Shin-Soo Choo

Shin-Soo Choo is a South Korean former professional baseball outfielder who spent most of his career in Major League Baseball. Born on July 13, 1982, he first drew attention as the most valuable player and best pitcher of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, which South Korea won, and he then signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2000 and was converted into an outfielder. He established himself with the Cleveland Indians, recording two consecutive seasons of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, and later played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers, with whom he signed a 130 million dollar contract before the 2014 season. In 2015 he became the first Asian-born player to hit for the cycle in the majors, and in 2018 he earned his first All-Star selection after reaching base in 52 consecutive games, the longest such single-season streak in Rangers history. He finished his career in the KBO League with the SSG Landers, retiring after the 2024 season, and left MLB holding the record for career home runs by an Asian-born player with 218.