MiLB Player of the Week: Won-Bin Cho
The Cardinal Chronicle
Won-Bin Cho Named Cardinals Minor League Player of the Week
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Cho, the 22-year-old outfield prospect from Seongnam, South Korea, is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Cardinals Minor League Player of the Week after another loud stretch for the Springfield Cardinals.
Over the last week, Cho went 7-for-20 with four home runs, six RBIs, six runs scored and a 1.331 OPS over five games. He hit .350 during the stretch and continued to show the kind of power surge that has quickly become one of the more important development stories in the Cardinals’ minor-league system.
For Cho, this is more than a good week. It is part of a larger breakout season.
Signed by the Cardinals as an international free agent in January 2022, Cho holds a unique place in franchise history as the first amateur player signed out of Asia by the organization. After a couple of quieter seasons that caused his prospect stock to settle some, he has flipped the script in 2026 with a full-scale offensive breakout.
Cho opened the season by putting together a dominant stretch with High-A Peoria, where he earned Midwest League Player of the Week honors in late May. That performance helped push him to Double-A Springfield in late June.
Since then, the power has followed him.
Cho has already hit seven home runs in his first 10 games at the Double-A level, a stunning start for a player who entered the season still looking to prove that the raw tools could become consistent game production. Across both levels this season, he is slashing .271/.388/.546, showing not only power, but the on-base ability and plate discipline that make the breakout feel more sustainable.
The power jump is the headline, and it should be. Cho has now reached 15 home runs on the season, more than doubling his previous career high of seven. But this is not just a one-dimensional profile. He also brings speed and discipline, with 23 stolen bases and a patient, walk-heavy approach that gives him more ways to impact the game.
That combination matters.
Power can grab the spotlight, but power with speed, patience and defensive value in the outfield is what turns a good week into a real prospect development story. Cho is no longer just an interesting international signing with tools. He is producing, and he is doing it at a level where production starts to carry more weight.
There will still be adjustments ahead. Double-A has a way of testing hitters, and pitchers will eventually adjust back. But through his first few weeks with Springfield, Cho has looked anything but overmatched.
This week, he was the best position player in the Cardinals’ system.
The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Week:
Won-Bin Cho, RF, Springfield Cardinals
Weekly Line:
5 G, 20 AB, 6 R, 7 H, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K, .350 AVG, 1.331 OPS
Why He Was Chosen:
Cho delivered the strongest offensive week in the system, combining power, production and impact at Double-A. His four home runs and 1.331 OPS made him the clear choice.
Old School Take:
Sometimes a player’s season changes when the ball starts leaving the yard. Cho always had tools, but now the production is catching up. Four home runs in a week at Double-A will get a man noticed, and seven homers in his first 10 games at the level is not something you just shrug off.
Won-Bin Cho has turned a breakout season into a statement.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Won-Bin Cho, Springfield Cardinals | Springfield Daily Citizen