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U.S. agent says KBO star Song Sung-mun 'looks like a guy that belongs' in MLB

Published: 04 Sep. 2025, 14:24

Kiwoom Heroes infielder Song Sung-mun, right, celebrates during a KBO game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Aug. 31. [YONHAP]

The new U.S. agent for Korean baseball star Song Sung-mun said Wednesday his new client "looks like a guy that belongs" in MLB.

Song, captain and third baseman for the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO, is eligible to be posted for MLB clubs after this season. Seeking help in future negotiations with big league clubs, Song signed on with the Chicago-based agency ISE Baseball.

Song, who turned 29 last week, is a late bloomer. He began his KBO career in 2015 as a fifth-round draft pick, but only developed into a legitimate star last year, when he batted .340/.409/.518 with career highs of 19 homers, 104 RBIs and 21 steals in 142 games.

Before Wednesday's road game against the Samsung Lions, Song, who bats left and throws right, carried a .317/.392/.535 line through 128 games this season with 24 home runs, 78 RBIs and 22 steals — numbers made all the more impressive by the fact that this has been a year of pitchers.

Mark Pieper, the agency's CEO, told Korean reporters that he has been particularly impressed with Song's performance over the 2024-2025 stretch.

Mark Pieper, CEO of the U.S. baseball agency ISE Baseball, speaks to Korean reporters at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sept. 3. [YONHAP]

"Obviously, everybody knows he's shown a good amount of power, especially over the last two years. He's hit for a high average, stolen bases at a good rate the last two years. He's played really solid defense and has some defensive versatility. Those are the more obvious things," Pieper said at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. "But then there's also another layer down of things that he does well. He hits left-handed pitching well, which is important. It's a small sample size, but he actually hits high velocity really well. So if you look at his impact when he's facing 95miles an hour or more, he does just as well as he does in under normal circumstances."

Pieper said he likes how Song has been able to thrive under pressure.

"If you look at how he is as the pressure mounts in the games so close and late, with runners in scoring position with two outs, he actually does extremely well and in some cases actually does better than his regular statistics," the veteran agent said. "Playing in the major leagues, when there's a high amount of pressure, it's just good to know that somebody is not impacted at all in a negative way when the pressure starts to mount."

Song began drawing the attention of MLB scouts last summer, and some Heroes games this season have had scouts and officials from nearly a dozen teams. Pieper said it's "a good sign" that Song is getting scouted and being noticed.

Pieper declined to speculate what kind of deal Song may command in the posting market this coming winter, saying, "We are just starting this process. Even if I've had the very detailed conversations with the team and had a really good sense of what the value is, as an agent, I've never once publicly commented on somebody's value."

"I definitely think that the best way to handle this is, when it comes to the financial piece of it, to not divulge that much as the process is playing out," he added. "And I guess let everybody find out when it's finalized, and we know exactly what the deal would be. That's probably how this is going to play out."

Kiwoom Heroes infielder Song Sung-mun celebrates during a KBO game against the Kia Tigers at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on June 26. [YONHAP]

Pieper also represents a former Heroes star and current Atlanta Braves infielder Kim Ha-seong, who signed with the San Diego Padres after the 2020 season in the KBO. Two other ex-Heroes, Lee Jung-hoo, now with the San Francisco Giants, and Kim Hye-seong of Los Angeles Dodgers, followed the path to MLB, with Song now hoping to join them there. Pieper said those Korean players' success can serve as a good reference point for MLB teams when they try to get a sense of Song's value and project how he will fare in the majors.

Pieper believes his newest Korean client will have a bright future in MLB.

"He just looks like a guy that belongs over there, and that's not disparaging anybody else," Pieper said. "It's just a credit to him, the way that he looks both offensively and defensively, the way he swings the bat. Everything about him just looks different. And that's a good thing."

Yonhap