If Choi Ji-man passes in Round 1, will Kiwoom say thank you? Securing both the future and present with the overall No. 1 pick Ha Hyun-seung and MLB's 67 home runs

*This content was translated by AI.

Major League Baseball player Choi Ji-man (35, Ulsan Whales), who is knocking on the door of Korean professional baseball for the first time in 17 years, is shaking up the landscape of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft. Attention is also focused on whether Kiwoom Heroes, which holds the overall No. 1 draft pick alongside him, can secure both the future and the present at once.

Choi Ji-man will participate in the KBO Tryout held on the 1st at the National Representative Baseball Training Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. This is the final test to show his physical condition and competitiveness to teams ahead of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft scheduled for the 21st.

This year's rookie draft will proceed in reverse order of last year's rankings: Kiwoom-Doosan-KIA-Lotte-KT-NC-Samsung-SSG-Hanwha-LG. The outline for the overall No. 1 pick has essentially been set. It is highly likely that Kiwoom will select Ha Hyun-seung (18), a Busan High School pitcher-hitter who received a contract offer of $3 million from the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB).

The problem lies in what comes next. Originally, the top tier included Eom Jun-sang (18, Arizona Diamondbacks), a pitcher-hitter at Deoksu High School, and Park Chan-min (18, Philadelphia Phillies), a right-handed pitcher at Gwangju Jeil High School, both of whom chose to go to the United States. Kim Ji-woo (18), a pitcher-hitter at Seoul High School who was counted among the top three along with Ha Hyun-seung and Eom Jun-sang, failed to fully showcase his potential due to a finger injury. Nevertheless, his strong arm that throws up to 153 km/h as a pitcher and power at the highest level for his age group as a hitter make predictions of him falling outside the third round difficult.

In the meantime, Park Geun-seo (18, Seoul Design High School), a left-handed pitcher with a top speed of 149 km/h, and Yoon Ye-seong (17, Inchang High School), a right-handed pitcher with a top speed of 154 km/h, have surged forward. Scout A from a KBO team who met at the training site of the Korean U-18 national youth representative team recently said, "The outline for the top 10 is somewhat clear. However, from the fourth pick on, I really don't know. Teams' thoughts could change depending on how they perform in the youth representative team training and tournaments."

This confusion has unexpectedly boosted Choi Ji-man's stock. Until early this year, few expected Choi Ji-man to be selected in the first round. His age of 35, injury history, and long absence from actual competition were clear risk factors. However, the atmosphere changed as promising high school seniors who had drawn expectations suffered from injuries and poor performance. In particular, it is evaluated that apart from Lee Ho-min (18) of Gyeongnam High School, there are not many players who have gained consensus among multiple teams for a first-round selection.

Amidst this, Choi Ji-man, whose skills have been verified, has emerged as a relatively predictable immediate force card. Choi made his debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016 and played for seven MLB teams, recording a career batting average of .234, 67 home runs, 238 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.764 in 525 games. In 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays, he hit 19 home runs.

He is also improving his game feel this year at Ulsan. Through the Futures League up to the 28th last month, he recorded a batting average of .308 (12 hits in 39 at-bats), 1 home run, 7 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.847 in 20 games. Scout B from another KBO team noted, "We see Choi Ji-man as a designated hitter. Personally, I believe he will be among the top 10 picks in the first round." This situation is particularly interesting for Kiwoom, which holds not only the overall No. 1 pick but also the first selection right of the second round.

Furthermore, the fact that overseas players do not receive a rookie contract bonus under KBO regulations is an attractive element from the team's perspective. KBO team official C said, "It is easy to think of Choi Ji-man as a foreign hitter with an injury history. He is a player who has hit double-digit home runs in Major League Baseball. If you pick an immediate force in the rookie draft, it seems possible for him to be selected in the second round even if not in the first." Recently, this official adjusted his outlook upward, stating, "It also appears that Choi Ji-man could be selected within the first round."

Of course, there are risk factors as well. Choi Ji-man underwent surgery to remove a meniscus in his right knee in 2021. At Ulsan, he has mainly played as a designated hitter to reduce the burden on his knees. KBO team official D expressed concern, stating, "He should be viewed essentially as a designated hitter. It is unclear how much defense he can perform after knee surgery. Choi Ji-man's good performance in actual games was already several years ago."

This is why the tryout on the 1st is so important. Whether Choi Ji-man can dispel doubts about his physical condition could determine whether he enters the first round. And if Choi Ji-man manages to avoid selection by all 10 teams in the first round, an interesting scenario will unfold. This is because Kiwoom also holds the overall No. 1 pick for the second round.

This is the scenario where Kiwoom selects Ha Hyun-seung in the first round and then secures Choi Ji-man with the overall No. 11 pick. They can secure both the top 18-year-old prospect who will be responsible for the future and the 35th-year-old major leaguer who can immediately bolster the first-division lineup in a single draft.

Given Kiwoom's potential shown this season, the addition of these two players is even more anticipated. Although Kiwoom remained at the bottom this year, ace An Woo-jin (27) has returned, and young players such as Jeon Jun-pyo (21) and Kim Geon-hee (22) have shown growth. If Choi Ji-man, who possesses the experience and power-hitting ability of 67 home runs in MLB, settles into the core lineup, Kiwoom can add both immediate force and experience during the rebuilding process.

The first hurdle is the tryout on the 1st. And if Choi Ji-man's name is ultimately not called in the first round, the team that could smile the most might be Kiwoom. Choi Ji-man's determination is also extraordinary. When he met StarNews at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium recently, he said, "It's strange. It's too happy," but added with emphasis, "I need to do well so that when players who used to play in the minor leagues return to Korea, they can be recognized."

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*This content was translated by AI.