The regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) race in baseball has come to a close. Three-time pitcher Eric Pedroia is the favorite to win the award, followed by Hong Chang-ki and Noh Shi-hwan, who led the team in home runs and RBIs.
Peddy pitched in 30 regular-season games for the NC Dinos, posting a 20-6 record with a 2.00 ERA. He struck out 209 batters. In addition to the traditional trifecta of wins, ERA, and strikeouts, he also led the league in strikeouts and walks per inning pitched (WHIP). He also tied for second in quality starts with 21.
His performance was unprecedented not only this season, but throughout KBO history. His 20 wins and 200 strikeouts in a single season was the first in 37 years since Seon Dong-yeol in 1986.먹튀검증
His contribution to the team’s victory was also significant. His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) was 7.30, the highest in the league, according to Statcast. NC, which was in contention for the final spot in the standings, was just two wins away from missing fall baseball.
Hanwha Eagles’ Noh Si-hwan also reached the iconic 30-homer, 100-RBI milestone. It was the first time in 20 years that a player under the age of 23 had hit 30 home runs since Kim Tae-gyun in 2003. In the end, he won two titles with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, beating out the venerable seniors.
However, it wasn’t enough. Midway through the season, he was considered a strong contender for the title, but after September, he only added two more home runs in 23 games. His on-base percentage has also collapsed. His time away from the league seemed to be short-lived as he was called up to the Hangzhou Asian Games squad. The team finished ninth.
LG Twins’ Hong Chang-ki challenged for the second spot. With a league-leading .444 on-base percentage, Hong was LG’s “bread and butter” all season long. He also led the league in runs scored and finished fourth in batting average. In terms of team performance, it was a standout. LG won its first regular season title in 29 years, since 1994.
The competition for Rookie of the Year was also fierce. Hanwha’s Moon Dong-joo stood out as the secondary rookie of the year and KIA Tigers’ Yoon Young-chul as the pure rookie of the year. They were both in the full-time starting rotation this season, combining for seven quality starts and eight wins.
The detailed metrics favor Moon Dong-ju across the board. Unlike Yoon, who struggled to break into the triple digits, he finished the season with a 3.72 ERA and led the league in strikeouts with 95 to Yoon’s 74. In terms of impact, it was Moon Dong-ju, who hit 160 kilometers per hour in official games and won a gold medal at the Asian Games, who had the edge.
The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) conducted the MVP and Rookie of the Year voting for journalists on Nov. 19. The results will be released after the postseason schedule is finalized.