Surprise New York Mets Slugger Impresses in Spring Training, Minor League Deal Pays Off Following 2023 Struggles

The battle for the Opening Day DH role is on! While the New York Mets are struggling with their pitching segment following their star pitcher, Kodai Senga’s shoulder strain, their hitting roster is accumulating strength. Ji-Man Choi will need to outperform DJ Stewart to secure a spot on the roster. To add to the case. Ji Man Choi’s hot spring continues in Mets’ recent victory.

Choi entered the Mets’ roster this off-season with a one-year contract. Now, with only one year to prove his on-field prowess, he seems determined enough with his recent performance. Considering that, are there any chances of him making it to the DH position? There may be.

Choi chimes in with an impressive performance

The spring training works as a stepping stone for the minor league additions, like Choi, to prove their vitality in the team. According to Reports, Choi went 3-for-3 with an RBI in the Mets’ 9-3 victory against the Cardinals on Saturday. Additionally, his impressive performance with a 1.214 OPS in eight games this spring training makes him a strong contender. Hence, his impressive performance as part of the Mets will add an extra feather to his hat.

The New York Mets acquired the Korean star during the off-season minor league deal for a $3.5 million one-year with incentives. Before entering the off-season market, Choi was associated with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he suffered from a left Achilles tendon, claiming his first half of the season.

Later on, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he only got to appear in seven games before heading into rehab following a fractured ankle, which he sustained in his very first game with EI Paso, as remarked by the Padres manager, Bob Melvin. The injury ended his association with the Padres, landing him in the 2023 free-agency market.

However, despite his demolishing performance in the injury-ridden year, he promptly got back his form to claim a DH position in his current team, the New York Mets. Now, as the spring training has already started hinting about their projected players for certain positions, the question still persists: Will he be able to snatch the DH role for the team?

Read More: New York Mets’ 2024 Already in Trouble? Kodai Senga Injury Setback and Pete Alonso Uncertainty Threaten Upcoming Season

Choi is on his way to excellence

Apart from the competitions between the teams, certain internal rivalries occur within them. Take the ongoing rivalry for the Mets’ DH role, for instance. Until now, the most obvious projected option for the role was DJ Stewart, who batted .343 with a 1.228 OPS, 10 homers, and 21 RBIs in merely 20 games last season. But the off-season inclusion of Choi turned around the scenario.

Keeping aside Choi’s performance of .163/.239/.386 in the previous season, he was a stupendous hitter with the Rays earlier, as mentioned by the Mets’ manager Carlos Mendoza. Thus, bolstering his faith in Choi, Mendoza remarked, “I like the way he controls the strike zone. Obviously, there’s power, (and) he’ll give you quality at-bats.”

Read More: New York Yankees Set to Break Records for Juan Soto? $540 Million Projections Paint a Stark Picture

Now, as he returns from his unfortunate injury streak, he is expected to be back in form. In a similar context, he remains an option for the opening day roster if only he can outplay DJ Stewart, which is indeed a daring challenge for him. It’s a wait and watch scenario.