Shin-Soo Choo
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2005-2020)
Shin-Soo Choo was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 2005 to 2020 for 4 teams, including the Seattle Mariners, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,652 career games, he hit .275 with 1,671 hits, 218 home runs, and 782 RBI. Shin-Soo Choo was an All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 19,096.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 205 lb
- Born
- 7/13/1982 in Busan, Busan, South Korea
- MLB Debut
- 2005-04-21
- Last Game
- 2020-09-27
- Awards
- All-Star
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,652 | 6,087 | 961 | 1,671 | 339 | 29 | 218 | 782 | 157 | 868 | 1,579 | .275 | .377 | .447 | .824 | 19,096 |
Career AVG .275 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — +6.7% above league average.
Career OBP .377 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +16.0% above league average.
Career SLG .447 vs. league average .413 across their career seasons — +8.3% above league average.
Career OPS .824 vs. league average .737 across their career seasons — +11.7% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | SEA | AL | 10 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .056 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2006 | SEA | AL | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2006 | CLE | AL | 45 | 146 | 23 | 43 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 5 | 18 | 46 | .295 | .269 (+9%) | .336 (+11%) | .431 (+9%) | .768 (+10%) | 0.0 |
| 2007 | CLE | AL | 6 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .294 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2008 | CLE | AL | 94 | 317 | 68 | 98 | 28 | 3 | 14 | 66 | 4 | 44 | 78 | .309 | .263 (+17%) | .333 (+19%) | .416 (+32%) | .749 (+26%) | 1648.8 |
| 2009 | CLE | AL | 156 | 583 | 87 | 175 | 38 | 6 | 20 | 86 | 21 | 78 | 151 | .300 | .262 (+14%) | .332 (+18%) | .417 (+17%) | .750 (+18%) | 2408.9 |
| 2010 | CLE | AL | 144 | 550 | 81 | 165 | 31 | 2 | 22 | 90 | 22 | 83 | 118 | .300 | .257 (+17%) | .325 (+23%) | .402 (+20%) | .728 (+21%) | 2751.8 |
| 2011 | CLE | AL | 85 | 313 | 37 | 81 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 36 | 12 | 36 | 78 | .259 | .255 (+1%) | .320 (+7%) | .399 (-2%) | .719 (+2%) | 194.4 |
| 2012 | CLE | AL | 155 | 598 | 88 | 169 | 43 | 2 | 16 | 67 | 21 | 73 | 150 | .283 | .254 (+11%) | .318 (+17%) | .405 (+9%) | .724 (+12%) | 1820.2 |
| 2013 | CIN | NL | 154 | 569 | 107 | 162 | 34 | 2 | 21 | 54 | 20 | 112 | 133 | .285 | .253 (+12%) | .317 (+33%) | .396 (+17%) | .714 (+24%) | 3586.8 |
| 2014 | TEX | AL | 123 | 455 | 58 | 110 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 40 | 3 | 58 | 131 | .242 | .251 (-4%) | .313 (+8%) | .386 (-3%) | .700 (+2%) | 388.1 |
| 2015 | TEX | AL | 149 | 555 | 94 | 153 | 32 | 3 | 22 | 82 | 4 | 76 | 147 | .276 | .254 (+8%) | .316 (+18%) | .404 (+14%) | .721 (+16%) | 2100.2 |
| 2016 | TEX | AL | 48 | 178 | 27 | 43 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 6 | 25 | 46 | .242 | .255 (-5%) | .321 (+11%) | .417 (-4%) | .738 (+2%) | 186.2 |
| 2017 | TEX | AL | 149 | 544 | 96 | 142 | 20 | 1 | 22 | 78 | 12 | 77 | 134 | .261 | .254 (+2%) | .324 (+10%) | .425 (-1%) | .750 (+4%) | 674.5 |
| 2018 | TEX | AL | 146 | 560 | 83 | 148 | 30 | 1 | 21 | 62 | 6 | 92 | 156 | .264 | .247 (+7%) | .318 (+18%) | .409 (+6%) | .727 (+11%) | 1689.9 |
| 2019 | TEX | AL | 151 | 563 | 93 | 149 | 31 | 2 | 24 | 61 | 15 | 78 | 165 | .265 | .252 (+5%) | .322 (+15%) | .434 (+5%) | .757 (+9%) | 1404.1 |
| 2020 | TEX | AL | 33 | 110 | 13 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 33 | .236 | .244 (-3%) | .321 (avg) | .417 (-4%) | .739 (-2%) | -34.1 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,652 | 6,087 | 961 | 1,671 | 339 | 29 | 218 | 782 | 157 | 868 | 1,579 | .275 | — | — | — | — | 18,820 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1652 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 822 | 2994 | 476 | 853 | 103 | 390 | .285 |
| Away | 830 | 3093 | 485 | 818 | 115 | 392 | .264 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-09-27 | TEX | HOU | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-09-07 | TEX | SEA | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-09-06 | TEX | SEA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2020-09-05 | TEX | SEA | L | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-09-04 | TEX | SEA | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020-09-03 | TEX | HOU | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2020-09-02 | TEX | HOU | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020-09-01 | TEX | HOU | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020-08-30 | TEX | LAD | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-08-29 | TEX | LAD | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1307 | 1285 | 2632 | 80 | 51 | 12 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | SEA | OF | 5 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | SEA | OF | 4 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | CLE | OF | 39 | 38 | 81 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 | CLE | OF | 5 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2008 | CLE | OF | 75 | 70 | 128 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | CLE | OF | 143 | 142 | 317 | 11 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010 | CLE | OF | 142 | 142 | 267 | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| 2011 | CLE | OF | 85 | 84 | 172 | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| 2012 | CLE | OF | 154 | 151 | 293 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 | CIN | OF | 153 | 153 | 353 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 2014 | TEX | OF | 75 | 75 | 129 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2015 | TEX | OF | 148 | 144 | 315 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| 2016 | TEX | OF | 43 | 42 | 85 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 | TEX | OF | 77 | 75 | 151 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | TEX | OF | 59 | 59 | 105 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | TEX | OF | 81 | 80 | 153 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | TEX | OF | 19 | 17 | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 207 |
| Center Field | 160 |
| Right Field | 947 |
| Designated Hitter | 303 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Player of the Month | September |
| 2010 | Player of the Week | Week of 2010-04-18 |
| 2010 | Player of the Week | Week of 2010-09-19 |
| 2008 | Player of the Month | September |
Salary History
Shin-Soo Choo's recorded salaries total $65,521,800 over 9 seasons, 2008 to 2016. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Choo's career ran from 2005 to 2020. His seasons after 2016 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2005, 2006, and 2007.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | TEX | AL | $20,000,000 |
| 2015 | TEX | AL | $14,000,000 |
| 2014 | TEX | AL | $14,000,000 |
| 2013 | CIN | NL | $7,375,000 |
| 2012 | CLE | AL | $4,900,000 |
| 2011 | CLE | AL | $3,975,000 |
| 2010 | CLE | AL | $461,100 |
| 2009 | CLE | AL | $420,300 |
| 2008 | CLE | AL | $390,400 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $65,521,800 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 23.0 | 420 | 0 |
| 2010 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 9.0 | 392 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Shin-Soo Choo (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Shin-Soo Choo
Shin-Soo Choo: the record in brief
Shin-Soo Choo played a first major league game on April 21, 2005 and a last one on September 27, 2020. By club, Choo's seasons break down as the Seattle Mariners (2005 through 2006), the Cleveland Indians (2006 to 2012), the Cincinnati Reds (2013), and the Texas Rangers (2014 to 2020). Choo played primarily as an outfielder and batted and threw left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on July 13, 1982, in Busan, Busan, South Korea and a listed size of 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds.
The batting record for Choo: 1,652 games, 1,671 hits in 6,087 at bats, and a .275 average, adding 218 homers, 782 runs batted in, and 157 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .377 and the slugging percentage .447, for an OPS of .824. Measured against the leagues Choo played in, the .275 career average compares with a .257 league average over the same seasons, 6.7% above the league. The home run peak was 24 in 2019 with the Texas Rangers. No season topped the 175 hits of 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shin-Soo Choo
- What years did Shin-Soo Choo play?
- Shin-Soo Choo played in Major League Baseball from 2005 to 2020.
- Was Shin-Soo Choo a pitcher?
- No. Shin-Soo Choo was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Shin-Soo Choo hit?
- Shin-Soo Choo hit 218 career home runs with 1,671 hits.
- What teams did Shin-Soo Choo play for?
- Shin-Soo Choo played for 4 teams: the Seattle Mariners (2005–2006), the Cleveland Indians (2006–2012), the Cincinnati Reds (2013), and the Texas Rangers (2014–2020).
- Did Shin-Soo Choo win an MVP award?
- No. Shin-Soo Choo did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Shin-Soo Choo win?
- Shin-Soo Choo was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Shin-Soo Choo's career stats?
- In 1,652 games, Shin-Soo Choo had 1,671 hits, 218 home runs, 782 RBI, 961 runs, and 157 stolen bases, with a .275 batting average.
- How much did Shin-Soo Choo earn in his career?
- Shin-Soo Choo's recorded salaries total $65,521,800 over 9 seasons, 2008 to 2016. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Choo's career ran from 2005 to 2020. His seasons after 2016 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2005, 2006, and 2007.
- What was Shin-Soo Choo's salary?
- Shin-Soo Choo's last recorded salary was $20,000,000, in 2016. His highest recorded salary was $20,000,000, in 2016, and his lowest was $390,400, in 2008. The Salary History table lists each season from 2008 to 2016.
- What position did Shin-Soo Choo play?
- Shin-Soo Choo played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Shin-Soo Choo and how much did he weigh?
- Shin-Soo Choo was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 205 pounds.
- How many home runs did Shin-Soo Choo hit each season?
- Shin-Soo Choo's home runs by season: 0 in 2005, 3 in 2006, 0 in 2007, 14 in 2008, 20 in 2009, 22 in 2010, 8 in 2011, 16 in 2012, 21 in 2013, 13 in 2014, 22 in 2015, 7 in 2016, 22 in 2017, 21 in 2018, 24 in 2019, and 5 in 2020. His most in one season was 24, in 2019.
- What was Shin-Soo Choo's career batting average?
- Shin-Soo Choo batted .275 over his career, with 1,671 hits in 6,087 at bats.
- How many RBI did Shin-Soo Choo have?
- Shin-Soo Choo drove in 782 runs in his career.