Former Rays fan-favorite forced to join home country’s military service

When duty calls, you must stand up and answer the bell. Rays former first baseman Ji-Man Choi certainly did so in his tenure with the Rays, as it amassed to a 5.8 WAR over 5 seasons. Now, due to his MLB career coming to an untimely end, the South Korean infielder must serve in a much different environment: the military.

If there was a Mount Rushmore of Rays fan-favorites dating back to the start of the franchise, you would likely see players like Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria, Kevin Kiermaier, and Ji-Man Choi. Loved for his colorful personality, playful nature with fans, and incredible agility at first base, Choi will certainly always be near to the hearts of Rays fans. It's hard to believe that he will now be serving in the South Korean military rather than playing the sport he loves.

Choi spent five of his eight major league seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. After signing with the Mariners in 2010, Choi spent multiple seasons in the Seattle farm system. Then, he signed with the division rival Orioles in 2015, but didn't make his MLB debut until he arrived on the Angels roster in 2016. It was a short-lived tenure in Anaheim as the infielder hit .170 with only five home runs in 54 games.

The Yankees were the next club to give Ji-Man Choi an opportunity in the big leagues, but it amounted to only six contests. The joyful spirit didn't catch his break until the Rays traded for him in 2018. The lefty's first campaign in a Rays uniform saw him slash a respectable .269/.370/.506 in 49 games. However, 2019 would be his breakout season.

Choi collected a career-high 107 hits, 19 home runs, and 63 RBIs that season. The left-handed slugger followed up this successful campaign with three postseason hits, including a home run against the eventual American League champion, Houston Astros.

The clutch hitting against Houston pitching would continue in the Rays 2020 playoff journey, as he hit .385 in the drawn-out ALCS. Choi's clutch at-bats throughout his tenure was another factor that brought about his popularity among fans. Another contributor was his absurdly impressive numbers against six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole. In his entire career, Ji-Man Choi went 10-for-24 against the Yankees' Cy Young hurler with three home runs.

We wish Ji-Man nothing, but the best in his new endeavor and we can't wait to watch him at the plate again when he joins the KBO League.