Seoul: Former major leaguer Choi Ji-man will enlist in the military in May, his Seoul-based agency announced Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi will begin his mandatory military service on May 15, four days before his 34th birthday. Choi spent his entire professional career in the United States after signing with the Seattle Mariners out of high school in July 2009.
The first baseman made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016 and went on to play for the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers. It was with the Tampa Bay Rays where Choi established himself as a major leaguer, following a midseason trade in 2018.
Choi set career highs with 19 homers and 63 RBIs in 2019. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Choi became the first South Korean position player to appear in the World Series, with the Rays falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his time as a Ray, Choi endeared himself to fans with his acrobatic splits at first base to dig out low throws.
After the 2022 season, the Rays dealt Choi to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who then traded him to the San Diego Padres in August 2023 after 23 games. Choi appeared in 16 games for the Padres that year. He signed with the New York Mets in February 2024 but never played in a big league game for them before being released four months later. He was not able to secure another MLB job after that.
In 525 games, Choi recorded 67 home runs, 238 RBIs and a .234/.338/.426 line. "Even while playing overseas for a long time, Choi Ji-man never forgot his responsibility as a South Korean citizen to complete his military service duty," Sports Vibe said in a statement. "He has decided to enlist in the military to honor his pledge with his fans."