Boston Red Sox Korean-American outfielder Rob Refsynder (34) has been making his presence known since the early part of the season. He hit his first home run of the season, soaring over the 11-meter Green Monster.

On the 22nd (Korea time), Refsynder started as the 8th batter and left fielder in a home game against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. He contributed to Boston's 4-2 victory with a game-tying solo home run in his first at-bat in the bottom of the 2nd.

The game started at 11:11 a.m. local time, a very early hour due to the world-renowned Boston Marathon, and Refsynder made the starting lineup. He usually enters the lineup against left-handed starters, but the White Sox starter that day was right-handed Jonathan Cannon.

Boston manager Alex Cora noted, "Refsynder is used to waking up early because he has young children," explaining the reason for his starting assignment, and a home run came right from his first at-bat. With two outs and no runners on in the bottom of the second, Refsynder pulled a 95.2 mph (153.2 km/h) four-seam fastball that was high and outside on Cannon's third pitch, sending a ball over the left-center Green Monster. His hit traveled at 103.4 mph (166.4 km/h) with an launch angle of 26 degrees, covering a distance of 397 feet (121.0 m).

This was Refsynder's first home run of the season. As of that day, Refsynder had played in 9 games this year, recording a batting average of .333 (8 hits in 24 at-bats), 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of .360, a slugging percentage of .542, and an OPS of .902. These are excellent numbers for a backup player.

Refsynder had his best season in Boston last year. He played 93 games with a batting average of .283 (77 hits in 272 at-bats), 11 home runs, 40 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .359, a slugging percentage of .471, and an OPS of .830. After debuting in Major League Baseball in 2015, he showed his presence with the most games, hits, home runs, and RBIs of his career.

Last August, he even contemplated retirement. In an interview with the Boston Globe, he said, "There’s no guarantee about my return next year," expressing his desire to spend more time with his family and ultimately become part of the front office. However, the Red Sox did not give up on Refsynder, who possesses a clear advantage against left-handed pitchers and is a source of inspiration for younger players with his intense play.

With the Red Sox exercising a $2.1 million club option this year, Refsynder's playing career has been extended. Although he is not a full-time starter this year, he has been performing solidly when called upon to start during the rotation of regular players. If he continues at this pace, he might appear for the Korean national team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) scheduled for March next year.

Refsynder has Korean blood. Born in Seoul in 1991 and adopted by an American family at 5 months old, he also has the Korean name "Kim Jeong-tae." According to WBC regulations, he can represent the Korean national team regardless of his nationality, given his parents' heritage. Refsynder was also considered a candidate for the WBC in 2023, but at that time, he did not have a secure position on the team as he does now.

The Korean baseball team, which has recently experienced consecutive failures in international competitions, is putting all their efforts into the WBC next year. They plan to rally as many Korean and Korean-American Major Leaguers as possible. Among the Korean players that KBO Director of Player Development Cho Gye-hyeon met with during his visit to the U.S. last month was Refsynder. With abundant Major League experience and recent good form, Refsynder could be a significant asset in the outfield for Team Korea at the WBC.

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