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Shin-Soo Choo 2019 Outlook: Another Year, Another Late-Round Gem
Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo has been in the league for a while now, as 2019 will be the 15th season for the 36-year-old from South Korea. He made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2018 thanks to a stellar first half where he hit for a .911 OPS. For the season as a whole, Choo hit .264/.377/.434 with 21 home runs, 62 RBI, six steals, and 83 runs scored. His .377 OBP ranked 15th among qualified hitters, while he also sported an elite 13.8% walk rate (14th) and a 42% hard hit percentage (32nd). There are a few causes for concern, however. Though Choo has proven to be durable (146+ games played in six of his last eight seasons), he is getting up there in age and showed signs of decline in the second half of 2018 with a .645 OPS after the All-Star break. Despite these red flags, Choo still has an everyday role in the Rangers lineup as a DH and part-time outfielder and still finished with an impressive on-base percentage. He is the 65th-ranked outfielder on RotoBaller and is being drafted at 264th overall in early 2019 drafts. Choo surprised everyone by vastly exceeding his draft value last year - don’t be surprised if he does it again this year, especially in leagues that count on-base percentage.
Source: Pro Baseball Reference
Source: Pro Baseball Reference
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