Rob Refsnyder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rob Refsnyder |
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Refsnyder with the St. Paul Saints in 2021
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| Boston Red Sox – No. 30 | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: Kim Jung-tae 김정태 March 26, 1991 Seoul, South Korea |
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| debut | |||
| July 11, 2015, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics (through July 7, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .255 | ||
| Home runs | 29 | ||
| Runs batted in | 140 | ||
| Stolen bases | 22 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Robert Daniel Refsnyder (born Kim Jung-tae; Korean: 김정태, March 26, 1991) is a Korean American professional baseball outfielder. He plays for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Refsnyder was born in Seoul, South Korea. He was adopted by a family from Southern California when he was five months old. He became a great athlete at Laguna Hills High School. He played three different sports there. Later, he went to the University of Arizona. He played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats as their right fielder. In 2012, Refsnyder helped the Wildcats win the 2012 College World Series. He was even named the Most Outstanding Player of the series.
The New York Yankees picked Refsnyder in the 2012 MLB draft. He started playing second base and became one of the Yankees' top young players. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2015. After that, he played for several other teams. These included the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins. He joined the Red Sox before the 2022 season. During his career, Refsnyder has played all three outfield spots. He has also played almost every infield position except shortstop.
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Early Life and Adoption
Rob Refsnyder was born Kim Jung-tae in Seoul, South Korea. When he was just five months old, he was adopted. His new parents were Jane and Clint Refsnyder. They were from Laguna Hills, California. They had also adopted a girl named Elizabeth from South Korea three years earlier.
High School and College Baseball
Refsnyder went to Laguna Hills High School in California. He was a talented athlete in three sports: baseball, basketball, and American football. In football, he played wide receiver and outside linebacker. In his senior year, he was the quarterback. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year for football. He also shared the most valuable player award for his baseball team. Some colleges even wanted him to play quarterback for their football teams.
Refsnyder chose to play college baseball at the University of Arizona. In his first year (2010), he had a strong batting average of .344. He hit two home runs in 57 games. In his second year, he played in all 60 games. He batted .320 with six home runs. After his second year, he played summer baseball for the Wareham Gatemen.
In his junior year (2012), Refsnyder batted .364. He led his team with eight home runs. He also had 66 runs batted in (RBIs) and 14 stolen bases. During the 2012 College World Series, he hit a home run in the first game. He batted very well, hitting 10-for-21 (.476) in the series. The Wildcats won the championship against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Refsnyder was named the Most Outstanding Player for his amazing performance.
Professional Baseball Career
New York Yankees (2012-2017)
The New York Yankees picked Rob Refsnyder in the fifth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Yankees in July 2012. He started his professional career with the Charleston RiverDogs.
Refsnyder moved up through the Yankees' minor league teams. In 2013, he played for the Tampa Yankees. He had a .283 batting average there. In 2014, he played for the Trenton Thunder and then the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He improved his hitting and became one of the Yankees' top young players.
In 2015, the Yankees called Refsnyder up to the major leagues on July 11. He was the fourth position player born in South Korea to play in MLB. He got his first two major league hits, including a two-run home run, on July 12. He played second base for the Yankees. He finished the 2015 season with a .302 batting average. He also played in the 2015 American League Wild Card Game.
In 2016, Refsnyder played in 58 major league games for the Yankees. He batted .250. He even played some first base due to injuries on the team. In 2017, he played in 37 games for the Yankees before being traded.
Toronto Blue Jays (2017)
On July 23, 2017, the Yankees traded Refsnyder to the Toronto Blue Jays. He played for the Blue Jays' minor league team, the Buffalo Bisons. He was then called up to the major leagues on July 29. He played second baseman for Toronto. He batted .196 in 32 games for the Blue Jays in 2017.
Tampa Bay Rays (2018)
The Tampa Bay Rays got Refsnyder in March 2018. He made the Rays' Opening Day roster. He mostly played against left-handed pitchers. He batted .167 in 40 games before being sent to the minor leagues. He played well for the Durham Bulls, batting .283 in 51 games. Durham won the International League championship. Refsnyder was named the postseason's Most Valuable Player for his great hitting.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2019)
Refsnyder signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in November 2018. He played one game for their Triple-A team, the Reno Aces.
Cincinnati Reds (2019)
In April 2019, the Diamondbacks traded Refsnyder to the Cincinnati Reds. He played for the Louisville Bats, the Reds' Triple-A team. He had a strong season there, batting .315 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs in 85 games.
Texas Rangers (2020)
Refsnyder signed with the Texas Rangers in December 2019. He made the Rangers' Opening Day roster in 2020. This season was shorter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He batted .200 in 34 times at bat for the Rangers.
Minnesota Twins (2021)
The Minnesota Twins signed Refsnyder in December 2020. He started the 2021 season with the St. Paul Saints. On May 15, the Twins called him up to the major leagues. Even though he had never played center field in the majors, he became a backup center fielder.
Refsnyder had some injuries during the 2021 season, including a concussion and a hamstring strain. He finished the season with a .245 batting average, two home runs, and 12 RBIs in 51 major league games.
Boston Red Sox (2022–present)
Refsnyder signed with the Boston Red Sox in November 2021. He started the 2022 season playing very well for the Worcester Red Sox. He was called up to the Red Sox on April 19. He played as the team's designated hitter. He was sent back to Worcester and then called up again on June 10. He played as a fourth outfielder for the Red Sox. He had a great season, batting .307 with six home runs in 57 major league games.
For the 2023 season, Refsnyder and the Red Sox agreed on a salary of $1.2 million. In June 2023, he signed a contract extension with the Red Sox. He batted .248 with one home run and 28 RBIs in 89 games during the 2023 season.
In 2024, Refsnyder fractured a toe during spring training. This delayed his start to the regular season. He played in 93 games and batted .283 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. After the season, the Red Sox decided to keep him for the 2025 season.
Personal Life
Rob Refsnyder met his wife, Monica, when they were both students at the University of Arizona in 2012. Monica was a talented swimmer. She tried to qualify for the Olympics in 2008 and 2012. They got married in December 2015. Their son was born in 2021.
Refsnyder cares a lot about adoption. He helped design a T-shirt to raise money for A Kid's Place. This organization helps foster children.
During the 2012 College World Series, Refsnyder heard some unfriendly comments from fans. He later shared that he would not live in South Carolina because of these comments about his background.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from South Korea
- International adoption of South Korean children
