Park Dong-won
| Park Dong-won | |
|---|---|
| LG Twins – No. 27 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: April 7, 1990 Busan, South Korea | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| KBO debut | |
| May 17, 2010, for the Heroes | |
| KBO statistics (through 2025) | |
| Batting average | .256 |
| Home runs | 176 |
| Runs batted in | 695 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Park Dong-won (Korean: 박동원; Hanja: 朴東原; born April 7, 1990) is a South Korean professional baseball catcher for the LG Twins of the KBO League. He has previously played for the Kiwoom Heroes and the Kia Tigers.
Professional career
Kiwoom Heroes
Park was drafted by the Heroes in 2009 as the third overall pick in the second round, and was first promoted to the first team in 2010. After appearing in seven games for the first team in 2010, he was selected for the Sangmu draft and enlisted in the military.
When he returned from military service in 2012, new manager Youm Kyoung-youb announced before the season that Park would be promoted to starting catcher for the 2013 season.[1] A promising catcher with high expectations for the team, he participated in closing camp, spring training, and exhibition games alongside the existing catchers.[2] On March 9, he hit a two-RBI single in an exhibition game.[3] On April 24, backup catchers Choi Kyung-cheol and Seo Dong-wook were traded,[4] and Park became the team's starting catcher. On May 15, 2013, he hit his first home run in his debut against Yoo Chang-sik in a game against the Hanwha Eagles.[5][6]
During the 2016 season, Park received rave reviews for his stolen base percentage of over .400. However, he was unable to maintain his strong performance from the beginning of the season and his batting average dropped, recording the lowest batting average among players who met the required plate appearances. After the season, he signed a contract worth 200 million won, a 42.9% increase.[7]
Kia Tigers
On April 24, 2022, Park was traded to the Kia Tigers in exchange for Kim Tae-jin, in a 1:1 trade that included a second-round pick in the 2023 KBO League Rookie Draft and 1 billion won in compensation.[8][9]
LG Twins
On November 21, 2022, Park signed a free agent contract with the LG Twins for a total of 6.5 billion won, including a four-year contract, a signing bonus of 2 billion won, and a total annual salary of 4.5 billion won.[10] In his first season with the team, he won his first Korean Series in 2023, in which the Twins defeated the KT Wiz 4–1 in five games.[11]
In 2025, Park was selected to the All-Star. Representing the winning team Nanum, he played in the All-Star Game with one home run, three hits and RBIs, winning the game's MVP.[12][13] The Twins won their record-extending 4th Korean Series title, beating the Eagles 4-1, thus giving Park his second Korean Series championship.[14]
References
- ^ "박동희의 스토브리그 LG·넥센·한화 '포수진을 강화하라!'" (in Korean). Sports Chunchu. 2012-11-26.
- ^ 류한준 (2013-03-17). "넥센 포수 박동원 "중간계투 리드 못해 고민"" (in Korean). 조이뉴스24.
- ^ 고유라 (2013-03-09). "박동원 2타점 결승타 넥센, NC에 시범경기 6-1 완승" (in Korean). OSEN.
- ^ "서동욱-최경철 1대1 트레이드…LG-넥센 '윈윈 전략' 통할까?" (in Korean). SBS CNBC. 2013-12-05. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
- ^ 김세호 (2013-05-15). "넥센 유한준 시즌 3호-박동원 데뷔 1호…징검다리 홈런" (in Korean). 마이데일리.
- ^ 허상욱 (2013-05-15). "첫 홈런이 얼떨떨한 박동원, '덕아웃 반응은 왜 이래?'". SportsChosun.
- ^ "넥센 윤석민·김하성·박동원, 데뷔 첫 연봉 2억 돌파" (in Korean). 뉴스1.
- ^ "프로야구 KIA '김태진+10억+신인 지명권' 주고 키움 박동원 영입" (in Korean). SBS. 2022-04-24. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
- ^ "(Yonhap Interview) Kiwoom Heroes' ace Eric Jokisch wants to make young sons proud". Yonhap News Agency. May 11, 2022.
- ^ "LG, 박동원 4년 총액 65억원에 영입" (in Korean). NEWSIS. 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
- ^ Jee-ho, Yoo (13 November 2023). "(LEAD) LG Twins capture 1st Korean Series title in 29 years". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "LG Twins catcher shines for Team Nanum in KBO All-Star Game against Team Dream". Korea JoongAng Daily. July 13, 2025.
- ^ "Park Dong-won aims to lead LG Twins past Hanwha Eagles after All-Star MVP win". Chosun Biz. July 13, 2025.
- ^ "With another Korean Series title, Twins open dynasty talk in KBO". Yonhap News Agency. October 31, 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from MLB · Baseball Reference (Minors)