Choo Shin-soo is the hitter with the best performance among Korean major leaguers.

Choo Shin-soo, who graduated from Busan High School and moved to the United States by signing a contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, endured a difficult minor league life and succeeded in making his big league debut in 2005.

Afterwards, he traveled through the major leagues until 2020, playing 1,652 games, batting average of 0.275 (1,671 hits in 6,087 at-bats), 218 home runs, 782 RBI, and 157 stolen bases.

It is a brilliant resume that is difficult to compare with anyone else.

It is very unusual for a veteran with this level of experience to volunteer for a second military service.

Choo Shin-soo, who reorganized in the 2nd team, returned to the 1st team on June 16 and contributed to SSG's leap forward.

Choo Shin-soo's performance this season was not satisfactory, with a batting average of 0.251, 12 home runs, 40 RBI, and 65 runs. His on-base percentage was also 0.377, which was lower than in 2021 (0.409) and last year (0.382) when he entered the KBO League.

However, Choo Shin-soo still serves as SSG's leader both on and off the field.

Choo Shin-soo said, “My physical condition right now is neither very bad nor that good,” and added, “That’s how it is in baseball. There are good days and bad days, and this year, I learned once again from watching ‘our SSG players overcome even bad times.’ They are truly our players. “You guys are amazing,” he said, encouraging his juniors.

At the end of the season, ‘Choo Shin-soo’s next season’ becomes a hot topic among SSG fans.

Choo Shin-soo plans to focus on the postseason for now.

He said, "I haven't made a plan for next year yet. There is still work left to do this season," and "I will think about next year's plan after we play a competitive and enjoyable postseason this fall."