Sunday Notes: Woo-Suk Go is Rediscovering His KBO Form in Toledo

Woo-Suk Go was one of Korea’s top closers from 2019-2023. Over that five-season span, the 27-year-old right-hander logged 137 saves and a 2.39 ERA across 275-and-a-third innings with the LG Twins. Moreover, his 29.3% strikeout rate was the highest among KBO hurlers who threw at least 200 frames.

He hasn’t had nearly as much success since coming stateside. Signed as an international free agent by the San Diego Padres in January 2024, Woo-Suk was subsequently swapped to the Miami Marlins four months later in the Luis Arraez deal, only to be released in June 2025 and picked up by the Detroit Tigers. His inability to gain a foothold is reflected in the numbers. He entered the current campaign having recorded just six saves and a 5.61 ERA over 75 appearances down on the farm.

This season has been an another story. Looking more like the pitcher who dominated KBO hitters, Woo-Suk boasts a 2.06 ERA, a 2.26 FIP, and a 35.1% strikeout rate over 39-and-a-third innings across 25 appearances, eight with Double-A Erie and 17 with Triple-A Toledo. Working most often in a setup role, he is 3-1 with three saves.

Results aside, how does he differ from the young pitcher who excelled in his homeland?

“I recognize my strengths more, thanks to the help from our coaching staff,” Woo-Suk told me earlier this week, through interpreter Leo Bae. “That has led to me being a more versatile pitcher, attacking the zone, attacking the hitters. I’ve also added a splitter to my repertoire since I got here.”

Woo-Suk went on to explain that he started throwing the splitter last season when he was still in the Marlins organization, and that it has improved meaningfully since coming to the Tigers. With the help of Detroit’s pitching brain trust, he has seen it turn from a work-in-progress to “one of my weapons.” His arsenal, which hadn’t previously included a changeup, now comprises the split, a four-seam fastball, a curveball, and “a gyro slider that Trackman says is a cutter, but is actually a slider.”

As for his low-to-mid-90s heater, the native of Ganghwa-gun, South Korea said that he is more concerned with it’s overall quality than with its velocity. He cited his ability to ride the pitch at the top rail, adding that his primary focus is to “throw it in-zone rather than nibbling the corners.”

And then there is the timing of his decision to come to the United States. Hindsight being 20/20, was he fully ready for the challenge when he traversed the globe at the still-young age of 25?

“I was in kind of a weird place compared to others, because I got an offer a day before the posting deadline,” Woo-Suk explained. “I didn’t have much time to ask for advice, or anything. I kind of had to rush everything. But I always dreamed of playing in the USA, American baseball, when I was growing up. At the end of the day, I feel like I made a great choice for my career, no matter if I become a big-league pitcher, or not. I still believe in my choice and am going to keep chasing the dream.”

Woo-Suk made three scoreless relief appearances for South Korea in this year’s WBC. There is a very real chance that he will also be taking the mound for the Detroit Tigers.

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Smoky Burgess went 10 for 16 against Seth Morehead.

Don Money went 10 for 18 against Ray Bare.

Forrest Cady went 5 for 9 against Red Faber.

Alan Wiggins went 2 for 3 against Steve Fireovid.

Ty Wigginton went 7 for 8 against Shawn Camp.

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Blaze Alexander bas been swinging a hot bat for the Baltimore Orioles. Rebounding from a slow start, the 27-year-old infielder/outfielder has slashed .384/.434/.571 with a 180 wRC+ over 125 trips to the plate since early May. On the year, he has a still-admirable .304/.359/.431 slash line to go with a 122 wRC+ and 16 extra-base hits, three of which have left the yard, as well as eight stolen bases.

Alexander hadn’t been nearly as good in Arizona. Acquired by the Orioles from the Diamondbacks in February as part of a four-player swap, the 2018 11th-round pick out of Bradenton, Florida’s IMG Academy came into the current campaign with a 95 wRC+ over 451 plate appearances across parts of two seasons. His MLB debut was on March 28, 2024, just four days before he was featured here at FanGraphs for the first time.

How has Alexander changed since our spring training conversation two years ago?

“I haven’t changed who I am, but as a player you’re evolving every year,” he told me earlier this month. “Every year is feedback for stuff you need to work on in the offseason, For instance, if it’s a pitch you can’t get to, you’re working on that. There is also defense. I’ve definitely changed a lot there. I was playing on the dirt, and now I’m in the grass a little bit too. I’m playing six different positions. So, I’ve changed in those respects, but as far as things like mentality, I’m the same guy.”

By and large, that is what the Orioles wanted.

“They told me to be the same guy I was in Arizona,” Alexander explained. “That’s why they traded for me. I was already versatile in the field. I’m a high-energy guy. I’m kind of a menace on the bases, trying to get that extra 90 feet, trying to put pressure on the defense.”

As for Alexander stepping up his offensive production, he hasn’t made any notable changes to his hitting mechanics or approach. All he’s really done is relax and do his thing.

“A lot of it is the comfort level of being in a big-league stadium,” Alexander told me. “In your rookie year, you’re trying so hard to impress and prove that you belong. Now I know that I belong. I’m not really worried about the outside stuff that may have affected me early on in my career.”

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A quiz:

Bert Blyleven pitched for five teams, with 149 of his 253 career wins coming with the Minnesota Twins. With which team did he log his second-highest win total? Bonus question: With which team did he throw his only no-hitter?

The answer can be found below.

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NEWS NOTES

Carlos Santana was designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday after being reinstated from the injured list. The 40-year-old veteran of 17 big-league seasons has played in 2,212 games since debuting in 2010. Only Freddie Freeman (2,258) has appeared in more games since that time.

Ronnie Dawson signed with the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s Rakuten Monkeys earlier this week. The 31-year-old former Houston Astros (three games in 2021) and Cncinnati Reds (one game in 2022) outfielder had been playing for the independent Atlantic League’s Lexington Legends.

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The answer to the quiz is the Cleveland Indians, for whom Blyleven was credited with 48 wins from 1981-1985. The answer to the bonus quiz is the Texas Rangers. The Hall of Fame right-hander threw a no-hitter against the California Angels on September 22, 1977.

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Jake Burger led Sunday Notes two weeks ago, the topic being his loyalty to English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, and his excitement about the World Cup. Today we’ll hear from the Texas Rangers first baseman on a wholly different subject: his sneaky speed.

I asked the 6-foot, 230-pound slugger why he has just four career steals (he has since added a fifth).

“I would always tell [Corey] Ragsdale last year, and now [Travis] Jankowski, that you’ve got to let the peacock fly,” Burger said of the team’s past and current first base coaches. “But you do have to pick your spots. Sometimes it’s not smart to steal bags, whether it’s for your body or just the team in general. I would like to get my stolen base totals up, though.”

Burger currently ranks in the 49th percentile for sprint speed. Maybe he doesn’t have a green light because his physique suggests he shouldn’t be running?

“Probably,” Burger said of that possibility. “Vinnie Pasquantino was giving me crap when we were in Kansas City, saying that he’s got three stolen bags this year and I’ve only got one. We work out in the off-season and he knows that I’m way faster than him.”

Sneaky fast. Right?

“I’ve been chasing the elusive bolt for a while,” replied Burger, referring to the sprint speed metric of 30 feet per second or higher in a player’s fastest one-second window. “My max is 29.6, so I’m not too far away. But like I said, ever elusive.”

One other Burger speed fact: he has 11 infield hits this season, and in the previous four years he had — in descending order — nine, nine, eight, and seven. He may not be Usain Bolt, but Burger can run a little.

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The LG Twins have the KBO’s best record at 48-28. The Seoul-based club’s top hitter has been former MLB outfielder Austin Dean, who has 22 home runs to go with a 180 wRC+ and a .346/.422/.651 slash line. The top pitcher has arguably been Ju-young Son, a 27-year-old southpaw who has 16 saves and a 0.87 ERA.

Hyeong Jun So is 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA, a 3.08 FIP, and a 19.7% strikeout rate for the KBO’s KT Wiz. The 24-year-old right-hander from Uijeongbu — he pitched for South Korea in this year’s WBC — went 10-7 with a 3.30 for last season.

Raidel Martinez has 21 saves to go with a 1.80 ERA, a 1.69 FIP, and a 32.6% strikeout rate over 25 innings for NPB’s Yomiuri Giants. The 29-year-old right-hander from Pinar del Rio, Cuba had 46 saves for the Tokyo-based team a year ago, and 43 saves in 2024.

Gabriel Cancel leads all Mexican League hitters with 21 home runs. The 29-year-old former Kansas City Royals infield prospect is slashing .332/.417/.676 with Bravos de Leon. He has also swiped 15 bases in 16 attempts.

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Tommy Kahnle is a serious soccer fan. Unlike the aforementioned Burger, it isn’t a Premier League team that he’s hitched his wagon to, but rather one in the Bundesliga. The well-traveled, 36-year-old reliever is a diehard Bayern Munich fan.

“I started to fall in love with soccer during the 2002 World Cup,” said Kahnle, who currently pitches for the Boston Red Sox. “That’s what really piqued my interest. Germany was really good. That was obviously a good [World Cup] for the US, as well. They upset Portugal, which was kind of a cool thing to see as a kid. And then part of my heritage is German, so I gravitated toward them. I was also a big fan of their goalie, Oliver Kahn, and he played for Bayern at the time. So, I’ve been following them for quite a while now.”

Kahnle does pay attention to the EPL, although he doesn’t spend as many weekend mornings watching as he once did. Being a family man is a part of that, as he is typically playing with his kids when the games are shown. Even so, he does turn on the TV, particularly when a Bayern Munich match is being aired. Moreover, he enjoys getting his daughter involved in that experience.

“I’ve gotten her to start yelling and screaming ‘Harry Kane!, Harry Kane!,’” explained Kahnle, referring to the former Tottenham star who now plays for Bayern Munich, and also for England’s national team. “That’s kind of fun.”

His ideal World Cup final?

“As it’s shaping up, I don’t think the USA could be playing Germany,” replied Kahnle. “They could play each other in the semis though; that’s a possibility. So, I would love to see the USA play England in the final. If it’s not the USA that wins [the World Cup], my hope would be Germany.”

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FARM NOTES

Kade Anderson is 8-0 with a 1.22 ERA, a 1.55 FIP, and a 41.4% strikeout rate over 66-and-two-thirds innings for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. The 21-year-old southpaw came into the season ranked third on our Seattle Mariners Top Prospects list with a 50 FV.

Luke Murphy is 2-0 with 14 saves, a 0.35 ERA, a 2.38 FIP, and a 32.0% strikeout rate over 26 innings for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas. A 26-year-old right-hander who was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 draft out of Vanderbilt University, Murphy was an honorable mention on our Los Angeles Angels Top Prospects list coming into the season.

Eric Hartman has 18 home runs to go with a 135 wRC+ and a .293/.354/.552 slashing line over 302 plate appearances for the High-A Rome Emperors. The 20-year-old outfielder from Okotoks, Alberta came into the season ranked 16th on our Atlanta Braves Top Prospects list with 40 FV.

Chase Harlan was promoted to High-A Great Lakes earlier this week after logging 10 home runs, a 152 wRC+, and a .329/.438/.571 slash line over 266 plate appearances for Low-A Ontario. The 19-year-old third baseman came into the season ranked 24th on our Los Angeles Dodgers Top Prospects list with a 40 FV.

Franklin Primera is slashing .434/.558/.737 with eight home runs and a 208 wRC+ in 130 plate appearances for Boston’s Florida Complex entry. The recently-turned-19-year-old catcher from Coro, Venezuela is an honorable mention on our Red Sox Top Prospects list.

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A random obscure former player snapshot:

Belve Bean had a relatively humble big-league career. Pitching for the Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators across the 1930-1935 seasons, the righty — his full given name was Beveric Benton Bean — logged a record of 11-7 with a 5.32 ERA over 235 innings. At the plate, he went a respectable 19-for-72 (.264), with one of his base knocks leaving the yard. He surrendered gophers to several notables. Among those taking him deep were Lou Gehrig, Al Simmons (twice each), Babe Ruth, Joe Cronin, and Goose Goslin.

The product of Waxahachie (TX) High School had far more success down on the farm. He had 20-win seasons with both the Augusta Tygers and Toledo Mud Hens, those in 1928 and 1932 respectively. His 1938 season is also notable. One of Bean’s teammates with the Minneapolis Millers was a 19-year-old Boston Red Sox prospect named Ted Williams.

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

Patrick Saunders retired this past week after covering the Colorado Rockies for the Denver Post for two-plus decades. Eli Whitney wrote a farewell tribute to the longtime beat writer at Purple Row.

Erstwhile outfielder, and now broadcast analyst/writer, Doug Glanville gave us an insider’s look at how Wrigley Field is baseball’s most charming occupational hazard.

The Athletic’s Jayson Stark presented us with the 10 wildest games of June, three of which featured the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cooperstowners in Canada’s Kevin Glew wrote about how “Captain Canada” Stubby Clapp continues to inspire.

CBS Sports’s Julian McWilliams delved into how the season has gone off the rails for Rafael Devers, Buster Posey, and the San Francisco Giants.

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

The Washington Nationals have stolen 87 bases and have been caught stealing 20 times. The New York Mets have stolen 39 bases and have been caught stealing 20 times.

The Tampa Bay Rays have 24 sacrifice hits and 27 bunts hits.
The Detroit Tigers have four sacrifice hits and no bunt hits.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt has 222 assists, the most in the majors at any position. Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young has 217 assists, the second-highest total in the majors. Each has been charged with two errors.

A.J. Hinch has a managerial record of 999-915. A total of 67 managers have won 1,000 or more games.

Henry Aaron’s first professional season came in 1952 at age 18 when he batted .336 with nine home runs while suiting up with the Northwest League’s Eau Claire Bears. The top pitcher on the Boston Braves’ Class-C affiliate was Gordon Roach, a right-hander from Goodwood, Ontario who went 14-4 with a 3.14 ERA.

Two modern-era players have recorded three hits in a single inning, and both did so with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Johnny Damon achieved the feat on yesterday’s date in 2003 in a 25-8 shellacking of the Florida Marlins at Fenway Park, while Gene Stephens turned the trick in a 23-3 trouncing of the Detroit Tigers on June 18, 1953. Damon’s effort came in a 14-run first frame, Stephens’s in a 17-run seventh frame.

Dwight Evans hit for the cycle on today’s date in 1984. The should-be-Hall-of-Famer completed the feat with a walk-off three-run homer to give the Boston Red Sox a 9-6 win over the Seattle Mariners.

On today’s date in 1970, Rick Reichardt launched a pinch-hit, walk-off, two-run homer in the 12th inning to give the Washington Senators a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. A two-sport star at the University of Wisconsin — he was the starting fullback for a Badgers team that played in the Rose Bowl — Reichardt received what was then a record signing bonus when he signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 1964. The size of his bonus played a role in the institution of MLB’s amateur draft the following year.

Players born on today’s date include Kevin Polcovich, a native of Auburn, New York who logged 107 hits while appearing in 165 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates across the 1997-1998 seasons. The erstwhile infielder is the father of Kaden Polcovich, who was drafted out of Oklahoma State University and played in the Seattle Mariners system from 2021-2024.

Also born on today’s date was Todd Revenig, who has the distinction of being the only player in MLB history born in Brainerd, Minnesota. A right-hander who played collegiately at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Revenig made a pair of one-inning, scoreless appearances for the Oakland Athletics in 1992.