Choi Ji-Man, 33, currently plays for the New York Mets. Choi, who finished last season with the San Diego Padres, where Kim Ha-seong is also a member, signed a split contract with the Mets on March 17. He will receive a total of $3.5 million, including bonuses, if he makes the Opening Day roster. The Mets will be his seventh team since making his big league debut in 2016.
Choi’s best season came in 2019, when he played 127 games with the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting 19 home runs and 63 RBIs. In 2023, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Padres, but struggled with injuries. When he became a free agent after last season, Japanese clubs were interested in signing him. However, Choi signed a one-year contract with the Mets, 토토사이트 signaling his intention to rebound.
Choi has been playing in exhibition games this year as a spring training invitee. After failing to make an impact after hitting his first home run for the Miami Marlins on April 28, Choi returned to the lineup on April 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals, batting sixth and playing first base, going 3-for-3 with a walk and a hit batter, while reaching base 100 percent of the time. Choi led off the top of the first inning with a 1-0 lead, hitting a curveball from starter Steven Matz over the left field fence for an RBI double. He came home on the next batter’s hit. He drew a full-count walk in the third inning and continued his hot hitting with RBI singles in the fifth and eighth innings. Choi finished the year batting .357 (5-for-14) with five RBIs.
The Mets’ starting first baseman is Pete Alonso, who has hit 192 home runs over the last five seasons.
Choi is competing with Luke Voit, Mark Bientos, and DJ Stewart for the backup first base or designated hitter spot. Voit, who, like Choi, is on a split contract, is currently batting less than .500. Vientos and Stewart are also struggling.
In his first game in five days, Jung-Hoo Lee (26-San Francisco Giants) went 0-for-3 at first base and center field against the Oakland Athletics, ending a five-game hitting streak. He was unable to get anything going against two left-handed pitchers, Kyle Mueller and Francisco Perez. Ha-Sung Kim (29, San Diego Padres) struck out in three straight at-bats against the Chicago White Sox. Hyo-Jun Park (28-Oakland Athletics), who is playing as a minor league invitee, 파워볼실시간 went 0-for-4 in his first start against the Milwaukee Brewers.