Professional baseball KT Wiz outfielder Choi Won-jun (29) entered the game with several words written on his hat just a year ago.
The words were ‘beginner’, ‘happiness’, ‘let’s laugh’, ‘have fun’, uniform number ‘16’, and ‘YWJ’, which is a combination of his own name and his wife’s initials.
Paradoxically, the reason why bright and positive words were engraved on the hat was because the situation Choi Won-jun was facing at the time was dark and difficult.
Choi Won-jun, who was about to become a free agent (FA), suffered from extreme stress and pressure to perform well.
His batting was sluggish and he made frequent mistakes on defense.
He moved up and down the first and second divisions at the KIA Tigers before being traded to the NC Dinos, and ultimately finished the season with a shabby batting average of 0.242.
Even in the free agent market, there was not much interest in Choi Won-jun.
The market's attention was focused on big-time players such as Kang Baek-ho (currently Hanwha Eagles) and Park Chan-ho (currently Doosan Bears).
At that time, KT reached out to Wonjun Choi. The contract period was 4 years and a total of 4.8 billion won was given.
Although it was a considerable amount, it was not an unprecedented amount compared to the 4-year 6.5 billion won contract signed by then 35-year-old outfielder Park Hae-min (LG Twins).
However, some say that KT spent excessively.
It was pointed out that too much money was invested considering Choi Won-jun's recent performance and skills.
However, KT's thoughts were different. KT was well aware of how much psychological pressure Choi Won-jun was under in 2025.
I decided that I could regain my skills if I was free from the burden and stress.
And Choi Won-jun perfectly lived up to KT’s expectations this season.
Just like the word written on my hat a year ago, I regained my ‘original spirit’ and ran with a ‘happy,’ ‘fun,’ and ‘laughter.’
The content of the initials has changed slightly. Wonjun Choi runs with his wife's name and the name of his daughter, who was born last August, engraved in his heart.
Choi Won-jun, who laid down his burden, finally wrote a new history in professional baseball.
He added three hits in the home game against the Samsung Lions held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do on the 7th, increasing his season hits to 204.
He set a new record for the most hits in a season, surpassing Seo Geon-chang, who hit 201 hits in 2014, and Victor Reyes (Lotte Giants), who hit 202 hits in 2024.
Coincidentally, Reyes also hit his 203rd hit that day, continuing the competition between the two players to set a new hitting record.
Although the competition is fierce, Wonjun Choi does not feel the pressure like he used to.
In response to a question from Yonhap News after the game on the 7th, he said, "Last year, there was a lot of pressure because I was a reserve free agent, so I was chased a lot psychologically," and "I am mentally much different now," and gave the background to this year's rebound.
Afterwards, he said, “Actually, after confirming the regular season championship, I was worried about hitting the 200-hit mark,” and added, “I’m glad I was able to do it sooner than I thought.”
He continued, "It is a meaningful record because it is not a record that anyone can achieve. Rather than being number one in hits, I wanted to surpass Seo Geon-chang's record, but I was honored and happy to be able to surpass it. Setting the record for the most hits by a domestic player is quite significant."
He also expressed his gratitude to his family for enduring the difficult times together.
He said, “The person who gave me the greatest strength to show my best side was my wife,” and “I was able to get through it because she helped me and supported me a lot even during difficult times.”
He said, "This year, with the birth of my daughter, my sense of responsibility as the head of the household has grown. I have a strong desire to show my family a good image."
Although Choi Won-jun has written a new history in professional baseball, he is at a somewhat disadvantage in the competition for the title of most hits and the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).
This is because Choi Won-jun has only two games left this season, while Reyes can play four more games.
However, Wonjun Choi was not too concerned about the title race.
He said, “Reyes has more games left, so it will be difficult for him to achieve the record for most hits of all time,” and “I salute Reyes.”
When asked if he had any aspirations for MVP, he laughed and said, "It's worth the challenge since I set a new record, but I don't think it will be easy because I have Reyes."
