Browsing: Moon

Blue Jays Make First Foray Into Korea With Seojun Moon

Back in January, the Blue Jays†pursuit of Roki Sasaki prompted them to take on $11 million of the money owed to Myles Straw in order to get $2 million in international bonus pool space from the Guardians.

While Toronto did not sign the Japanese sensation, who opted for Dodgers, Straw became a valuable extra outfielder for the American League champions, while the extra bonus pool money landed them Seojun Moon, an intriguing South Korean righthander.

The 18-year-old signed for $1.5 million in September and was the Blue Jays’ first significant foray into the Korean amateur market.

Moon is 6-foot-4 and features a low-90s fastball that has been up to 95 mph, while also throwing a changeup, curveball, slider and sinker.

He may be raw, but the Blue Jays aim to develop him as a starter.

“Mentally, I feel pretty confident in my own ability,†Moon said in comments interpreted by pro scouting manager Bryan Lee. “Physically, I still need to grow and get stronger and throw harder. So I want to just get better at every component of my game.â€

He chose to do that with the Blue Jays rather than entering the Korea Baseball Organization draft because “as a young child, I’ve always dreamt of pitching at the big league level,” Moon said, “so I decided to make this choice now instead of later.

“This is where the best players play.”

The Blue Jays intended to have him take part in some of their fall development camps after he made a visit to Rogers Centre.

“It’s my first time seeing such a big stadium,†Moon said. “It actually motivates me more so I could be here some day.â€

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Baseball

Erie Moon Mammoths get Baseball Hall of Fame display in Cooperstown

Babe Ruth, Josh Gibson, Roberto Clemente … and the Erie Moon Mammoths?

The Minor League Baseball alternate identity cooked up by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver attracted attention from all over the sporting world this summer, and now the team has earned prestige, too. The Erie Moon Mammoths are in the Hall of Fame.

In a manner of speaking, anyway.

Oliver himself has donated a signed Moon Mammoths jersey — the No. 91 uni top he donned on the show and during the Moon Mammoths’ debut on July 19 — and the item is now on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.

Next to the jersey is a placard reading, “On July 19, 2025, the Double-A Erie SeaWolves debuted as the Moon Mammoths. The unusual nickname came about thanks to John Oliver, who chose the club as the winner of a rebranding contest he announced on his HBO show, ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.’ The comedian wore this jersey as he threw the first pitch to honor the club’s alter ego.”

Oliver also donated a signed cap and a Moon Mammoths squishy — the Detroit affiliate’s giveaway item for July 19, at least one of which sold for more than $200 on Ebay the next day.

In another sense, it was an identity over 10,000 years in the making. When announcing the contest, Oliver promised that the rebrand would be done “in the spirit of your team, city and league in which you belong.”

True to his word, Oliver and his team dug into Erie’s local history and discovered a Woolly Mammoth. More specifically, they discovered the discovery of a Woolly Mammoth.

In 1991, an Erie-area citizen named George Moon was scuba diving in nearby Lake Pleasant and discovered the shoulder blade of a wooly mammoth, and 80 percent of that mammoth’s skeleton was recovered. The incident took hold in the imaginations of Oliver and his staff, which unveiled mascot Fuzz E. Mammoth during the on-air announcement. And Oliver’s jersey number — 91 — was inspired by the year of Moon’s mammoth discovery.

During the July 19 debut, Oliver had a hand in just about every aspect of the game experience. In addition to throwing out the first pitch, he worked at a concessions stand, joined the TV broadcast, sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and walked the stands as a vendor.

The rebrand was a mammoth-sized success for the SeaWolves, who suited up as the Moon Mammoths several more times over the course of the season. When “Last Week Tonight” aired its segment on the game, the show revealed that the club sold four years’ worth of merchandise in three weeks’ time.

So, will you be able to catch the Moon Mammoths in action in 2026? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, you can catch them in Cooperstown.

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Basketball

Seojun Moon, Blue Jays Reportedly Agree to Contract, Dodgers Were ‘Very Interested’

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The Toronto Blue Jays signed Korean right-handed pitcher Seojun Moon as an international free agent on Wednesday, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.

Per Bannon, the Los Angeles Dodgers were “very interested” in Moon before he agreed to join the Blue Jays.

The 18-year-old pitched at Jangchung High School prior to signing with Toronto.

Moon will receive $1.5 million in international bonus money as part of the agreement with Toronto, according to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling.

The Blue Jays previously gained $2 million of international bonus pool space as part of a Jan. 17 trade in which the team acquired outfielder Myles Straw from the Cleveland Guardians.

As for Moon, he posted a 2.18 ERA in high school while recording 93 strikeouts in 66 innings of work without allowing a home run (h/t Brandon Holmyard of the Toronto Star).

While a potential MLB debut may take time, he should still become an intriguing piece of Toronto’s farm system.

The Blue Jays reportedly beat out the Dodgers to land Moon, which could be a promising sign for their success on the international free-agent market moving forward.

Toronto heavily pursued starting pitcher RÅki Sasaki in international free agency at the end of the 2024 season, although he eventually ended up signing with Los Angeles instead.

As the Blue Jays currently look to remain atop the American League East standings to close out the regular season, their future also looks brighter following Wednesday’s move.

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