As global as baseball can be with leagues being played across several continents, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) has featured several stars who have made the transition to MLB and have been tremendously successful.
There are the players that also stay in their respective cities, become household names, and heroes wherever they play. One player who is on the pathway to stardom, is Kim-Do Yeong.
Kim, 21, is a third baseman with the KIA Tigers in the KBO. He made his debut with the Tigers back in 2022 at just 18-years-old.
About ten years younger from the rest of the league, Kim would play in 103 games in his first season hitting three home runs, driving in 19 RBIs, stealing 13 bases, and hitting for a .237 average.
The KBO Rookie of the Year Award went to Cheol-Won Jeong of the Doosan Bears. Jeong went 4-3, with a 3.10 ERA in 58 appearances, tallied three saves, striking out 47 batters across 72.2 innings pitched.
Kim only played in 84 games during the 2023 season, but his stats became increasingly better that year. He hit for a .303 average, with seven home runs, 47 RBIs, and stole 25 bases. The Tigers finished with a 73-69 record, just missing the playoffs and ended up in sixth place in the KBO standings.
Following that season, Kim would prepare for his 2024 season at 20-years-old.
He wasted no time and started off with a season that he will never forget. Earning the nickname, “Stepson Of The Wind,” he would truly live up to his name, becoming the youngest player in KBO history to compile a 30/30 season, hitting more than 30 home runs, and stealing more than 30 bases.
Kim would finish the season playing in 143 games, hitting 38 home runs, 109 RBIs, and stole 40 bases. He would also lead the KBO in triples with ten, and became an All-Star for the first time, a Gold Glove Award, and took home the KBO MVP Award.
The Tigers finished with a 87-55 record, first in the KBO, and Kim would eventually lead them to winning the Korean Series championship.
His fantastic season would not end there, as he was selected to participate on South Korea’s roster for the Premier12 tournament, and was penciled in as the team’s starting third baseman.
Throughout five games during Premier12, Kim showcased why he was an MVP winner, hitting .412 in 17 at-bats, with three home runs, 10 RBIs, and one stolen base with two doubles, and scoring four runs for South Korea.
The team fell short of advancing to the Super Round, finishing in fifth place in the Premier12 standings.
Off the field, Kim also has a sponsorship with Nike Seoul, as he posts photos of himself representing the brand, with his own personalized gear. He was also featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan Korea, a Korean lifestyle magazine, where he also models for both Cosmopolitan and Nike.
Kim captions most of his posts about how he wants to be able to play baseball at the highest level. After putting together one of his most memorable seasons, it will be exciting to see how his rise to stardom will have an impact on his playing career, and if he will be ready for the future steps and process of taking his talents to the MLB.
He is likely to play a key role for South Korea for the World Baseball Classic in 2026, where tons of MLB talent and scouts will certainly have their eyes on the Korean phenom.
