Choi Ji-hoon, first baseman, steals second base in the first inning of the SSG offense against the NC Dinos of the 2023 Shinhan SOL KBO League at SSG Landers Field in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on August 8.
SSG Landers outfielder Choi Ji-hoon (26), who struggled this season after a breakout year last year, 성인웹툰 is showing signs of resurgence.
Choi started at second base in the middle of the order in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League home game against the NC Dinos at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and one run scored to lead the team to a 7-4 victory.
Trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the first inning, Choi hit an RBI triple after leadoff hitter Choo Shin-soo singled.
In the second inning, which started with a 4-2 lead, Choi added another RBI with a single to right with runners on first and second. She then stole her 14th base of the season.
He popped out to center field in the fourth, but came back to lead off the seventh and added a single to complete his three-hit game. Choi ended the game early, being replaced by Kim Kang-min in the eighth inning, and was able to smile as the team won.
After graduating from Dongguk University and joining the SK Wyverns (now SSG) in 2020, Choi gradually grew into a top-three hitter last year, his third year in the league, with a 0.304 batting average. He was the only SSG hitter to reach triple digits in regulation last year.
This performance earned him a spot in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Although he was a substitute for Choi Ji-Man (San Diego Padres), it was a testament to his rapid development. He then made the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG).
However, his performance this season was not as good. He got off to a slow start due to fatigue from participating in the WBC at the beginning of the season, and his batting hasn’t recovered since. Compared to last year, his swing has gotten a bit bigger, resulting in a higher percentage of fly balls and fewer hits.
Choi has been trying to get out of his batting slump lately by actively trying to bunt, 일본야동 but he hasn’t been able to break out of his slump easily.
Choi Ji-hoon of South Korea celebrates scoring on a wild pitch with runners on first and third in the second inning during the World Baseball Classic 2023 Group B match between South Korea and China at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on March 13.
Choi then had his first three-hit game in a long time and rebuilt his confidence. He’s still batting just .257 (95-for-370), but it was a turning point that could help him rebound for the rest of the season.
Choi’s performance is also a big boost for the team, which is currently in a tight battle for third place.
With 40 games to go, SSG is currently eight games behind the first-place LG Twins and half a game behind the second-place KT Wiz. To put it bluntly, it’s not going to be easy to take the lead, but there’s plenty of room for a second place finish.
Aside from veterans like Choo Shin-soo (41), Choi Jeong (36), and Choi Joo-hwan (35), SSG hasn’t seen much from younger players lately, but if Choi Ji-hoon breaks out again, the team could gain momentum in the end-of-season race.
“I’ve been struggling with my batting this season, and I’ve been worried about every game,” Choi said.
“Compared to last year, my batting form was different, so I fixed that and got good results in the NC. I want to make up for what I didn’t do this year in the remaining games, 한국야동 and I will try to help the team win as many games as possible.”