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Published by Asians in Baseball
Asians in Baseball is a podcast about…Asians in baseball. Each week, Naomi, Scott, and Kim break down what’s notable with the Asian players in MLB and take a deeper dive into the Asians and Asian Americans who have shaped baseball as it is today.
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Kim makes her return from the ML (maternity list) to lead the crew through the week's highlights. Scott talks about driving to Sacramento to see Bateman and Okamoto (no relation) play the A's, and we discuss what to do with Ohtani now and in the future.
This week we talk about some hot hitters like Steven Kwan and Brett Bateman, who is also lighting up social media with his play on the field and his smile and charisma off the field. In a dark year for Toronto, the Asians are the bright spots. Naomi has a potentially controversial take on how to handle Ohtani for the rest of the season, and we give the bump to the pitchers not named Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Naomi and Scott continue holding it down as Kim settles into her new family life. We talk about Hao Yu Lee, Kumar Rocker, and we ask why the hell isn't Jahmai Jones getting more at-bats? He is beyond hot right now. Then we put Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto head to head to compare their epic rookie seasons. In the final segment we go deep into racial identity and talk about the issues of being a mixed-race Asian in the MLB. Some players openly talk about their Asian cultures, while others shy away from it. It's really just the start of a conversation that we feel is necessary as we continue to celebrate our guys as both fully AAPI, and mixed-race.
We were off for a couple of weeks because Kim had a baby. That's right. For the past few months, she has powered through gestating a human inside of her and gave her all to you, our beloved listeners. Kim and Jon are home with the baby now, and all is well. Congrats to the family! This week we give some love to the new Womens Professional Baseball League, we welcome Brett Bateman and clear up his identity, and we discuss how the Dodgers should use Roki Sasaki in the postseason. As always we recap some of the highlights from the past two weeks, and try to carry on without our fearless leader, Kim.
The weather isn't the only thing that's hot right now, and we've got the latest on the heat wave! First up, the As get a boost from Park Chan Ho's investment group Team61 as Ken Jeong and Daniel Dae Kim are added to the team. In position player news, Tsung Che Cheng gets sent down and (potential Dodger?!) Kyle Higashioka is on the IL, Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami send big homers and are rewarded with breaking a record (Kaz) and a cursed sushi push pop (Mune), and Hao Yu Lee's simple confidence extends his historic hit streak. Ohtani is "slumping" due to his wonky knee, but he's still contributing and working on returning to pitching. In pitcher news, Sasaki vs Manaea ends in an ideal outcome, Tomoyuki Sugano has returned to peak Tommy Sugar form, Joey Cantillo gets the bump, and Go Woo Suk is sent to the minors in a very confusing move. Which brings us to our hot topic of the week: are Korean-born players held to a higher standard than Japanese-born players in MLB??
Welcome back from the All-Star Break! First, we chat our late All-Star adds Riley O'Brien and Munetaka Murakami, Rintaro Sasaki and Kenny Ishikawa are drafted, and the Dodgers are going back to the White House (ugh). In position player news, Jahmai Jones is off to the red hot Red Sox and JJ Wetherholt signs a massive extension, Masataka Yoshida and Hao Yu Lee have big games, and Steven Kwan is back to his rightful throne in the leadoff spot. The Ohtani report shows he's still hitting as well as ever...but what's going on with Ohtani the pitcher?? In pitching news, we have the Good (Yamamoto, Imanaga, Woo, Go), the Bad (the Mets and with them Senga and Manaea), and the Weird (Roki Sasaki and his gigantic yellow glove). And finally, our hot take for the week: Have the Yankees actually...done right by Volpe?
While Naomi and Kim are out conquering the world, Scott and Daren talk Home Run Derby, Roki Sasaki, and the decision to go to Trump's White House. Squadcast was Squadcasting and cut off the session abruptly, but luckily it was at the end.
We're sliding into the All-Star Break, but first, what's going on in the world of Asians in Baseball?? 3:20 - Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Corbin Carroll make it into the All-Star game, but Lee Jung Hoo was snubbed; vote Barbara Hahn - "balldudette" at Oracle Park for the All-Star ball crew; and Dave Roberts becomes the fastest manager to win 1000 games. 13:28 - In position player news, Mune is set to begin a rehab assignment, the Rookie Report features a new Asian in Baseball Josh Kuroda Grauer, and Seiya Suzuki becomes the 4th Japanese-born pitcher in MLB history to hit 100 homers (and the first RHH, he'd like to add). 28:04 - Happy birthday, Ohtani! Sorry about your bicep?!?! 38:50 - In pitching, Naomi's cousin Go Woo Suk becomes a Twin twice over, Bryan Woo and Yamamoto keep representing, everybody wants to leave the Mets, and Roki "didn't cry" ... alright.
This week on Asians in Baseball, we get deep into the feels! 2:23 - All Star Game voting update: Ohtani is a shoo-in, but Kazuma Okamoto is the only other Asian who makes it to the second round?!?! Be sure to vote until this Thursday 7/2 at 12pm ET! 13:25 - In position player news, Tommy Pham signs with the Phillies which can't end well, the Asians on the Red Sox are contributing to their upswing, and Hao Yu Lee has been hot at the plate for the Tigers and has lunch with his new bestie Kai Wei Teng. 26:04 - Ohtani keeps crushing the ball and manages to stay dominant on the mound, despite communication issues with his catcher. 34:19 - Kodai Senga is sent to the bullpen where he pitches more innings in relief than as a starter, Detroit has Kai Wei Teng's number but Tatsuya Imai has back to back double digit strikeout starts, Joey Cantillo could use a little help from the offense, and Brennan Bernadino and Orion Kerkering have been lights out. 44:00 - HOT TOPIC: Is there crying in baseball? (Yes.)
The baseball season is sliding into the dog days of summer, and we've got the latest on the ups...and the downs. 5:30 - Reminder that All Star voting is open, and you can vote 5x/day until June 25th at 12pm ET! We go over current rankings...with some surprises. 11:38 - We kick off position player news with the IL report (IKF is on, Tommy is off, Mune is progressing), this week's Hot List features Anthony Volpe with an 8-game on-base streak and Trevor Larnach nearly reaching .500 in his last 7 games, and on the "Less Hot List" Steven Kwan has another tough week at the office and Jahmai Jones has a rough Father's Day. 26:20 - Ohtani shocks us all by announcing the birth of his second child...and only taking one day off for it?! 36:55 - In pitching, Bryan Woo crushes it thanks to some very special patients at Seattle Children's Hospital (and the AIB bump, ofc), Joey Cantillo aka JOEY CURVES is lights out, Shota Imanaga is solid, and Tatsuya Imai has another fantastic start. 48:55 - HOT TOPIC: Are Christians being discriminated against in being punished for putting bible verses on their Pride Night hats? (No, they are not)
Asians in Baseball is back, baby, and our guys are looking good! 4:33 - All Star Game voting is already open?!? Vote 5x daily until 6/25, guide coming soon! Also, Tommy Pham is released by the Orioles, and Kim is NOT talking about trade rumors until at least July!! 8:48 - Lars Nootbaar is finally activated for the first time this year, Steven Kwan and Bo Bichette are on the up and up, and Seiya Suzuki was hot at the plate and in the field...until he tweaked his bad knee again. 21:30 - We're skipping Ohtani this week because his ERA is over 1 now, so he's washed!!!!! (jk, we talk about him in our hot topic) 23:18 - Sean Manaea and Tomoyuki Sugano are crushing it, Tatsuya Imai and Roki Sasaki have great starts before returning to the disaster zone, Bryan Woo is "just tired of sucking," and Yoshinobu Yamamoto flirts with perfection and a no no and settles for an insanely impressive June. 45:06 - This week's HOT TOPIC, inspired by a post on Dodgers Nation -- “The question I have is, is it really worth it for Shohei Ohtani to go all-in on a Cy Young that right now the odds will say he’s not going to win?”
A bonus episode with a quick rant from Scott and an amazing conversation with musician, actor, and composer, Goh Nakamura. Goh scored the forthcoming documentary, Diamond Diplomacy which details the role baseball has played in bridging cultural and political divisions between Japan and the U.S. Goh talks about how working on this documentary has given him a new appreciation for baseball and its stars like Shohei Ohtani, and he talks about his creative process creating music for a baseball documentary.
Happy Pride and welcome to June, where the Asians in Baseball underdogs are CRUSHING IT. 3:45 - First up in position player news, some big moves this week that include Munetaka Murakami going on the 10-day IL, Jung Hoo Lee is ELITE elite (like, hitting 517 in his last 7 games elite), and the Red Sox Asians -- Yoshida, Wong, and Kiner-Falefa -- are HOT at the plate...even if their team is not. 20:45 - Ohtani the hitter is back to his old form, giving himself run support and generally just being the GOAT. And Naomi has a word for Brewers fans (hint: it's the same one that Ohtani uses when he's frustrated on the mound...) 26:40 - Ohtani the pitcher is NOT satisfied with 6 innings of no-hit ball!! 34:36 - In pitching news, Imai tosses the bulk of a combined Astros no-hitter, Kai Wei Teng seems quite comfortable in his new role as a starter, and we don't know what the heck is going on over at the Mets, but we do know that Jonah Tong and Sean Manaea are up for the task of righting the ship. 50:42 - This week's hot topic: What are we going to do with Hyeseong Kim and the Dodgers???
Much to discuss this week on Asians in Baseball! 1:55 - First, we congratulate the Korean Monster, Ryu Hyun Jin, on 200 career wins. And shout out to Will the Thrill on his awesome AAPI Heritage Month segment on CBS LA! 8:15 - The White Sox called up 25-year-old Rikuu Nishida, whose non-traditional path to the majors culminated yesterday with a memorable debut! Also in position player news, Steven Kwan hosted his 2nd annual Check on Your Mate event to help normalize conversations around mental health, Corbin Carroll OWNS triples, and Kazuma Okamoto gets the bump...from Hideki Matsui. 23:00 - Ohtani returns to DHing during his start and drops his ERA to a truly mind boggling 0.73! 31:50 - In pitching news, Jonah Tong is here to stay with the Mets, Kai-Wei Teng joins the Astros starting rotation, and Shota Imanaga could use a little run support over here, people! 47:25 - This week's HOT TOPIC: Should players coming from NPB and other professional leagues be considered for Rookie of the Year since they already have pro experience??
It's a beautiful week at Asians in Baseball, and we've got all the news that's fit for your earholes! 2:03 - We've got guys on the move, guys stagnant (Kurt Suzuki's Angels holding down dead last), and white supremacists at Nationals Park, gross. 10:56 - In position player news, Volpe is back, Lee Jung Hoo IS THE WIND, Steven Kwan has been bumped from leadoff, and Murakami continues to crush. 32:44 - The Ohtani transitional segment is very positive this week, as Ohtani the hitter comes out of his slump and Ohtani the pitcher sits atop the pitching leaderboards. 39:18 - In pitching, Tatsuya Imai's return is...rough, Sean Manaea is still struggling despite his new bullpen role, but Roki Sasaki is on the up and up! 51:00 - And this week's HOT TOPIC: Ohtani Rule. Is it fair?? Is it not??
We're officially 1/4 of the way through the season, and the stars are BRIGHT! 10:20 - Let's talk about position players, beginning with the IL report. Do not adjust your screens, KIM HA SEONG HAS BEEN ACTIVATED!! Also, Song Sun Mun makes his debut with the Padres and Tommy Edman just needs a whole new ankle at this point. 17:00 - In the IL report: expanded edition, Anthony Volpe also finally returns to the IL...only to be sent down to the minors?! And the return of Mookie Betts means that Kim Hyeseong...is NOT sent down?! What in the heck is happening?! 27:48 - Ohtani is all in on the Cy Young, which is good because as a hitter he is officially slumping. 38:00 - Onto pitching! Shota Imanaga is proving the North Side of Chicago has a Japanese superstar too, whereas Kumar Rocker is still looking to find his stride. 58:39 - IT'S MUNEMANIA!!! For this week's hot topic, we get into the hot start from Munetaka Murakami, the slugging sensation that 29 teams passed on but the whole world is watching.
Hideki Irabu was one of the first wave of pitchers from Japan to break into Major League Baseball. After chaotic negotiations between the Chiba Lotte Marines, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees, he joined the Yankees in 1997 to great fanfare. But his time was marked by wild inconsistency. He could throw a shutout, or he could get hammered. After 6 seasons in the majors, he retired as a depressed alcoholic who could not recover from being abandoned by his White American birth father and his wife leaving him with their children. Irabu died in 2011 after taking his own life, leaving the baseball world saddened as it finally learned of his personal struggles. We remember Hideki Irabu for being a pioneer for Asian players and for enduring the harsh spotlight in New York.
Finally! Some good news! First, we're trying out a new format! Also, Will "the Thrill" Ireton has an Instagram and Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen mistakes Hyeseong Kim for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 9:21 - Welcome to our new segment, INSIDE BASEBALL, where we get into the nitty gritty of the stats and specifics. First, we chat position players: Masataka Yoshida hits his first career walk off and extends the Green Monsta City Connect streak, Kazuma Okamoto looks loose, Munetaka Murakami looks like Kyle Schwarber, and Team Korea's Jahmai Jones and Shay Whitcomb both finally make the starting lineup and homer. 27:47 - Ohtani transition! His on-base streak continues, he signs a ball for a 100-year-old survivor of Nagasaki, the Angels exclude him from their 60 year celebration video, and his first outing as a pitcher only is, of course, impressive. 38:00 - INSIDE BASEBALL: PITCHING debuts and we break down Bryan Woo and balks, Shota Imanaga's impressive outings, Yusei Kikuchi's ups and downs, and pray to the baseball gods that Kodai Senga and Roki Sasaki figure something out. 52:01 - New segment! We dive into a cultural aspect of the Asians in Baseball Cinematic Universe. This week, we discuss Tatsuya Imai and the struggle of players transitioning from NPB/KBO (Japan and Korea's leagues) to MLB. Let us know what you think and throw out some name suggestions in the comments!
What's new with Asians in Baseball a few weeks into the season? First up, check out our new TeePublic store for all your Asians in Baseball merch needs! Ichiro's new bronze statue is revealed...a little wonkily, and we give a quick update on the guys on the IL. In position player news, Steven Kwan scores from first on some little league defense and discusses chasing his baseball dreams as a shorter player and Asian American, Trevor Larnach and Kim Hyeseong prove they deserve more playing time, and Bo Bichette's bat seems to be heating up...amid speculation he may still be nursing an injury. Then in pitching, Tatsuya Imai and Kodai Senga struggle; Joey Cantillo, Kumar Rocker, and Tomoyuki Sugano are solid; Kai Wei Teng, Sean Manaea, and Riley O'Brien make the bullpen proud, and Shota Imanaga and Bryan Woo do NOT deserve this from their offenses! Finally, Ohtani breaks another record, has the longest active streak without an earned run, and had 4 homers in his last 7 games, blah blah blah. TeePublic store: https://tee.pub/lic/b6y_189KpAk Steven Kwan scores from first: https://tinyurl.com/bdswypyf Steven Kwan interview: https://www.mlb.com/guardians/video/how-steven-kwan-built-up-his-confidence Diamond Diplomacy screenings: https://www.diamonddiplomacy.com/watchdd
Another historic week...but when is it not?! We kick off with Kristen Kish's first pitch and injury updates, then onto the position players. Hyeseong Kim has risen from the dead once again, Kaz and Mune continue to rake, and Cleveland needs to start showing Steven Kwan some respect! Over in pitching, Senga and Rocker get the Ohtani Angels treatment, Tommy Sugar is crisp at Coors, and the Dodgers start Japanese-born pitchers on three consecutive days for the first time in history. And in Ohtani news, he's just like us (cleaning up spilled juice), finally gets his first homer of the year, and has an impressive season pitching debut in the rain.
Ranking source
Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed September 11, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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