Who will symbolize a hot May?
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on May 2 the eight candidates for the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League May Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. SSG’s Noh Kyung-eun, Seo Jin-yong, LG’s Im Chan-kyu, and Samsung’s Baek Jung-hyun are among the pitchers, while LG’s Hong Chang-ki, Park Dong-won, KIA’s Park Chan-ho, and Doosan’s Yang Ji-ji are among the batters.
SSG’s Noh Kyung-eun, who leads the division with 13 holds this season, played like a veteran. In the month of May, she appeared in 12 games, did not allow a single game to be overturned, and totaled eight holds. She was especially calm in crunch time, allowing just one earned run in 14⅔ innings pitched with an ERA of 0.61, helping the team maintain its lead.
SSG’s gatekeeper, Seo Jin-yong, was nominated for the monthly MVP award in May, following his April performance. Although his streak of sub-0.00 ERAs from the start of the season came to a halt with two earned runs and a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings, he secured the win in all eight save situations, leading the team in monthly saves and season saves with 18.
Returning to his starting role after a brief absence, LG’s Chan-gyu Lim earned wins in all four of his starts, tying for the team’s most wins in May and acting as the team’s “win fairy.” His 1.13 ERA also ranked first in the league, solidifying his position as a starter.
Samsung’s Baek Jeong-hyun pitched with the stability of a “back show. After settling into a groove in mid-April, Baek continued his stellar performance in May, posting a 1.73 ERA and ranking third in the league. A stalwart of Samsung’s starting rotation, Baek is looking to earn his second monthly MVP award in as many years after winning the July-August 2021 season.
LG’s Hong Chang-ki racked up plenty of hits in May, totaling 33, and topped the league in hits and batting average with a .384 average. He even had a four-hit game against the Munhak SSG on the 25th with his aggressive hitting. Not only did he live up to his reputation as a “run-scoring machine,” but he also posted a high slugging percentage of 0.470, ranking third in that category, and his high slugging percentage helped him score 14 runs, ranking second in that category.
LG’s Park Dong-won, who leads the league in home runs, has emerged as a strong MVP candidate after finishing first in three categories. Not only did he hit nine home runs in the month of May alone, but he also had a .787 slugging percentage, putting him at the top of the home run and slugging percentages. He was also a terror for opposing pitchers, leading the league in RBIs with 25, nine ahead of second place. Park Dong-won’s performance helped LG finish May in sole possession of first place.
KIA’s Park Chan-ho, the “Tigers Express,” was a standout in the batting average and RBI categories. With 32 hits in 84 at-bats in 21 games, Park maintained a high batting average of .381, while also finishing second in stolen bases with five, energizing the KIA lineup. It was a marked improvement from April, and he played a big role in the team’s turnaround.
Yang Ji-do, who returned to his hometown team Doosan, also hit hard in May. He ranked third in batting average at 0.373 and second in on-base percentage at 0.472. In particular, he hit home runs in three consecutive games, from May 13 against Jamsil KIA to May 16 against Gochuk Kiwoom. Yang’s performance was a big boost for Doosan, which is in the midst of a fierce standings battle.먹튀검증
The winner of the MVP honor will be selected through a combination of fan voting on Shinhan Bank’s mobile application ‘Shinhan SOL’ from March 3 to 7 and the votes of the Korea Baseball Writers’ Association press corps.
The final results of the May 2023 MVP voting will be announced on May 8, and the selected player will receive a cash prize of KRW 2 million and a KRW 2 million donation from Shinhan Bank to the MVP’s home middle school in the player’s name.