Choo left MLB as the record holder for most career home runs (218) hit by an Asian-born player in the league,[1] which was later passed by Shohei Ohtani.

[2] Choo was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Pitcher of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup as South Korea won the event.

During that season, he safely reached base in 52 consecutive games, the longest such single-season streak in Texas Rangers history.

Mariners scouting director Roger Jongewaard remarked that Choo was "the best kid in Asia that we've seen" and noted that they initially planned to play him in center field.

[6] Choo made his professional debut in 2001 with the Rookie-level AZL Mariners, batting .302 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 51 games.

[7] In 2002, Choo spent most of the season with Wisconsin, batting .302 with six home runs, 48 RBI, and 34 stolen bases (in 55 attempts) in 119 games.

[7] Choo spent the entire 2003 season with the newly named Single-A Inland Empire 66ers, batting .286 with nine home runs and 55 RBI in 110 games, helping the team to a California League championship.

[7] He ranked among the Texas League leaders in several categories including triples (tied for second), RBI (third), stolen bases (third) and batting average (fifth).

[10] Choo made his Major League Baseball debut on April 21, pinch hitting for Miguel Olivo and grounding out for the final out of the game.

[17] On July 26, 2006, Choo was traded to the Cleveland Indians along with minor leaguer Shawn Nottingham in exchange for first baseman Ben Broussard.

[21] Choo missed several months of the 2007 season due to injury, and underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in September 2007.

Thanks to a hot September where he put up a .400 batting average, 34 hits, five home runs, and 24 RBI, Choo was named the American League Player of the Month.

[26] On October 3, 2009, Choo hit his 20th home run of the season against Paul Byrd of the Boston Red Sox, thus making him a member of the 20-20 club.

[17] In a road game against the Kansas City Royals on September 17, 2010, Choo hit three home runs and recorded 7 RBI in an 11–4 win.

[32] Choo finished the 2011 season with eight home runs, a .259 batting average, 12 stolen bases, and 36 RBI while accumulating 78 strikeouts and 36 walks in 313 at-bats.

[17] On December 11, 2012, Choo was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Jason Donald in a three team, nine player deal also involving the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The trade brought Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, and Drew Stubbs to the Cleveland Indians.

[40] On February 11, 2013, Choo avoided arbitration with his new team, the Reds, by agreeing to a one-year, $7.375 million deal, the exact midpoint between both sides.

[45] On October 1, 2013, Choo homered in the top of the eighth inning in the 2013 National League Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

[46] On December 21, 2013, it was reported that Choo had agreed to a seven-year, $130 million contract with the Texas Rangers, pending a physical examination.

[17] It was a major blow to the Rangers as they heavily invested that he and newly acquired Prince Fielder would contribute to help the team win a division title.

Instead, Choo was added unto the long list of injuries that kept the Rangers out of contention along with Fielder, Mitch Moreland, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, and many others.

[49] During the seventh inning of the deciding Game 5 of the 2015 American League Divisional Series, Choo was involved in a bizarre play which saw a routine throw back to the mound by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin deflect off Choo's bat, resulting in an errant ball which then led to the runner on third base score a run.

[17] On February 21, 2021, Choo agreed to a one-year, $2.4 million contract with the SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

He helped South Korea win 10–2 against Venezuela with a three-run home run against Carlos Silva in the first inning.

[66][67] While playing as a minor leaguer in the U.S. and making just $350 a week, Choo would skip meals to save money to buy diapers for his son.

[69] Choo has been a close friend of Lee Dae-Ho, former infielder with the Seattle Mariners organization, since attending the same elementary school together.

[70] In the early morning of Monday, May 2, 2011, Choo was arrested and charged with drunk driving in Sheffield Lake, Ohio.

[71] He was pulled over by police around 2:25 a.m. because his vehicle was weaving, and Choo's blood alcohol content (via Breathalyzer test) was reportedly .20%, more than twice the legal limit.

[72] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Choo donated $1,000 to each of the 190 players in the Texas Rangers’ minor league system who were unable to work due to MLB's shutdown.