'Popular Uncle Who Became a Father' Asks Foreign Investor About Parenting Too... Choi Won-jun's Changed Baseball: "It Became an Opportunity to Become Slightly More Mature"

*This content was translated by AI.

The first child born last month was, for Choi Won-jun (29, KT Wiz), nothing less than a blessing itself.

On the 19th, Choi started as the leadoff hitter and center fielder in KT's home game against Doosan Bears at Suwon KT Wiz Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League. He went 4-for-4 with one home run, one walk, four RBIs, and one run scored, leading KT to a decisive 15-3 victory.

His bat erupted whenever needed. In the bottom of the fifth inning with KT trailing 1-3, two outs, and a runner on first base, Choi hit a slider from Choi Seung-yong for a two-run home run that tied the game at 2-2, traveling 126.7 meters to left-center field. It was his ninth home run of the season. In the sixth inning, he hit an RBI single to left-center; in the seventh, another RBI double. KT General Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) said, "I want to praise Choi Won-jun for stepping up and fulfilling his role whenever RBIs were needed."

After the game, Choi calmly reflected, "I got lucky with a pitch out of the zone, and it was a relief that I hit a home run in an important situation." However, when asked about recent changes in himself, he opened up at greater length. The catalyst was his daughter, born early last month. Choi admitted, "I had always tried to think this way, but when baseball didn't go as planned, I realized I wasn't mature enough in showing emotions during plays."

He continued, "I probably had some selfish tendencies and expressed my emotions too openly. I think I'm now paying more attention to those aspects. As I try to control them, I feel like things are getting better."

His daughter's presence also influenced how he accepts failures during games. Choi explained, "I think it has become an opportunity for me to mature slightly. In baseball, when bad things happen or mistakes occur, I've learned not to dwell on them too much and can reset quickly to move forward better. That has been very helpful."

Choi had long been a popular uncle among teammates' children even at his previous team. That popularity continues with KT; after games, it's common for reporters visiting the dugout to see Choi playing water gun fights or being carried by players' children. While being a doting father was expected, the "new dad" Choi instead expressed gratitude toward his wife.

Choi smiled and said, "During the season, my wife has worked so hard that it hasn't been as difficult as I thought. The baby is also gentler than expected. She only cries when hungry and sleeps well. Since she doesn't cry much, there's no hardship. It's wonderful."

Coincidentally, on this day, Sam Hilliard (32), who batted alongside Choi to stir up KT's lineup, now shares another common interest with him. Hilliard went 4-for-5 with one home run, one RBI, and four runs scored, matching Choi's powerful performance. Together, the two players collected eight hits, shaking up Doosan's pitching mound.

Although they are teammates, they are also strange rivals when it comes to individual titles. As of the 19th, Choi has recorded a .344 batting average (511 at-bats, 176 hits), nine home runs, 70 RBIs, 106 runs scored, 27 stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.901 in 124 games. With 106 runs scored, he shares the league lead with Austin Dean (LG Twins) and Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers). Hilliard has played 126 games with a .305 batting average (498 at-bats, 152 hits), 37 home runs, 115 RBIs, 102 runs scored, eight stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.955, placing him fourth in the league for runs scored. The difference between them is just four runs.

Nevertheless, gratitude came before competitiveness from Choi's mouth. Regarding Hilliard, Choi said, "He struggled early on, but I'm very grateful that he has performed so well since then. There aren't many foreign players who don't get injured or sick and keep running hard until the end. He has much to teach me, and it's reassuring to have him on the team."

Especially today, Hilliard crossed home plate four times, surpassing 100 runs scored for the season and reaching 102. Having already recorded 115 RBIs, he completed the rare feat of 100 runs and 100 RBIs in a single season, becoming only the 45th player in KBO history to achieve this. While Hilliard is closely chasing Choi in the race for the batting title, to Choi, Hilliard is first and foremost a teammate to learn from and rely on rather than just a competitor.

They often discuss baseball. Choi even asks Hilliard directly about things he's curious about regarding his MLB experience. Choi said, "I ask Hilliard many questions I should have asked. Since he played in the majors, we talk a lot about baseball."

However, their conversations aren't limited to baseball. When parenting came up, Choi laughed and said, "Hilliard has a first child, so I sometimes ask him. I'm in the position of needing to ask. In parenting, he's the senior."

On days when things are going well, long conversations aren't necessary. Choi expressed gratitude by saying, "When we're both doing poorly, there's a lot to talk about. But when things go well, actually, there's nothing much to say. In those moments, just being quiet together feels good."

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*This content was translated by AI.