Shin-Soo Choo Stats & Scouting Report

AB	6087
AVG	.275
OBP	.377
SLG	.447
HR	218

Full name Shin-Soo Choo
Born 07/13/1982 in Busan, South Korea
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Busan
Debut 04/21/2005

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The MVP of the 2000 World Junior Championships as a two-way star who dominated more as a pitcher, Choo became a full-time outfielder after signing for $1.335 million. He breezed through the minors until 2005, when he scuffled in Triple-A. He did play in his third straight Futures Game, homering off Toronto's Zach Jackson. Choo still offers an impressive array of tools. He consistently has hit for average, and the Mariners continue to believe his strength will translate into 20-25 homers annually. He has good speed and the instincts to steal bases. He led Pacific Coast League outfielders with 24 assists, and managers rated his arm as the league's best. A natural right fielder, he moved to left in 2005 because of Ichiro's presence in Seattle. Scouts from other organizations aren't as optimistic about Choo's power. They think his inside-out swing and approach will limit him to 10-15 homers per year, which isn't enough for a regular corner outfielder. He tried to hit for more power last season and got too pull-conscious. Choo will have to repeat Triple-A, though he's still just 23. In the fight to become Seattle's left fielder, Chris Snelling is a better hitter but Choo is a more well-rounded player.
Choo dominated the 2000 World Junior Championship as a pitcher, winning MVP honors. The Mariners signed him afterward for $1.335 million and made the two-way star a full-time outfielder. The organization's 2004 minor league player of the year, Choo played in his second Futures Game and set personal bests in average, homers and steals. Choo keeps his hands back and stays inside the ball, slashing liners to the opposite field. An above-average runner, he improved his aggressiveness and basestealing success in 2004. His plus-plus arm rated as the best among Texas League outfielders. He has the strength to hit 25 homers, but Choo's approach isn't conducive to power. He'll need to close his swing and do a better job of recognizing inside pitches. His outfield instincts are lacking and limit him to the corners. His throws could use more accuracy. Choo has moved one level at a time and should spend most of 2005 at Triple-A Tacoma. He has right-field tools, but figures to be Seattle's left fielder of the future unless Ichiro moves to center.
Choo signed for $1.335 million after the 2000 World Junior Championships, where he starred as a pitcher and faced off against Travis Blackley. An all-star in his first two pro seasons, Choo helped Inland Empire win the California League championship in 2003. He missed three weeks with a broken bone in his right foot yet still led the league in triples. Choo doesn't have a below-average tool. His arm, which delivered 95-mph fastballs during his amateur days, rates a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale and is the best in the system. He's also the top athlete and defensive outfielder among Seattle farmhands. He drills line drives to all fields and has slightly above-average speed. Though Choo never has hit more than nine homers in a season, the Mariners say he has above-average pop. He's learning to be a sound hitter before looking for homers, which is fine, but he'll have to close his swing and adjust his Ichiro Suzuki-like approach before he can tap into his power. This offseason, Seattle signed Ichiro to a four-year extension and Raul Ibanez and Randy Winn to three-year deals. Choo, who's headed for Double-A, will be ready for the majors in two years, so something will have to give.
The Mariners gave seven-figure bonuses to the first two Koreans they signed, righthander Cha Seung Baek and Choo, who attended the same high school. While Baek has been sidetracked by Tommy John surgery, Choo has put together back-to-back all-star seasons in the low minors. He and Jose Lopez represented Seattle at the 2002 Futures Game. Like the hitters ahead of him on this list, Choo enhances his solid tools with superb instincts. He's a natural line-drive hitter, and his average speed plays better on the diamond than on a stopwatch. Choo's most impressive tool is his arm, which delivered 95 mph fastballs when he led Korea to the gold medal at the 2000 World Junior Championship. The question for Choo is how much power he'll develop. The Mariners have toned down their expecations, though they still point to his bat speed and leverage and envision 20-25 homers a year. He has a good eye at the plate but sometimes can be too passive. Choo probably won't play center field for Seattle, so he'll have to boost his power. He should reach Double-A by the end of 2003.
The second player signed by the Mariners out of Korea, Choo attended the same high school as the first, righthander Cha Seung Baek. Seattle didn't have a first-round pick in 2000 and compensated by pouring $1.335 million into signing Choo. He was MVP of the World Junior Championship that summer, beating Team USA twice as Korea won the gold medal. In his pro debut last year, he topped the Arizona League in runs, triples and walks. Though Choo threw in the mid-90s as a lefthander, the Mariners decided he offers even more upside as a center fielder. He's a disciplined hitter with huge power potential. His good speed serves him well as a basestealer and a defender. He's poised, works hard and adapted to the United States very quickly. Choo showed some holes in his swing in the AZL, however. Pitchers started pounding him inside and he struggled to adjust. He needs to work on his jumps and instincts in the outfield. The Mariners promoted Choo for the Midwest League playoffs last year, and he'll return to low Class A in 2002. The system is loaded with center fielders, so he'll probably remain in Wisconsin all year.
The Mariners took some of the money they didn't spend on early-round picks last summer and signed Choo to a $1.335 million deal, outbidding several other teams for the Korean junior team star. At the time, Mariners vice president of scouting Roger Jongewaard said Choo, who attended the same high school as Cha Sueng Baek, was the best prospect the team had ever scouted in Asia. Choo led Korea to the World Junior Championship title in 2000, earning tournament MVP honors as a two-way hero. The lefthander reaches the mid-90s off the mound and picked up the win in the gold-medal game. That may have been his last pitching appearance, however, as the Mariners plan to keep him in center field. Though he's not especially big, Choo has tremendous power potential. He runs well and has an outstanding arm. He struggled somewhat in instructional league and has a tendency to pull that needs to be worked out. He's likely to open his career in the Rookie-level Arizona League in June.

Minor League Top Prospects

Since they signed him in 2000, the Mariners have predicted Choo would hit for power and develop into a true five-tool player. The progression is almost complete, and scouts and managers agreed he was the league's best all-around player. Power will determine just how good a major leaguer Choo becomes. He's above-average in the other four tools, starting with the league's best arm (70 on the 20-80 scale) and excellent overall defensive skills. Choo is a plus runner and effective basestealer, and at the plate he stays inside the ball, spraying line drives from gap to gap. The NL scout compared him to Ichiro Suzuki in his speed and ability to make contact. Like Ichiro, Choo plays right field, but unless he hits for average like Ichiro he'll have to deliver more power. "He's more gap-to-gap right now, but I think he can hit for more power," the scout said. "I think he has juice in his swing but prefers to use the whole field."
Choo was dominant as an amateur pitcher for Korea in major international junior competition. While he still employs his powerful arm in the outfield, it's his bat that will carry him to the major leagues. He has been consistent in his first two full seasons, showing the ability to drive balls to the gaps but not necessarily over the fence. Choo is an above-average defender with good instincts in the outfield and on the bases. "His bat needs some work," the NL scout said. "He is a line-drive hitter but comes open on his swing and needs to cover the plate a little better."
There's a lot of Mark Kotsay in Choo. Both were two-way stars who led their teams to significant championships as amateurs, and they have similar packages of tools. Choo is a line-drive hitter with a solid stroke and command of the strike zone. He's not a burner, but his instincts allow him to steal bases and play center field. Whether he'll stay in center as he moves up the ladder remains to be seen, but managers rated him the MWL's best defensive outfielder. He also has a strong arm. The bigger question on Choo is how much power he'll develop. The Mariners believe he has more raw pop than anyone in their system, but he has just 11 homers to show for 1 1/2 pro seasons. One scout said he doesn't think Choo's 5-foot-11 build will accommodate much more bulk, so he might have to settle into the 15-20 homer range--just like Kotsay.
Choo sizzled in the first half, hitting .358. He wound up batting.302 overall, causing at least one manager to question his approach. "Early on, he showed a lot of discipline at the plate," Nelson said. "But pitchers began to get him out by pounding him inside. He made a lot of adjustments in his stance as he began to press." Managers were impressed with the all-around ability of the Korean, who starred as a pitcher at the 2000 World Junior Championship and later signed a $1.335 million bonus with Seattle. He adapted well to his new role as a full-time outfielder. "He's a very exciting player to watch," Munoz said. "He hits for average and power, runs well and has an excellent arm. He also works very hard and adapted nicely to the change in culture." "He plays with a lot of poise and confidence," White Sox manager Jerry Hairston said. "He'll be a big leaguer, no doubt."