Ji-man Choi

Ji-man Choi
최지만

New York Yankees
First baseman / Outfielder
Born: (1991-05-19) May 19, 1991
Incheon, South Korea
Bats: Left Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 5, 2016, for the Los Angeles Angels
MLB statistics
(through July 9, 2017)
Batting average .171
Home runs 7
Runs batted in 16
Teams
Ji-man Choi
Hangul 최지만
Hanja 崔志萬
Revised Romanization Choe Jiman
McCune–Reischauer Ch'oe Chiman

Ji-man Choi (Hangul: 최지만; Hanja: 崔志萬; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰwe̞.dʑi.man]; born May 19, 1991) is a South Korean professional baseball first baseman and outfielder in the New York Yankees organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels in 2016 and the New York Yankees in 2017.

Career

Minor league career

Choi signed with the Seattle Mariners before the 2010 season. He was sent to their Arizona League affiliate to begin his professional baseball career. With the Arizona League Mariners, Choi batted .378 with 23 runs scored, 51 hits, 15 doubles, two triples, one home run, 23 runs batted in (RBIs), and 10 stolen bases in 39 games played.[1] Amongst league batters, Choi was second in on-base percentage (.459), and slugging percentage (.541).[2] Choi also played 11 games with the Class A-Advanced High Desert Mavericks of the California League that season. On August 24, in a game against the Inland Empire 66ers, Choi hit his first and only home run with the Mavericks.[3] With the Mavericks, he batted .302 with seven runs scored, 13 hits, one double, one triple, one home run, and seven RBIs.[1] Combined between the two teams, Choi batted .360 with 30 runs scored, 64 hits, 16 doubles, three triples, two home runs, and 30 RBIs in 50 games played.[1] On defense between the two clubs, he played 34 games as a first baseman and 10 as a catcher, committing two errors; and making 39 assists, and 326 putouts.[1] After the season, he was named the Arizona League Most Valuable Player.[2] The Seattle Mariners named Choi as their top position player on their Arizona League affiliate.[4]

Choi played for the Jackson Generals of the Class AA Southern League in 2013. He was named to the World Team roster of the All-Star Futures Game.[5] Choi was added to the Mariners 40-man roster on November 20, 2013.[6] On April 17, 2014, Choi was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for methandienone.[7]

Choi sustained a fractured fibula in the first game of Mariners' spring training in 2015, as he leaped at first base to try to save an errant throw from farmhand Tyler Smith at shortstop. The next day, he was designated for assignment when the Mariners re-added left-hander Edgar Olmos.[8] He signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles in November 2015.[9]

Major league career

Choi was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2015 Rule 5 draft.[10] Choi made the Angels' Opening Day roster,[11] and he made his major league debut on April 5. The Angels designated him for assignment on May 11. On May 15, Choi cleared waivers and accepted an outright to the Salt Lake Bees of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, thus remaining with the Angels.[12] Choi returned to the majors on July 9 in place of injured C. J. Cron. Choi hit his first career major league home run off the Texas Rangers starter A. J. Griffin at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 19, 2016.[13] On December 23, 2016, Choi was designated for assignment.[14] He was released.

Choi signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees, receiving a non-roster invitation to spring training.[15] At the end of spring training Choi was assigned to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Class AAA International League.[16]

The Yankees promoted Choi to the major leagues on July 4, 2017.[17] In his first game with the Yankees, Choi hit a 457-foot (139 m) two-run home run.[18] He was designated for assignment on July 19, 2017, and outrighted assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on July 23, 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ji-Man Choi Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Smith, Daren (August 31, 2010). "Choi named Arizona League MVP". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Choi helps Mavs knock off 66ers". Victorville Daily Press. Freedom Communications, Inc. August 24, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  4. ↑ Dybas, Todd (September 17, 2010). "Mariners hand out Minor League Awards to Poythress, Pineda". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Seattle Media, LLC. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  5. ↑ Johns, Greg (July 2, 2013). "First baseman Choi added to Futures roster". MLB.com. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  6. ↑ Johns, Greg (November 20, 2013). "Mariners add four to 40-man roster before deadline". MLB.com. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Seattle 1B Choi banned 50 games for positive test". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Mariners Designate Ji-Man Choi For Assignment". Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  9. ↑ Eddy, Matt (December 1, 2015). "Minor League Transactions: Nov. 21-27". Baseball America. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Angels expect Rule 5 picks Deolis Guerra and Ji-Man Choi to make big-league team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Ji-Man Choi ready to show off his quirks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Alden Gonzalez on Twitter". Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ Monagan, Matt (2016-07-19). "Ji-Man Choi got the silent treatment after his first home run, so he high-fived his imaginary friends | MLB.com". M.mlb.com. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  14. ↑ "Angels agree to terms with OF Ben Revere". MLB.com. December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  15. ↑ "S. Korean signs with Yankees, with spring training invitation". Yonhap News. January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ Tasch, Justin. "Yankees DFA Chris Carter again, call up Ji-Man Choi". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  18. ↑ "South Korea first baseman Ji-Man Choi homers in Yanks' debut". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
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