Ji-Man Choi

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2010
R:  378/459/541, 135 AB, 15 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 21 BB, 30 K, 10-11 SB
A+:  302/380/442, 43 AB, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 9 K

Choi had a big season in the rookie-level Arizona League, hitting for a very high average with good gap power and plate discipline.  He even did well stealing bases.  Choi caught ten games, but otherwise played first.

2011
INJURED

Choi missed the season with an unknown injury.

2012
A:  298/420/463, 242 AB, 14 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 39 BB, 55 K, 0-2 SB

The Mariners moved Choi up to low A, where he played about half the time at first and otherwise served as DH.  His over-the-fence power improved and he continued showing good plate discipline.

2013
A+:  337/427/619, 181 AB, 24 2B, 3 HR, 27 BB, 33 K, 0-1 SB
AA:  268/377/485, 198 AB, 10 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 32 BB, 28 K, 2-4 SB
AAA:  244/333/422, 45 AB, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 7 K

Choi seemingly had a breakout season.  He tore up high A (albeit at very high-offense High Desert in the high-offense California League), and continued to do well in AA while holding his own in a late stretch in AAA.  Baseball America ranked him 25th in the Seattle system, apparently held back by the lack of more standard first base power.  Seattle added Choi to their 40-man roster after the season.

2014
AA:  273/467/636, 11 AB, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 2 K
AAA:  283/381/392, 281 AB, 7 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 36 BB, 42 K, 2-4 SB

Choi missed a chunk of the first half after he was suspended for 60 games for violation of the substance abuse policy.  When he got to AAA, he hit pretty well except the power wasn’t there.  BA ranked him 29th in the system.

2015
R:  250/308/333, 12 AB, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 K
AAA:  298/403/421, 57 AB, 4 2B, 1 HR, 10 BB, 14 K, 0-1 SB

After missing so much of 2014, Choi missed most of 2015 after he broke his leg in the first game of spring training.  Right after that, the Mariners designated him for assignment and outrighted him to AAA.  He returned in mid-August.  Choi became a free agent after the season and signed a minor league deal with Baltimore, but three weeks later the Angels selected him in the Rule 5 draft.

2016
AAA:  346/434/527, 188 AB, 17 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 31 BB, 34 K, 4-7 SB
MLB:  170/271/339, 112 AB, 4 2B, 5 HR, 16 BB, 27 K, 2-6 SB

Choi went 1-for-18 for the Angels and they designated him for assignment in mid-May.  He cleared waivers and the Angels sent him to AAA.  The Angels called him back up in July after he hit very well in AAA.  Choi didn’t hit especially well after returning to the majors and the Angels designated him for assignment.  He became a free agent and signed a minor league deal with the Yankees.

2017
AAA:  288/373/538, 288 AB, 25 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 39 BB, 86 K, 3-4 SB
MLB:  267/333/733, 15 AB, 1 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 K

Choi spent most of the season in AAA with the Yankees, where he hit very well.  He got just a brief callup in July, after which the Yankees dfa’d him.  He became a free agent again and signed a minor league deal with the Brewers.

2018
AAA (Mil):  302/436/488, 129 AB, 9 2B, 5 HR, 32 BB, 31 K, 1-1 SB
AAA (TB):  270/361/405, 74 AB, 4 2B, 2 HR, 11 BB, 18 K
MLB (Mil):  233/281/500, 30 AB, 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 14 K
MLB (TB):  269/370/506, 160 AB, 12 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 24 BB, 41 K, 2-2 SB

Milwaukee called Choi up at the beginning of the season.  He mostly played in AAA for them, and in June they traded Choi to Tampa Bay.  The Rays called Choi up in mid-July and he had a big second half for them.

2019
MLB:  261/363/459, 410 AB, 20 2B, 2 3B, 19 HR, 64 BB, 108 K, 2-5 SB

Choi played first for the Rays, mainly in a platoon role.  He was out briefly with ankle and foot injuries.  For the season he hit for solid power with good on base skills.

2020
MLB:  230/331/410, 122 AB, 13 2B, 3 HR, 20 BB, 36 K

In the pandemic season, Choi again was a platoon first baseman, although he briefly tried switch-hitting.  He also missed short periods with shoulder and hamstring injuries.  His hitting tailed off, especially the power.

2021
R:  000/286/000, 5 AB, 2 BB, 3 K
AAA:  261/333/348, 23 AB, 2 2B, 3 BB, 7 K
MLB:  229/348/411, 258 AB, 14 2B, 11 HR, 45 BB, 87 K

Choi missed the first month and a half due to arthroscopic knee surgery, and also missed time with groin and hamstring injuries.  He made about a quarter of his plate appearances against LHPs, which was more than in the past.  It definitely didn’t help him; his OPS was .843 against RHPs and .526 against LHPs.  His numbers in the end were about the same as the previous year.

2022
MLB:  233/341/388, 356 AB, 22 2B, 11 HR, 58 BB, 123 K

Choi continued as a platoon first baseman.  The Rays this time mostly kept him away from LHPs, but his hitting against RHPs dropped off anyway, with just a .730 OPS and limited power.  He had a very good first half, batting 278/385/449, but he fell off a cliff in the second half, putting up a line of 164/272/293.

Choi should be a significant upgrade at first for the Pirates.  It’s a very low bar; literally just a handful of teams in baseball history have gotten production from first base as poor as what the Pirates got in 2022.  He does, however, present significant risk.  His second half collapse in 2022 may have been a sign of things to come, which at Choi’s age (32 in May 2023) wouldn’t be surprising.  There’s also the injury problem.  In fact, it was announced just after the trade that he’s having elbow surgery, although he’s expected to be ready for spring training.  Finally, Choi has to be platooned, which may or may not happen with the Pirates.  Derek Shelton has shown an aversion at times to platooning veteran players, as he seems to operate more on some notion of seniority or tenure than on baseball considerations.  Choi will be in his final arbitration year.