KT's Hilliard Named KBO League July MVP After Blasting 9 Home Runs and 26 RBIs

KT Wiz foreign hitter Sam Hilliard has been named the monthly Most Valuable Player (MVP) for July in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League after displaying a fierce hot streak in the midsummer heat.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on August 10 that Hilliard captured the July MVP honors with a total score of 39.67 points, receiving 22 out of 35 votes from the press (62.9%) and 70,702 out of 428,888 fan votes (16.5%).

Hilliard fended off a challenge from Samsung Lions' Kim Ji-chan, who swept 228,406 fan votes (total score 29.48 points), to claim the award.

Making his debut in the KBO League this season, Hilliard enjoyed a dazzling month of July.

Appearing in 19 games, he claimed sole possession of first place in three categories: home runs (9), RBIs (26), and slugging percentage (0.743).

He showcased flawless performance throughout the entire month, posting a batting average of 0.365 and an on-base percentage of 0.413.

On July 17 in a game against the LG Twins at Jamsil, he slugged two home runs and six RBIs to tie his personal record for most RBIs in a single game, while also setting a new personal monthly high for home runs, surpassing the eight he hit last May.

With this award, Hilliard has captured a monthly MVP title in his debut season in the KBO League.

This marks the first time in six years, since Mel Rojas Jr. in June 2020, that a foreign hitter from KT has won the monthly MVP award.

As the July MVP, Hilliard will receive a cash prize of 3 million won and a trophy.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.