Look at Choi Ji-man, who devours the Futures League! Club-selected August position player MVP goes to him → Pitcher is 'ERA 0.82' Kobayashi

*This content was translated by AI.

Power hitter Choi Ji-man (35, Ulsan Whales), a former Major Leaguer, has thoroughly taken over the Futures League stage. Over the month of August, he swung with ferocious power to claim the club's monthly position player MVP award while simultaneously exploding his value ahead of the upcoming September 21 KBO Rookie Draft.

On the 3rd, before a home game against NC Dinos at Munsu Baseball Stadium, Ulsan Whales held its 'August Monthly MVP Award Ceremony.' Chairman Kim Cheol-wook attended in person to encourage the players and presented each of the two recipients with a prize of 300,000 won.

The position player MVP was undoubtedly Choi Ji-man. Boasting a class that includes 525 career games and 67 home runs in Major League Baseball, Choi hit .389 (18 at-bats, 7 hits) with one home run and five RBIs in six August games. Notably, during the Hanwha Eagles game on August 15, he launched a massive three-run home run that sealed the team's victory, recording his first-ever KBO League hit in just his 15th appearance on the league stage. As of late August, his Futures League record across 20 games had surged to a .308 batting average and an OPS of 0.847, proving his hitting pace was perfectly on track.

Choi Ji-man's display of dominance is even shaking up the landscape of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft scheduled for September 21. With professional clubs focused on acquiring immediate impact hitters, interest has intensified, and speculation has rapidly risen that he could be selected in the middle of the first round—far exceeding initial expectations of a later-round pick. Among senior professional baseball officials, there are even evaluations stating, "He will absolutely not fall to the second round." Meanwhile, Choi Ji-man completed his final showcase at the draft tryout held on September 1 at the Goyang National Baseball Training Center.

As the spotlight intensified, Choi Ji-man humbled himself, saying, "Honestly, talk of a first-round selection is burdensome, and I feel sorry because this should be an even more important opportunity for young student-athletes." Yet, the destructive power he displayed on the field completely captured the attention of scouting teams.

On the mound, starting pitcher Kobayashi stood tall as the position player MVP in the pitching category. Kobayashi made two starts on August 15 and 23, pitching 11 innings with two wins, no losses, an ERA of 0.82, and five strikeouts, delivering flawless, stingy pitching that firmly supported the team's lead.

Ulsan Whales manager Jang Won-jin praised the duo, saying, "Kobayashi and Choi Ji-man each contributed significantly to the team throughout August." He added, "Lee Beon (수상) will serve as great motivation for these two players, and we look forward to them continuing their excellent performances in the remainder of the season."

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*This content was translated by AI.