Incheon: Every home run that Choi Jeong hits for the SSG Landers becomes a new piece of history in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The league's career home run leader since April 2024, Choi is now the first KBO player with 500 career home runs after a two-run blast against NC Dinos starter Riley Thompson on Tuesday. And the 38-year-old wants to get to another round number, 600.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi expressed his aspirations after his momentous night at Incheon SSG Landers Field, located some 30 kilometers west of Seoul. He stated, "I'd love to get there, but I also want to make sure I don't try to do too much at the plate. But it won't be easy if I get hurt and miss time like this year. I've learned that I have to take care of myself better. I have to stay on the field to give myself a chance and it will take consistency to get to 600."
Choi, with a towel draped over his shoulders after getting doused by teammates, referred to missing the first month of this season due to a hamstring injury. The 2025 campaign began on March 22, but Choi didn't make his season debut until May 2. Looking like he hadn't missed a beat, he homered in his very first game and now has five home runs in his first 10 games of the season.
Despite the early home run barrage, Choi insisted he is not in his top form. Five of his eight hits this year have left the yard, and Choi has also grounded into five double plays already, after hitting just 10 in 129 games last season. "Both the results and the process have been really bad for me, and I don't think some of my earlier home runs even helped the team," Choi said. "And I was embarrassed to have hit so many double play balls. It's kind of amazing I've hit so many home runs already."
Choi went two games between his 499th and 500th home run, after homering Saturday but going hitless in both games of a doubleheader on Sunday. He said he did not feel any extra stress trying to reach the milestone because he didn't have high expectations of himself. "If I had been getting a ton of hits without home runs, then I think I would have been more stressed out," Choi said. "Because I haven't been swinging the bat well, I wasn't feeling any pressure to get this done quickly. I just wanted to get a few hits here and there, and I am glad one of them happened to be the home run tonight. I am relieved to get this out of the way now."
His milestone home run tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Landers went on to win the game 6-3 with a late rally. "The fact that we won the game made this moment doubly special," he said. "It felt good to be congratulated after a victory."
Choi almost didn't get a chance to hit in that sixth-inning at-bat. At a 3-1 count, Choi checked his swing on a low slider he thought was a ball. Just as Choi stepped toward first base for an apparent walk, third base umpire Koo Myung-hwan signaled his ear piece had transmitted a strike call through the automated ball-strike system. Choi admitted he wasn't sure if he could attack Thompson at that point. "I would have been perfectly happy to take that walk, but when the pitch was called a strike, I lost my confidence," Choi said. "Riley had been pitching well to that point. I wasn't sure if he would throw something away or come right at me. I was just like, 'Screw it. I am going to swing.' I was expecting a fastball but luckily, I got a hanging slider and timed it just right."
Choi, who drew inspiration from the swings of former Major League Baseball sluggers like Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera, believes others will join him in the 500-home run club. "People say we won't see too many 500-homer men here because all the good players leave for MLB," said Choi, who regretted not testing himself in MLB earlier in his career. "I think there are plenty of players here who can hit 500 if they stay put. I'd rather not single out anyone but I know a lot of players have the talent to do it."
Choi hit his record-setting 468th home run on the road against the Lotte Giants in Busan last spring and said it felt much better to hit a milestone home run in front of adoring fans in Incheon. "500 is a nice round number," Choi said with a smile. "When I set the home run record last year, it felt a bit awkward. I felt like I was being a party pooper at someone else's home. But it felt great to get this done in Incheon today."