KT makes a bold move, selecting 'ML 67-home run' hitter Choi Ji-man in the second round → 35-year-old veteran picked 15th overall [Draft]

*This content was translated by AI.

Major League (ML) home run king with 67 homers, Choi Ji-man (35), will don the KT Wiz uniform.

On the 21st, at the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft held at the Lotte Hotel World in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Choi Ji-man was selected by KT with the 15th pick of the second round. In a bold move, KT opted for a veteran in his mid-30s instead of a promising high school graduate in the earlier rounds.

A right-handed thrower and left-handed batter, infielder Choi Ji-man began his career after graduating from Dongsan High School. He later played in the United States before signing with Ulsan Whales of the Futures League, making his KBO League debut on June 27. In the Futures League, he recorded a .328 batting average (19 hits in 58 at-bats) with 2 home runs and 12 RBIs across 28 games played.

Choi Ji-man made his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016. He subsequently played for the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Diego Padres. His career MLB statistics stand at 525 games played, a .234 batting average (267 hits in 1,567 at-bats), 67 home runs, and 238 RBIs.

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*This content was translated by AI.