Royals’ Hyungchan Um Has Come A Long Way In A Short Time
South Korean catcher Hyungchan Um had a lot on his plate when he arrived at the Royals’ Arizona complex for the 2022 instructional league.
Besides getting used to the faster game in the U.S., the then-18-year-old also had to continue learning English so that he would be able to communicate with pitchers.
Before he made his pro debut, Um spent a year in Arizona learning the new language, in part from the classes provided by the Royals but also by watching YouTube videos and movies.
It helped that Um was able to solicit advice from his father Jong Soo Um, who spent one season in the Braves’ minor league system in 2001. Um encouraged his son to build relationships with his teammates.
Um struggled in the Arizona Complex League in 2023, playing sparingly and hitting just .220/.305/.320 in 15 games.
One year older and stronger, Um is a completely different ballplayer. He hit .310/.400/.500 with four home runs in 27 ACL games. The Royals promoted the 20-year-old to Low-A Columbia on June 25.
Um has enough fluency in English to handle media interviews without an interpreter. In addition to his production on the field, Um’s makeup, work ethic and relationship with his teammates stand out.
“He’s got the type of makeup that you wish you could put in every player,” Royals assistant farm director Kevin Howard said. “It’s a 10 out of 10.”
Um is dedicated to building connections with his teammates, but especially with his pitchers. With the bulk of the Royals’ ACL pitching staff being Latin American teenagers still learning English, it presented another challenge for Um.
But that’s where his motivation for continual improvement again shows up.
“I’m taking Spanish class right now,” Um said. “I like to talk with the Latino guys…I always ask them (what) can I say in this situation in Spanish (during) the game. I use Spanish a lot right now.”
