Another month is now behind us as teams in leagues around the world of baseball are gearing up for their final month of the season. We’ve compiled a list of the top players from leagues outside the United States who shined during August. Here’s who has performed above the rest:
C: Kungkuan Giljegiljaw- Wei Chuan Dragons (CPBL)
August was a big one for Dragon’s catcher Kungkuan Giljegiljaw. In 84 plate appearances in August, the catcher hit .352, blasting eight home runs and driving in 20 RBIs. The 30-year-old was born in Taichung, Taiwan, and represented Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. He also spent six seasons as a member of the Cleveland Guardians organization from 2014-2019, reaching as high as Double-A. He was released after the 2020 season, where he then became the second overall pick in the 2021 CPBL Draft by the Wei Chuan Dragons.
1B: Steven Moya- TSG Hawks (CPBL)
It’s been one dominant first season in the CPBL for the former Detroit Tiger, Steven Moya. During this final month of summer, Moya carried a .286 batting average, crushing five home runs and 17 RBIs in 93 plate appearances. Moya has played in 94 games for the season, with a league-leading 25 home runs and a league-high 79 RBIs.
2B: Kim Hye-Seong- Kiwoom Heroes (KBO)
One player picking it up this month was second-baseman Kim Hye-Seong. Since scouts have attended some of his games, he’s been playing some of his best baseball with the Heroes. Kim was able to post a .310 average in 20 games during the month, driving in nine RBIs and stealing three bases. After an alright month of July, Kim was able to drive his average up in August.
3B: Song Sung-mun- Kiwoom Heroes (KBO)
Joining his teammate Kim Hye-Seong on this list is third baseman Song Sung-mun. Song had a fantastic month of August, hitting .325 in 25 games, with five home runs, 21 RBI, and ten stolen bases. The 28-year-old infielder carries a .339 average on the season, with 17 home runs and 92 RBIs for the Heroes. This is Song’s ninth season with the Kiwoom Heroes.
SS: Sosuke Genda- Saitama Seibu Lions (NPB)
Since joining the league in 2017, Sosuke Genda has been one of the best-hitting infielders in Japan. The six-time NPB All-Star has played in the 2019 WBSC Premier12 with Japan, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and won a Gold Medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
After struggling to begin the season, Genda has picked it up especially in August.
OF: Austin Dean- LG Twins (KBO)
Another American who transitioned overseas to Korea was former Marlins prospect Austin Dean. The Texas native made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2018 while also playing in five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants until 2022. This is Dean’s sophomore season in Korea, where he is having the best season of his professional career. In August, Dean hit .367 in 24 games, crushing nine home runs and driving in 35 RBIs.
So far, in 121 games on the season, Dean has hit an even 30 home runs, driving in 117 RBIs all in his age 30 season.
OF: Yonathan Perlaza- Hanwha Eagles (KBO)
This is Perlaza’s first year in the KBO after being released by the Chicago Cubs organization after the 2023 season. Perlaza had a strong month of August, hitting .264 and crushing five home runs while driving in eight RBIs. Although he struck out 34 times in 91 at-bats, Perlaza now has 23 home runs on the season, totaling 65 RBIs with an on-base percentage of .374.
OF: Ryosuke Tatsumi- Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (NPB)
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles outfielder Ryosuke Tatsumi has had an impressive season at 27 years old. In his sixth professional season with the Golden Eagles, Tatsumi had crushed six home runs and 49 RBI, hitting an impressive .291 and an even more impressive .347 on-base percentage. Tatsumi also stole 13 bases during the season and was awarded as an Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star for the first time this season.
DH: Franmil Reyes- Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (NPB)
Power-hitting designated hitter/outfielder Franmil Reyes has been crushing the competition this month in Japan, and it has been dominant. He has continued his current hit streak to 23 consecutive games, where he now totals 17 home runs. In 79 games this season, Reyes is hitting .282 with the big league team and carries 46 RBIs on the year. He is also a candidate for August Player of the Month for the NPB.
SP: Livan Moinelo- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (NPB)
Cuban left-handed pitcher Livan Moinelo has made an impressive transition to the Hawks starting rotation after pitching his first seven seasons as a member of the bullpen. In 21 starts with the Hawks this year, Moinelo holds a 10-4 record, throwing in 143 innings, striking out 134
batters, posting a 1.64 ERA. Moinelo was also a member of Team Cuba’s bullpen during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. It will be interesting to see if this season will help the 28-year-old transition to the MLB shortly.
RP: Park Yeong-Hyun- KT Wiz (KBO)
And wrapping up the International Team of the Month is relief pitcher Park Yeong-Hyun. Park had a strong month of August with the Wiz, posting a 1.80 ERA in 12 appearances, locking down four saves, striking out 17 batters, and only allowing one walk in 15 innings of work, holding hitters to a .137 batting average. Park has a 3.38 ERA in 56 games pitched for the season, recording 22 saves with a 10-2 record, striking out 79 batters throughout 66.2 innings.
Another fantastic month of international baseball is behind us, with a few more weeks in each respective season on the horizon. Which players will remain hot, and which players will fall behind this month? The competition will look to heat up as each team gets ready for the playoffs, which are looming very closely. It will be fun to see which players can help their respective teams most in September.
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Check out the International Team of July: https://worldbaseball.com/wbn-international-team-of-the-month-for-july/
