on him this season. Hwang, who turned 29 in July, has been the starting third baseman for the Giants since he arrived via a trade in 2010. He was previously posted by the club this previous offseason but was unable to draw a bid. This winter, however, he will be an unrestricted free agent.
Hwang,
who is a six-time All Star, had a spectacular year in 2016. This year, j
oined the 20-20 club, second ever to do so in his team’s 35-year history. In 498 ABs, he hit for a .335/.394/.570 line with 27 home runs, 113 RBI, 97 runs, 25 steals and had a WAR of 6.07 (second among positional players). He missed a few weeks in May with a minor toe injury, ending his consecutive games played streak (618 games, good for third all-time),
but he has been one of the most durable players in the league during the past six seasons.
Prior to the 2014 season, Hwang was not known much for his power, with his career slugging percentage at just .400.
However, he realized that to become an impactful corner infielder, he had to increase his power output.
During the offseason in 2014, he hired a personal trainer, and focused heavily on weight lifting and proper nutrition. This transition successfully led to him gaining 15 pounds of muscle, which led to a surge in power numbers (41 doubles, 26 home runs, in 2015). But with the surge also came the rise in his strikeout numbers (going from 15.6 percent in 2014 to 20.5 percent in 2015). While the offseason training regimen helped with his power, carrying much more muscle mass likely took a toll on his body.
During the 2015 season, one of the big concerns by MLB scouts was that Hwang had a “sweeping long swing with a high strikeout rate.” Teams seemed unconvinced by his sudden increase in power. Sources tell me not getting any bids from MLB teams
“humbled him even more” and he went on to work even harder during the offseason.
As a result,
he further strengthened his body, but focused on shortening his swing. The affects showed in
2016, as he reached career-highs in batting average and on-base percentage while sustaining his power, and significantly lowered his strikeout numbers (see chart below).
The shortened swing was a critical task to accomplish for Hwang if he wants to have any success hitting inside fastballs in MLB. The average fastball velocity in the KBO is approximately 88 mph, while it is about 92 mph in the States.
Although his swing is still a work in progress, it looks like the adjustment has been successful.
Here is one clip of Hwang, squaring up against a 96 mph fastball by Fabio Castillo this year.
The gif shows it in the very end that the ball hit the very top of the scoreboard. It was estimated to have traveled 476 feet, marking as the furthest hit home run ever at Eagles Park.
I’ve had some
major league scouts tell me that as for raw power, Hwang may be even ahead of Jung-Ho Kang. However, Kang possesses more bat speed, and has proven consistently to put up power numbers in games.
Big question for Hwang is if he can continue to flash more power numbers during games.
A
major drawback in Hwang’s hitting, however, is his pitch selection skill. While his improved swing in 2016 has helped with his pitch selection, he will need to improve further to consistently fair against MLB pitching. The scout went on to mention,
“one thing that stands out is Hwang’s ability to hit high-velocity fastballs… I’ve noticed that he has no problem squaring up against 95+.”
On the defensive side of the ball,
he’s been an average defender at third-base in the KBO. His
lateral range is a bit limited, and he could improve on his footwork.
Part of that could be blamed on defensive alignments and a different philosophy on fielding ground balls. In Asia, infielders are generally taught to sit back on ground balls, while in the U.S., it is usually the opposite.
Nevertheless, the
footwork will need to be cleaned up for him to provide consistent defensive value at the hot corner. As for his arm, one scout told me,
“He probably has the strongest arm out of any infielder coming out of Korea.”
Another scout said he is different than other former KBO position players that made it to the majors in recent years.
“Hyun-Soo Kim had a ML-ready bat. But he can’t run, has an accurate but weak arm and is a relatively bad defender based on his raw skillset — but he was ready to hit ML pitching right away. Byung-Ho Park had clear holes in his swing but he has an advanced approach, plus major league power and his game wasn’t going to change significantly.”
Regarding Hwang, he said
“Hwang has raw power, a big arm and an average runner — all solid MLB tools you look for in complete players. But his approach is less advanced, his footwork needs work, and his base-running instincts are below ML-average.”
Compared to guys like Kim and Kang,
Hwang is a more of a high-risk/reward project.
The things that Hwang must fix are, fortunately for him, fixable. There’s room to clean up in his game “but that’s why he wants to go to the States and learn to put it all together,” a source close to him told me.
“His work ethic is second to none, he has the drive and discipline, but more importantly the desire. He wants to get better. He even hired a private English tutor and takes lessons once a week, because he knows he will have to make an adjustment once he gets to the States.”
The MLB third basemen free agent market is not flashy in upcoming offseason. Justin Turner will attract some big offers (assuming the Dodgers don’t lock him up) and that may be about it. Because the KBO players have been perceived to be “below market value” in cost, Hwang could become an attractive option for teams who are looking for the bang for their buck.
http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/ar...yun-hwang-koreas-next-position-player-import/
