Eight players have been confirmed as candidates for the first monthly MVP of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League. Among the pitchers are KIA Neill, Lotte Park Se-woong, and Hanwha Kim Seo-hyun and Fonse, while the fielders include Samsung Kim Sung-yoon, Diaz, LG Austin, and Lotte Jeon Min-jae, all vying for the monthly MVP award for March and April.
▲KIA Neill
KIA Neill's powerful pitching continues in the early part of this season. Neill has achieved 2 wins and no losses in 7 games, recording a league-best earned run average (1.05). He pitched 18 scoreless innings in the first 3 games he started and continued his outstanding performance with 4 scoreless outings in a total of 7 games as a starter. Additionally, he ranks 4th in innings pitched (42 2/3) and has recorded 5 quality starts.
▲Lotte Park Se-woong
The rise of Lotte is closely linked to the performance of Park Se-woong. Park Se-woong has obtained 6 wins (1st) in 7 games as a starter, leading his team to victory. He is currently the only player in the league with 6 wins. He has also displayed endurance by averaging 6 innings per game, and he ranks 3rd in Samjin with 53 strikeouts.
▲Hanwha Kim Seo-hyun
Kim Seo-hyun, who has established himself as Hanwha’s new closer, recorded his first save of the season on March 29 against KIA in Daejeon, and has since achieved 9 saves, putting him in a tie for 1st in the league. Starting from the opening game, he has not allowed a single run in 13 games, allowing only 1 earned run in 17 innings pitched with an earned run average of 0.57, securing Hanwha's back door.
▲ Hanwha Fonse
Fonse has won 5 games (2nd) in 7 outings, acting as the team's ace. He has dominated opposing batters with 61 strikeouts (1st). Additionally, he ranks 2nd in innings pitched (46 innings) and has recorded 5 quality starts, playing a significant role in Hanwha's rise.
▲Samsung Kim Sung-yoon
Samsung Kim Sung-yoon has played in 29 games, boasting a batting average of 0.393 (1st) and 8 stolen bases (tied for 3rd), bringing vitality to the team's offense. He also ranks 2nd in on-base percentage (0.455) and is tied for 3rd in both stolen bases (8) and runs scored (25), while placing 5th in slugging percentage (0.573) and hits (35).
▲Samsung Diaz
Samsung Diaz struggled in March with a batting average of 0.226 but bounced back in April with a batting average of 0.348. Based on this performance, he leads in major hitting metrics with 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 78 total bases, and a slugging percentage of 0.650. From April 23 to 27, he hit 6 home runs and recorded 15 RBIs, leading Samsung to a winning streak.
▲LG Austin
LG Austin has shown promise by hitting 3 home runs in 7 games since March. He ranks 1st in runs scored (27), tied for 2nd in home runs (9), total bases (66), and RBIs (25). His slugging percentage (0.617) also ranks 3rd, leading the league-leading LG's batting lineup.
▲Lotte Jeon Min-jae
Jeon Min-jae, who donned a Lotte uniform this year through a trade, became the league's only “.400 hitter” in April. He recorded a batting average of 0.423, ranking 1st for the month of April. His batting average for March and April stands at 0.387, placing him 2nd overall. He also ranks 4th in hits (36) and on-base percentage (0.430), establishing himself as one of the league’s top hitters.
The 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League Monthly MVP is jointly organized by the KBO and Shinhan Bank, the title sponsor of the KBO League, and is selected every month. The monthly MVP is awarded to the player who has shown the best performance in the KBO League each month, with the final winner determined by combining fan votes and votes from the Korea Baseball Writers Association. Fan voting is open from 10 a.m. on the 2nd until 11:59 p.m. on the 7th via the Shinhan Bank mobile application 'Shinhan SOL Bank'.
The monthly MVP awardee chosen through the final voting results will receive a prize of 3 million won along with a commemorative trophy. Furthermore, in support of youth baseball development, a donation of 2 million won in the name of the MVP awardee will be made to the middle school the awardee attended, through the sponsorship of Shinhan Bank.
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