Blue Jays fans didn’t see Brett Bateman emerging. Now two countries can’t take their eyes off him - Toronto Star
Communities in Toronto and South Korea are rallying behind the Jays' rising star who grabbed the everyday leadoff role.
Brett Bateman made his debut with the Blue Jays in Philadelphia in August and hit a double on the very first pitch he saw.
At the time, he was a little-known prospect as part of the return in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for fan favourite Kevin Gausman. A month later, it’s not just Toronto paying attention.
Since emerging as the Blue Jays’ everyday leadoff man, the rookie outfielder keeps getting asked one question: Will he represent Korea at the World Baseball Classic? Bateman doesn’t have an answer just yet. He’s been asking himself that as well.
“We’ll see how it all figures itself out, but yeah, I mean absolutely, I’d love to play in the WBC,” Bateman told the Star in an interview last week. “I think it’s one of the coolest things about baseball for sure ... being able to represent the country would be pretty sweet.”
Over the last month, Bateman has emerged as a revelation for the Blue Jays in their chase for an American League wild-card spot.
The 24-year-old has 46 hits, 23 runs and 11 RBIs in his first 34 games with the Jays to take over as the team’s everyday leadoff hitter. Heading into Friday’s game against Texas, he’s hitting .333 with a .828 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Brett Bateman high fives his Blue Jays teammates after scoring on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double on Sept. 2 in Cleveland.
Bateman’s rise in popularity has caught the attention of the Korean communities in both Toronto and South Korea, with fans on both sides of the ocean rallying behind him.
“A lot of people (having) your back trying to support you, it is pretty cool,” Bateman said. “Whenever you hear that, especially from a large group — there’s a lot of Asians and Koreans here in Toronto — it’s a great feeling.”
Longtime Blue Jays fan Anthony Yun recalls watching Bateman batting leadoff on TV and doing a double take.
“I was like, ‘He kind of looks Asian,’ ” laughed Yun. “I actually Googled his name and saw that he had Korean roots.”
It was the cherry on top for Yun, who thinks Bateman playing for Korea in the WBC would be an awesome opportunity to bring the local diaspora together, give him a chance to tap into his roots and gain a large Korean following.
Last Friday, Bateman hit his first career home run, a two-run shot against the Baltimore Orioles, then followed it up with a solo homer on Saturday. He had only six home runs in 1,373 minor-league appearances and zero in college during three seasons at Minnesota.
“It’s kind of shocking, it’s from nowhere he showed up,” said J.C. Kim, the CEO and president of the Korean Baseball Association in Toronto.
On a phone call with the Star while on a trip in South Korea, Kim has seen Bateman’s name start to quickly grow in the East Asian country through social media and MLB Korea, an official licensed brand based in Seoul.
Back in 2019 when the Blue Jays signed left-handed pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu to a four-year, $80-million (U.S.) contract, Kim and the local Korean Baseball Association worked closely with the Blue Jays organization to help get Korean-Canadians out to games at Rogers Centre at a discounted ticket price to support. They have also collaborated with the Jays’ academy, focusing on getting the younger generation involved with the game.
