SSG Landers Choi Jung (38), who has reached the age of his late 30s, is expected to keep his team's third base position consistently in the 2025 season.
After two years of rigorous training since debuting in 2005, Choi has established himself as the team's built-in third baseman since 2007. Including the SK Wyverns, Choi has been consistent and always maintained the skills of top-rated players to the extent that he did not worry about his position at third base for the past 20 years.안전놀이터
Last year, it set a new KBO League record for the most home runs ever, and there are only five left before achieving the long-awaited 500 home runs this season.
In the winter, he became a free agent for the third time, and posted another jackpot worth 11 billion won (11 million U.S. dollars) over the past four years. Choi, who earned more than 30 billion won (30 million dollars) in free agency contracts alone, is expected to remain a lifetime player of SSG.
Choi has yet to show any clear signs of aging curve, but he is now in his 40s and has to worry about his physical stamina. Choi still seems to be easy as a batter, but the problem is defense. As he is in charge of defense at third base, which is a "hot corner," he could face a heavy burden on this part now.
In a recent interview, Choi expressed her desire to win the Golden Glove award in the third baseman category. Choi will do so because if Choi wears the golden glove one more time without moving his position, he will go beyond the retired Han Dae-hwa and become the most winner of the Golden Glove award. Currently, Choi has won the Golden Glove award eight times along with Han Dae-hwa.
In fact, most players suffer from a clear decline in skills after their mid-30s. In the meantime, they move to first base, which is less burdensome for defense, or turn into designated hitters.
In fact, big guns Park Byung-ho, who is the same age as Choi Jung, switched to designated hitter, and Yang Eui-ji and Kim Hyun-soo, who are a year younger, are also feeling a lot of pressure on defense.
However, Choi is different. Since 2016, Choi has played more than 900 innings at the third base for nine consecutive years, showing off his robustness.
His position at third base is also as physically depleted as the infield center line (striker and second baseman). In fact, there have been only 13 cases in the history of the KBO league where he played at the plate as a third baseman at the age of 35.
Among them, Choi Jung and Hwang Jae-gyun played three times each, and coincidentally, the two players set a record of being the oldest third baseman (37 years old) who played at-bats in regulation last year. However, Hwang is expected to switch to first base or designated hitter this season.
If Choi Jung does not have variables such as injuries this season, he could be the first third baseman in the KBO league to play at the age of 38. Beyond this, I am looking forward to Choi Jung's 21st-year professional season whether he will take back the Golden Glove, which was lost to Noh Si-hwan and Kim Do-young over the past two years.