Will Kang Jung-ho win Rookie of Year?

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Kang Jung-ho singles during a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Pittsburgh, Sunday. / AP-Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

Enjoying a solid rookie season, Pittsburgh Pirates’ Kang Jung-ho is quickly establishing himself as one of the major Korean imports into Major League Baseball and his numbers are spurring predictions that he may win Rookie of the Year honors.

Kang’s surge came after the All-Star break, when he posted a .316 batting average with a .939 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) in the second half of the season. Carrying a .290 average with a .826 OPS overall for the season, he has 15 homers, 11 of which were belted after the All-Star break, the most second-half homers on his team and third-most in the National League.

On Monday, he went 2-for-5 and helped in his team’s 7-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers with an RBI (run batted in) and a run scored. Four days earlier, he ripped the Pirates’ first grand slam of the season, leading a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds and brushing aside questions about his power.

When Kang left the Korea Baseball Organization’s (KBO) Nexen Heroes to join the Pirates in February, many expected that he would spend his debut season mostly on the bench and would need some time to figure out Major League pitching, as his predecessors Choi Hee-seop and Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers did.

Unlike Choi or Choo, who have minor league years behind them, Kang transferred to the MLB straight from the Heroes. This also triggered concerns that Kang may not have a soft landing in the big leagues.

However, that was not the case. After a brief acclimatization period in April, he received more time to play in May due to his performance and the team’s injuries, and went 25-for-84 with 11 RBIs and three homers. Though he tumbled in June, posting a .221 batting average, he ended the first half at .268, four homers and 29 RBIs _ a satisfying performance for the Pirates, who spent a relatively small $16 million to ink a four-year deal with Kang.

And Kang started to prove his value. In July, Kang hit .379 and won the National League Rookie of the Month award and continued to surge the following month, clubbing five homers. His fielding capability as a third baseman and shortstop also prompted Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington to tell MLB.com: “He's gone out and done everything we could have asked him to do, and more.”

As he remains solid in September, recording a .304 average, he is in the National League Rookie of the Year discussion and anticipations are high that he may be the first Pirate to win the award since Jason Bay in 2004.

As the regular season nears an end, many U.S.-based news outlets release their list of award contenders and Kang’s name is often mentioned along with Matt Duffy of the San Francisco Giants and Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs, who appears to be the front runner.

Though Bryant posted a .168 in July, he has had monstrous months since then, hitting .330 with seven homers in August and .333 in September. Overall, he carries a .271 average and leads the National League rookies with 92 RBIs and a .855 OPS.

Matt Duffy is also a strong contender. Averaging a .299, the third baseman has had 150 hits in 499 at-bats.

Another reference shows a player’s total contributions to his team is wins above replacement player (WAR). Bryant tops the National League with 4.4 and Kang follows with 4.2. Duffy is third with 3.9.