(Photo: Yonhap News)
The candidates for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Rookie of the Year awards, which shone in this year's professional baseball regular league, have been finalized.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced the MVP and Rookie of the Year candidates today (the 13th), selected jointly with the Korea Baseball Writers Association.
A total of 14 players, consisting of titleholders in pitching and hitting categories as well as players with outstanding performances, have been named as MVP candidates.
The seven pitcher MVP candidates include co-win leaders Im Chan-kyu (LG Twins) and Ko Young-pyo (kt wiz), ERA and strikeout titleholder Kwak Been (Doosan Bears), and saves leader Kim Jae-yun (Samsung Lions).
Among the batters, seven players joined the competition, including home run and slugging percentage leader Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers), RBI leader Sam Hilliard (kt), hits leader Victor Reyes (롯데 자이언츠), and batting average and on-base percentage leader Koo Ja-wook (Samsung).
In accordance with Article 7 of the KBO Awards Regulations, the Rookie of the Year candidates were screened from players who joined in 2026 or within the last five years (2021-2025) excluding this year, with cumulative records not exceeding 30 innings for pitchers and 60 plate appearances for batters, excluding players who have played in foreign professional baseball leagues.
A total of nine players are competing for the Rookie of the Year award, comprising six pitchers including Woo Kang-hoon (LG), Kim Min-jun (SSG Landers), Jang Chan-hee (Samsung), Park Jung-min (Lotte), Kim Tae-hyung (KIA), and Park Jun-hyun (Kiwoom Heroes), and three position players including Moon Jeong-bin (LG), Heo In-seo (Hanwha Eagles), and Ryu Hyun-in (kt).
The Manager of the Year award, which was newly established last year, features all 10 club skippers as candidates.
The winners of the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, chosen through a vote by the Korea Baseball Writers Association and regional media journalists, will be revealed at the KBO awards ceremony next month.
The MVP winner will receive a trophy along with a Kia EV5 electric vehicle as a prize.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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