“Batting Champ and Korean Series MVP, and Now a Move to the U.S.?”...Koo Ja-wook’s Sincere Intent, Reported by an MLB Reporter

[Financial News] “If any overseas agents are watching this broadcast, please get in touch. I, too, genuinely want to try my hand at playing in the U.S.”
It was no mere offhand remark made in the euphoria of winning the Korean Series. Koo Ja-wook (33, Samsung Lions) has actually hired a U.S.-based agent and begun taking concrete steps toward a move to Major League Baseball.
The person reporting on his move is no ordinary journalist, either. Mark Feinsand, who covers the trade market for MLB.com, Major League Baseball’s official website, announced the news of Koo Ja-wook’s agent hire on social media on the 13th (Korea time).

Feinsand reported, “Koo Ja-wook, a 33-year-old Korean outfielder and first baseman who won Korean Series MVP, has hired Jarren Long of Mako Corporation as his agent to explore a move to Major League Baseball.”
He also detailed Koo Ja-wook’s 2026 batting statistics (a .371 batting average, 15 home runs and a .458 on-base percentage) and his career totals over 12 seasons (a .322 batting average and 201 home runs), highlighting key figures likely to draw interest from U.S. teams.
Jarren Long, whom Koo Ja-wook has teamed up with, gained experience in the camp of Scott Boras, one of Major League Baseball’s top “super agents,” at Boras Corporation before going independent. Long’s father, Kevin Long, served as a hitting coach for teams including the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals and is known for his expertise in teaching the mechanics of left-handed hitters. Hiring an agent with deep knowledge of the U.S. baseball world is seen as a strong sign that Koo intends to seriously assess his market value in the big leagues.
Koo Ja-wook’s stock is soaring. In 114 games in the 2026 season, he hit .371 to claim his first career batting title and finish first in on-base percentage. He also captured the Korean Series MVP award after batting .500 (10 hits in 20 at-bats) and driving in six runs. His precise contact skills and plate discipline are attractive qualities even in the big leagues.

His biggest advantage is that the five-year, 12 billion won multi-year contract signed in 2022, while he was not yet eligible for free agency, expires at the end of this season, making him eligible for free agency. Unlike Roh Si-hwan (Hanwha), who must go through the posting system, Koo can negotiate freely with U.S. teams on a one-to-one basis without a transfer fee (posting fee).
There are also clear variables, however: he will be 34 next year, and he plays corner outfield (right or left field) and first base, positions where expectations for offensive production are very high. He will have to convince U.S. teams that the power and contact he displayed in the KBO League can hold up against big-league pitchers’ fastballs, which can top 150 km/h by a wide margin.
Koo Ja-wook has by now established himself as the KBO League’s best hitter. After completing his longtime team’s V9 for the first time in 12 years and claiming the batting title, the 33-year-old captain’s next move has emerged as the eye of the biggest storm set to roil the 2026 offseason.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter