The SSG Landers is notable for the number of players with the surname Choi. On the field, there are brothers Choi Jeong and Choi Hang, as well as Choi Joo-hwan, Choi Kyung-mo, Choi Ji-hoon, and Choi Sang-min, and pitcher Choi Min-joon.온라인카지노
And this year, another “Choi” is making his presence felt on the team. This is infielder Choi Jun-woo.
After graduating from Daechi-joong-Jang Chung-go, Choi was drafted by the SK Wyverns (now SSG) with the 35th overall pick in the 2018 second round. In 2020, his third year as a professional, he made a name for himself in the first team, appearing in 66 games, batting .236 with 43 hits in 182 at-bats, three home runs and 14 RBIs.
After joining the Sangsang (Armed Forces Athletic Corps) in March of the following year, Choi spent more than a year honing his skills in the Futures League, and as a result, he showed a step up in performance. Last year, he hit .349 with 88 home runs and 83 RBIs in 252 at-bats in 79 games in the Futures League.
With a team full of talented infielders, it wasn’t easy for Choi to make the jump to the first team right away, and he spent more time in the second team this season. But in June, the infield needed a transfusion when Choi Ju-hwan was pulled from the starting lineup due to left heel discomfort. That’s when the team called him up to the first team.
This is the third time this season that Choi has been called up to the first team, and he was named to the roster ahead of the team’s home game against the KT Wiz on April 14. Unlike his previous two calls-ups, Choi Jun-woo didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity and proved his worth with results.
In 10 games from the 14th against KT to the 25th against the Samsung Lions, Choi went 12-for-29 with a .414 batting average and four RBIs, the third-highest batting average on the team after Park Sung (0.429) and Choi Jeong (0.425). Choi’s contribution to the team’s leadoff defense was significant.
SSG head coach Kim Won-hyung also commented on Choi’s performance ahead of the team’s home game against Samsung on the 23rd, saying, “Choi Jun-woo has always been well-regarded for his batting, but he needed to improve in areas other than batting, so he was backed up between the first and second teams. He is now showing such a good performance that the main players think they have a competitor, so the main players are trying harder and competing in good faith, which has led to a good effect on the team.”
“Lately, I’ve been lucky that the balls I’ve been aiming for have been coming in a lot, and I’ve been able to capitalize on them. Since I was in the second team, I’ve been trying to set up my zone a lot, and I think my initiative has improved because I’m trying to hit only my own balls and not hit them if they don’t come to me,” he said, analyzing the secret of his rise.
His teammates are also excited. “My brothers and seniors come up to me every time I play and say a lot of good things, like ‘you’re hitting so well’ and ‘you’re doing a good job,’ so I think that helps me to continue to be confident in my defense,” Choi smiled.