Choi Ji-man was selected by the KT Wiz in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft on the 21st.
Why a player who had competed in Major League Baseball in the United States had to go through the rookie draft, and what was confirmed during the tryout, drew attention.
This selection does not confirm actual performance in the KBO League; it is a starting point toward the domestic first-team stage.
3-Line Summary
1. Choi Ji-man was selected by KT on the 21st
2. He demonstrated his ability at the tryout on the 1st
3. Selection and actual performance are separate matters
Why He Entered the KBO Rookie Draft After Playing Overseas
Choi Ji-man signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2009 and began his professional career in the United States. In 2016, he made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Los Angeles Angels. Through 2023, he recorded 67 home runs and 238 RBIs in 525 MLB regular-season games.
Despite that background, overseas amateur or professional players who have never played in the KBO League must go through a tryout to apply for the rookie draft. KBO introduced this system in 2013 to give opportunities to players who are not eligible to apply for the draft.
Choi Ji-man participated in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft tryout held on September 1 at the Goyang National Baseball Training Center in Gyeonggi Province. There were 20 participants, who underwent hitting, fielding, baserunning, and pitching tests in front of scouts from the 10 KBO League clubs. Because of the rain, the hitting evaluation was conducted indoors, while the fielding and baserunning evaluations continued outdoors.
20 Games of Competitive Experience Built with the Ulsan Whales
Choi Ji-man joined the Ulsan Whales last April with the goal of advancing to the KBO League. As of reports on September 1, he had a batting average of 0.308, 1 home run, 7 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.847 in 20 Futures League games.
After the tryout, he said that although it had rained, he felt relieved because he thought he had finished well. He expressed nervousness in the sense that he was also a rookie in the KBO League, and stated that he hoped younger players would be selected higher than he was, rather than focusing on his own selection ranking.
At the time of the tryout, the possibility of a first-round selection was discussed as a projection in several reports. However, a projection was not a club’s final decision. The headlines of Newsis and OSEN articles on the 21st reported that Choi Ji-man had been selected by KT. The result that can be confirmed is KT’s selection; the selection round or his future role and performance were not determined by this fact alone.
KBO League Adaptation Matters More Than a 67-Home-Run Career
Before and after the tryout, Choi Ji-man also mentioned differences between the game environments in Korea and the United States. In particular, he said it was not easy to adapt to situations in which pitches that drop low are ruled strikes under the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS). His Futures League appearances with the Ulsan Whales were also part of the process of learning this difference in actual games.
Choi Ji-man’s career MLB statistics are a record demonstrating his power and experience. However, his KBO League selection is closer to meaning that he has earned an opportunity to transfer that record into an evaluation on the domestic stage. Attention will now focus not on the expectations at the time of the draft, but on what physical condition and level of performance he shows while wearing a KT uniform.
References
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