Choi Ji-man (32, Pittsburgh Pirates) staged another armed demonstration. As a victim of the platoon system, he has more time to rest after a hard hit, but he clearly proves that he is not a half player.
Choi Ji-man started as a 4th hitter and 1st baseman in the 2023 American Professional Baseball Major League (MLB) visit game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the 27th (Korean time), 1 hit in 4 at bats (1 home run) and 1 goal One RBI led the team to a 3-2 victory.
It was a decisive shot that led to the team’s 3-2 victory. He still has a batting average of 0.188 (12 hits in 64 at-bats) and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of only 0.709, but he is on the rise with limited opportunities and draws attention.
Choi Ji-man, who had not been able to start for four games even after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels on the 22nd, was named in the starting lineup that day and stood in the first plate in the second inning when the two teams were tied 0-0. The San Diego starter picked out Seth Lugo’s 3rd pitch, and Choi Ji-man, who watched the 4th pitch, hit the sinker in the middle of the 92.3 mile (148.5km) 5th pitch and fired the first solo gun that went over the right fence. According to MLB.com Gameday, the official major league website, his batting speed reached 101.7 miles per hour (163.6 km) and an arch that flew 384 feet (117 m).
It has been five days since the home run against Shohei Ohtani against the Angels on the 22nd, and it is the first home run in two consecutive games as a starter. Season 6 gun.
Choi Ji-man, who had to strike out in the second at-bat, hit a big ball in the third at-bat in the 7th inning. Choi Ji-man, who met Lugo once again, kicked a low curve and sent the ball to the right. He looked like he would pass the height of right field, but Fernando Tatis Jr. jumped up and he snatched the bat. MLB.com said, “Tatis Jr. stole the best home run batted ball.” Choi Ji-man, who faced Robert Suarez in the last at-bat in the top of the ninth inning, finished the game with a ground ball from third baseman.
It was a very valuable win for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, which suffered 10 consecutive losses last month, completely swept the San Diego game played at home from the 28th to the 30th. That’s why the meaning of this match was all the more special as it took the series advantage over San Diego with 2 wins and 1 loss thanks to Choi Ji-man’s preemptive solo shot.
According to the Pittsburgh Gazette Post, Choi Ji-man said after the game, “It was a victory we desperately needed.” Regarding the reason for the rapid rebound, he said, “If I knew what I was going to do, I would have become a god.”
Then, Choi Ji-man said, “I’m happy to give the fans a home run and make them happy.” “The season is still long and there are many games left.
It was a game that once again made his presence known to coach Derek Shelton. After returning, Choi Ji-man shows a hot hitting feeling with a batting average of 0.250 (8 hits in 32 at-bats), 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.942 in 11 games (8 starting games).
What is even more surprising is that only Choi has not been able to consistently compete. After suffering an injury at the beginning of the season, Choi Ji-man, who returned from a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 8th, took the opportunity to play in three consecutive games.
Even after going through the All-Star break, he started for two consecutive games and showed a good hitting feeling by hitting home runs and hits, but coach Shelton applied a thorough platoon system to Choi Ji-man. Choi Ji-man, who started on the bench against left pitcher Alex Wood on the 18th, had to sit on the bench against the Cleveland Guardians on the 18th even though the opponent was right-handed pitcher Xavien Curry. He was always excluded from the starting list the day after the opponent selected a left-handed starting pitcher.
After that, he hit in both games, and in the game against the Angels on the 22nd, he hit a home run against Ohtani, but the result was that he was excluded from the start for 4 consecutive games. Even though it was difficult to maintain a sense of hitting, Choi Ji-man started the day and started the cannon.
Local media Pittsburgh Baseball Now said, “Choi Ji-man has played 20 games for the Pirates this season and is recording 6 home runs.” “he emphasized.
Kim Ha-seong, who had a face-to-face match that day, also started as the first batter and second baseman, and performed well with 1 hit, 1 run and 1 walk in 3 at-bats. The batting average for the season was raised slightly from 0.272 to 0.273 and rose. He had an OPS of 0.810.
Although it is said that the excellent defense is underpinned, the two’s moves this season show a very stark difference. It is true that he was weak with a batting average of 0.143 (2 hits in 10 at-bats) against left-handed pitchers, but his chances were too few. Among the two hits, there was also a home run.
Last year, he had a batting average of 0.294 (15 hits in 51 at-bats) against left-handed pitchers, which was better than against right-handed pitchers (0.223).메이저놀이터
Moreover, Choi Ji-man is a style that exerts more power when he starts. This season, the batting average in the first inning was 0.400 (2 hits in 5 at-bats) with one double, and the batting average in the second inning was 0.250 (3 hits in 12 at-bats), 3 homers, 4 RBIs, and the slugging rate was excellent at 1.000. Even in the 5th inning, when he was not likely to be used as a pinch hitter, his batting average was excellent at 0.333 (1 home run).
On the other hand, the batting average was 0.125 (1 hit in 8 at bats) in the 7th inning, 0.000 (no hit in 6 at bats) in the 8th inning, and 0.143 (1 hit in 7 at bats) in the 9th inning. The numbers show that he is a pitcher who can show off his skills more as a starter than as a pinch hitter.