Jung-ho Kang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jung-ho Kang |
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Kang with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015
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| Third baseman / Shortstop | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: April 5, 1987 Gwangju, South Korea |
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| Professional debut | |||||||||||||||||
| KBO: April 8, 2006, for the Hyundai Unicorns | |||||||||||||||||
| MLB: April 8, 2015, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | |||||||||||||||||
| KBO: October 17, 2014, for the Nexen Heroes | |||||||||||||||||
| MLB: July 29, 2019, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||||||||||
| KBO statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .298 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 139 | ||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 545 | ||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .254 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 46 | ||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 144 | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
KBO
MLB
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Medals
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| Jung-ho Kang | |
| Hangul |
강정호
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| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gang Jeongho |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kang Chŏngho |
| IPA | Korean: [kaŋdʑʌŋho] |
Jung-ho Kang (Korean: 강정호; born April 5, 1987) is a former professional baseball player from South Korea. He played as a third baseman and shortstop. Kang played in the KBO League for the Hyundai Unicorns and Nexen Heroes. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Early Life and High School Baseball
Jung-ho Kang was born on April 5, 1987. When he was in Gwangju Jeil High School, Kang mostly played as a catcher. In 2004, he joined the South Korean national under-18 team. He played as a third baseman and helped the team win a bronze medal at the World Junior Baseball Championship.
In 2005, Kang helped his high school team win the Golden Lion Flag Championship. He won awards for being an outstanding pitcher and for having the most RBIs (Runs Batted In).
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Hyundai Unicorns
Kang began his professional career with the Hyundai Unicorns. They drafted him in the second round of the 2006 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) draft. In his first two seasons, Kang did not play much. In 2006, he played 10 games and had a batting average of .150. In 2007, he played 20 games and hit .133.
Becoming a Star with the Nexen Heroes
In 2008, the Hyundai Unicorns team changed and became the Woori Heroes (later Nexen Heroes). Kang became the main shortstop for the Heroes. He played in 116 games, hitting .271 with 8 home runs and 47 RBIs.
In 2009, Kang had a great season. He hit .286 with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs. He also led the league in doubles with 33.
In 2010, Kang's batting average went above .300 for the first time, finishing at .301. He also hit 12 home runs and had 58 RBIs. His excellent defense earned him his first KBO League Golden Glove Award. Kang also won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games with the South Korea national baseball team.
Kang continued to play well in the KBO. In 2012, he hit .314 with 25 home runs and 82 RBIs. He also stole 21 bases, which was his career high. He won another Gold Glove Award that year.
In March 2013, Kang played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In the 2013 KBO season, he hit 22 home runs and won his third Gold Glove Award.
His best KBO season was in 2014. Kang hit .356 with 40 home runs and 117 RBIs. He led the league in slugging percentage and OPS (On-base Plus Slugging). He also won his fourth Gold Glove Award, showing he was a top defensive player.
Moving to the Pittsburgh Pirates
On December 22, 2014, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the chance to sign Kang to a Major League Baseball contract. They paid a fee of over $5 million to the Nexen Heroes for this opportunity. This was a big moment because Kang was the first KBO position player to move directly to MLB.
2015 MLB Season
On January 16, 2015, Kang signed a four-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He trained with his former team, the Nexen Heroes, to get ready for MLB. Many South Korean media followed him as he prepared for this big step.
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In spring training, Kang competed for the starting shortstop position. In his first spring training game, he hit a solo home run. On April 4, 2015, Kang got his first MLB hit. On April 21, he recorded his first RBI.
On May 3, Kang hit a game-tying solo home run in the 9th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. On May 9, the Pirates made history by turning a rare 4–5–4 triple play with Kang involved.
On September 17, 2015, Kang was injured during a game against the Chicago Cubs. A baserunner slid into his left knee, causing a leg fracture and a torn ligament. This injury ended his season early. He missed the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
Despite his injury, Kang had a great rookie year. He played 126 games, hitting .287 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. He finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
2016 MLB Season
Kang returned to play on May 6, 2016, after his injury. In his first game back, he hit two solo home runs. He played in 103 games that season, hitting .255 with a career-high 21 home runs and 62 RBIs.
Challenges and Return to Baseball
After the 2016 season, Kang faced challenges that kept him from playing in the United States. He was unable to get a work visa for the 2017 season. This meant he could not play for the Pirates that year.
In 2017–2018, Kang played in the Dominican Professional Baseball League. He worked hard to overcome his challenges and return to the game he loved.
2018 MLB Season
On April 26, 2018, it was announced that Kang had successfully renewed his visa. This meant he could return to the United States and play baseball again. The Pirates welcomed him back to the team.
Kang worked on his personal well-being and rejoined the team. On June 15, 2018, the Pirates added him back to their roster. He played in Triple-A before returning to the MLB team.
On September 28, 2018, Kang played his first MLB game since October 2016. He appeared in 3 games at the end of the season, hitting .333.
After the 2018 season, the Pirates decided not to keep Kang on his original contract. However, they re-signed him to a new one-year deal. This gave him the chance to compete for the starting third baseman job in 2019.
2019 MLB Season
In spring training 2019, Kang showed his power by hitting two home runs in his first game. On March 18, 2019, the Pirates named him their starting third baseman for the season. On April 3, 2019, he hit his first MLB home run since 2016.
However, Kang struggled during the 2019 season. On August 2, 2019, the Pirates decided to release him. He finished the season hitting .169 with 10 home runs.
Free Agency and KBO Reinstatement Efforts
In early 2020, Kang tried to sign with a team affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers, but it did not work out. He then decided to return to South Korea and try to play in the KBO League again.
Due to past issues, Kang faced a suspension from the KBO League. The league's committee decided on May 25, 2020, to give him a one-year suspension. He was also ordered to complete 300 hours of community service. Kang did not play organized baseball in 2021.
On March 18, 2022, Kang signed a one-year contract with his former team, now called the Kiwoom Heroes. However, on April 29, the KBO did not approve his contract, and he became a free agent.
Images for kids
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Kang with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015
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Kang in the on-deck circle for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015
