KBO Rates & Ranks Report #2 - Week Ending 5/5/2025

I rated & ranked over 170 KBO players and here are the results...

Chris James

May 06, 2025

Document : KBO Rates & Ranks Report #2

Level : Professional - International

Source : https://www.fangraphs.com/

Offensive Date Data pulled : Monday, May 5, 2025 10:53 AM ET

Pitchers Date Data pulled:

Overview : From an offensive perspective, I rated & ranked 170 KBO position players using stats for the follow dates 2025 Season Start - 5/5/2025. Players were assessed using a neutralized Run Value system to measure their overall offensive production, broken down into two core components:

“The Run Tool”— Captures the value generated from non-hit plate appearances (walks, stolen bases, etc.)
“The Hit Tool”— Measures a player’s offensive impact via hitting.
“Overall” — A sum of the Run Tool and the Hit Tool, representing overall offensive contribution.

Each player is rated & ranked in these three categories: Run Tool, Hit Tool , and Overall

Before I jump into the Top Player Breakdown. I received some feedback from a reader at a game in real life (pretty cool) and they had some questions about what the rates “Hit Tool” “Run Tool” “Overall Rate” mean and how it works…

So every offensive event has a run value associated with it, and I am breaking that down to a per Plate Appearance Basis. Some readers may ask why don’t you just look at RBI and Runs Scored to determine run value? Well, that’s a good point, but not every team is created equal. Some teams are juggernauts and other are well…not juggernauts, F Tier. If you play on better teams you will have more opportunities to score runs and drive more batters in so it would be “unfair” to judge players using traditional RBI and Runs Scored stats.

My goal was/is measure each players contributions individually and to create a practical statistic. One of the frustrations I have with traditional baseball stats is they do not have much practical use. Does do WAR, OPS, wOBA, etc. really have a use case? Not really. So I give every baseball event has a predetermined set run value. I then break those value down into the Hit Tool Rate (1B,2B,3B,HR) + Run Tool Rate (BB, SB, HBP) = Overall Rate.

When I look at players I look at them in terms of runs scoring production where most player fall in terms of Run Value / PA or Overall Rate in a MLB setting. Here is a general guideline to help you understand Overall Rate and where KBO players land on this scale.

I like to compare these players to a MLB standard scale for production to see if they could make the transition. If I were looking to acquire a player from another league with lower competition, then I need this player to be producing at an above average production or better.

That means we have (15) Above Average (15) Great and (15) Elite players to start looking at this week and I have applied those colors to this week players rates & ranks spreadsheet.

Use Case - For context, a lineup composed entirely of average low end Overall Rate players would typically yield a low end avg result of ~4.5 runs per game.

With that in mind, let’s use that structure to breakdown our report to help identify top talent in the KBO…

Elite Range (>.17 RV/PA)

Patrick Wisdom 위즈덤 Tigers (KBO) 33 years old 3B, 1st year KBO… #1 in Overall Run Value 0.19503 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his Hit Tool, ranked #5 (16.50% XBH rate & 8.74% HR rate). His Run Tool is great, ranked #12 (16.00% BB Rate). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1950 RV/PA) is 46.17% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers. Mr. Wisdom is walking 6-10% more than he ever did in MLB and striking out about 10% less. He’s making more quality contact and taking his walks. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #1 Overall Rank Patrick Wisdom!!!
Dong-won Park 박동원 Twins (KBO) 35 years old C, 14 year KBO vet… #2 in Overall Run Value 0.19502 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his Hit Tool, ranked #3 (12.26%XBH rate & 7.55% HR rate). His Run Tool is above average-great , ranked #22 (14.40% BB Rate). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1950 RV/PA) is 46.17% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - his AVG is .050-.070 points higher than his past 5 years and a .347 BABIP is .030-.060 points higher than the past 5 years. Probably getting a little lucky early this season, but it’s a pretty decent sample size 125 PA. Interesting to see if he can sustain it. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #2 Overall Rank Dong-won Park!!! Lets hope the production continues… FOR THE CHILDREN!!!

LG Twins’ Park Dong-won hits a home run during a 2025 KBO League game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Wednesday. Yonhap

The LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced they reached the agreement with canned tuna manufacturer Dongwon F&B, which will donate 1 million won ($705.20) worth of canned tuna products to children at welfare centers for each home run hit by Twins catcher Park Dong-won. Separately, Park will donate 300,000 won to children under his name for every home run. The Twins and Dongwon F&B plan to work together to design a tuna-themed uniform this season.

Need to get my hands on that tuna jersey.

Austin Dean 오스틴 Twins (KBO) 31 years old OF, 3 year KBO vet… #3 in Overall Run Value 0.19500 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his Hit Tool, ranked #4 (13.68% XBH rate & 7.69% HR rate). His Run Tool is above average-great, ranked #20 (16.06% BB Rate). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1950 RV/PA) is 46.15% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - his ISO pop is up about .040 point this year. His BA is in line, actually a little lower than previous 3 years. So he’s not a luck merchant. He’s getting the ball in the air a little more and not using the opposite field as much. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #3 Overall Rank Austin Dean !!!

Austin Dean (LG Twins) KBO Stats - MyKBO Stats

Jin-young Lee 이진영 Eagles (KBO) 27 year old OF, 9 year KBO vet… #4 in Overall Run Value 0.1883 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his Hit Tool, ranked #2 (15.63% XBH rate & 4.69% HR rate). His Run Tool is average - above average, ranked #43 (11.84% BB Rate). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1883 RV/PA) is 41.14% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - his BA is up .100-.140 this year. Could be the beneficiary of a few lucky bounces with a .442 BABIP over .150 points higher than his BABIP in 2024. Strikeout rate is down, and his slug is just skyrocketed. His opposite field usage is up nearly 17% from last year. His pull side usage is down nearly half of what it typically is throughout his career. Maybe he’s found something in his approach at the plate. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #4 Overall Rank Jin-young Lee !!
In-tae Kim 김인태 Bears (KBO) 30 year old OF, 10 year KBO vet… #5 in Overall Run Value 0.1829 per PA. A balanced production his Hit Tool is great, ranked #12 (11.63% rate & 2.33% HR rate). His Run Tool is great, ranked #15 (17.31% BB Rate). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1829 RV/PA) is 37.10% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - his BA is up ~.050 points from 2023 to .356 in 2025. Could be the beneficiary of a few lucky bounces with a .400 BABIP over .050-.100 points higher than his career BABIP. His slug is up north .100 points from his career averages. Is anyone checking the baseballs in the KBO? Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #5 Overall Rank In-tae Kim !!!
Seong-yoon Kim 김성윤 Lions (KBO) 26 year old OF, 8 year KBO vet… #6 in Overall Run Value 0.1795 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his great Hit Tool, ranked #9 (9.90% XBH rate & 1.98% HR rate). Low SO rate 11.86%. His Run Tool is above average, ranked #25 (10.17% BB Rate with 7 SB at a 81.81% success rate). By KBO standards, his overall production ( 0.1795 RV/PA) is 34.56% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - his ISO pop is up about .040 point this year. His BA is in line, actually a little lower than previous 3 years. So he’s not a luck merchant. He’s getting the ball in the air a little more and not using the opposite field as much. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #6 Overall Rank Seong-yoon Kim !!!
Si-hwan Roh 노시환 Eagles (KBO) 24 year old 3B, 8 year KBO vet… #7 in Overall Run Value 0.1795 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his great Hit Tool, ranked #10 (12.70% XBH rate & 7.94% HR rate). His Run Tool is above average, ranked #24 (11.97% BB Rate ). By KBO standards, his overall production ( 0.1795 RV/PA) is 34.56% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - BABIP checks out, definitely an increased focus on lifting the ball pull side. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #7 Overall Rank Si-hwan Roh !!!

Lewin Díaz 디아즈 Lions (KBO) 28 year old 1B, 2 year KBO vet… #8 in Overall Run Value 0.1788 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his elite Hit Tool, ranked #1 (14.81% XBH rate & 8.89% HR rate). His Run Tool is below average, ranked #87 (8.16% BB Rate ). By KBO standards, his overall production ( 0.1788 RV/PA) is 34.03% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - BABIP checks out, slug is up . Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #8 Overall Rank Lewin Díaz !!!.

Bo-gyeong Moon 문보경 Twins (KBO )24 year old 1B/3B , 5 year KBO vet… #9 in Overall Run Value 0.1786 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his great Hit Tool, ranked #13 (9.76% XBH rate & 5.69% HR rate). His Run Tool is above average, ranked #23 (15.65% BB Rate ). By KBO standards, his overall production ( 0.1786 RV/PA) is 33.83% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). A little deeper dive into the numbers - everything checks out. This appears to be very sustainable. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #9 Overall Rank Bo-gyeong Moon !!! I’m impressed by the consistency.
Kang-nam Yoo 유강남 Giants (KBO) 32 year old Catcher, 13 year KBO vet… #10 in Overall Run Value 0.1764 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his great-elite Hit Tool, ranked #8 (10.39% XBH rate & 3.90% HR rate). His Run Tool is average, ranked #43 (9.78% BB Rate ). By KBO standards, his overall production ( 0.1764 RV/PA) is 32.24% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). His slash line is up across the board, +.100/+.080 /+.150. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #10 Overall Rank Kang-nam Yoo !!!
Seung Yeup Na 나승엽 Giants (KBO) 23 year old 1B, 3 year KBO vet… #11 in Overall Run Value 0.1759 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his great Hit Tool, ranked #8 (13.08% XBH rate & 5.38% HR rate). His Run Tool is above-average, ranked #26 (14.19% BB Rate ). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1759 RV/PA) is 31.86% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). All his number appear to be to consistent with last year, except for the SLG which is roughly .060 points higher. His hard hit % is down 4% from 30.9% to 26.9%. Might want to test the baseballs. Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #11 Overall Rank Seung Yeup Na !!!
Matt Davidson 데이비슨 Dinos (KBO) 34
Hui-dong Kwon 권희동 Dinos (KBO) 34
Ji-chan Kim 김지찬 Lions (KBO) 24 year old 2B, 6 year KBO vet… #14 in Overall Run Value 0.1724 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his above-average- great Run Tool , ranked #8 (9.46% BB Rate with 7 stolen bases 100% success rate). His above average Hit Tool, ranks #23 (6.15%XBH rate & 0.00% HR rate). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1724 RV/PA) is 29.21% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). Elite Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #14 Overall Rank Ji-chan Kim !!!
ByungHo Park 박병호 Lions (KBO) 38

Great Range (.15-.17 RV/PA)

Ja-wook Koo 구자욱 Lions (KBO) 32
Jae Hyeon Lee 이재현 Lions (KBO) 22 year old SS, 4 year KBO vet… #17 in Overall Run Value 0.1684 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his above-average- great Run Tool , ranked #2 (20.00% BB Rate with 1 stolen bases). His average-above average Hit Tool, ranks #43 (8.70%XBH rate & 3.48% HR rate). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1684 RV/PA) is 26.18% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). Great Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #17 Overall Rank Jae Hyeon Lee !!! I don’t love the Fielding % in prior years .941 & .948, this year .96 is OK-below average down .020 from 2 weeks ago not trending great. Solid baseball looking body
Hyung-jun Kim 김형준 Dinos (KBO) 25 year old C, 6 year KBO vet… #18 in Overall Run Value 0.1671 per PA. His production is primarily coming from his great Hit Tool, ranked #7 (13.95% XBH rate & 9.30% HR rate). His Run Tool is below average, ranked #86 (8.33% BB Rate ). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1671 RV/PA) is 25.27% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). All his number appear to be to consistent with last year, except for the SLG which is roughly .080 points higher. His hard hit % is up 13% from 30% to 43.6%. Could be sustainable. FB rate is up nearly 15%. Great Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #18 Overall Rank Hyung-jun Kim !!!
Jake Cave 케이브 Bears (KBO) 32
Ruben Cardenas 카데나스 Heroes (KBO) 27
Euiji Yang 양의지 Bears (KBO) 38
Mel Rojas Jr. 로하스 Wiz (KBO) 35
Dong Jin Kwon 권동진 Wiz (KBO) 26
Hyoung-woo Choi 최형우 Tigers (KBO) 41
Min-jae Jeon 전민재 Giants (KBO) 26
Jae-hwan Kim 김재환 Bears (KBO) 36
Ah-seop Son 손아섭 Dinos (KBO) 37
Hyun Bin Moon 문현빈 Eagles (KBO) 21 year old 2B/OF, 3 year KBO vet… #28 in Overall Run Value 0.1535 per PA. A balanced production his Hit Tool is above average, ranked #22 (9.43% XBH rate & 3.77% HR rate). His Run Tool is great, ranked #15 (6.90% BB Rate, with 5 stolen bases). By KBO standards, his overall production (0.1535 RV/PA) is 15.05% better than the average player (0.1334 RV/PA). SLG is up a bit, other number relatively in line with career averages. HH% is the same as career. Great Production, I love it, we tip our caps to this weeks #28 Overall Rank Hyun Bin Moon !!!
Guillermo Heredia 에레디아 Landers (KBO) 34
Jun-woo Choi 최준우 Landers (KBO) 26

Above Average (.138-.15 RV/PA)

Hyun Soo Kim 김현수 Twins (KBO) 37
Ji-hoon Choi 최지훈 Landers (KBO) 27
Sun-bin Kim 김선빈 Tigers (KBO) 35
Jae-hoon Choi 최재훈 Eagles (KBO) 35
Sung-bum Na 나성범 Tigers (KBO) 35
Dong Hee Yoon 윤동희 Giants (KBO) 21
Soo-bin Jung 정수빈 Bears (KBO) 34
Min-woo Park 박민우 Dinos (KBO) 32
Junwoo Jeon 전준우 Giants (KBO) 39
Victor Reyes 레이예스 Giants (KBO) 30
Ji-hyuk Ryu 류지혁 Lions (KBO) 31
Sang-soo Kim 김상수 Wiz (KBO) 35
Seong Bin Hwang 황성빈 Giants (KBO) 27
Woo-sung Lee 이우성 Tigers (KBO) 30
Suk-hwan Yang 양석환 Bears (KBO) 33

Pitching : There is limited data on pitchers in KBO, so I had to use implied probabilities numbers for some XBH values to understand run value, which is why I use the *. From the pitching perspective, I rated & ranked 112 KBO pitchers for 2025 Season Start - 5/5/2025 with a minimum requirement of 10 IP. I will increase the minimum innings requirement as the season goes on. The pitchers are rated the same way in terms of run value but instead of Plate appearance or At Bat, I use Batter Faced.

Top Pitchers by RV/TBF :