Why didn't Oh Won-seok (KT Wiz), who wrote a successful trade story throughout May, receive the votes of the press and fans in the monthly MVP voting?

According to the MVP voting results announced by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on June 9, Oh Won-seok, the only domestic starting pitcher among the six candidates, received zero votes from the press and 27,501 votes from Shinhan Bank fans (the lowest), ranking last overall with a total score of 2.27.

Oh Won-seok, who became a KT player via a one-on-one trade with Kim Min last October, had a brilliant May after correcting his long-standing issue with control that had plagued him during his time with SSG Landers. He excelled in five starts, achieving four wins without a loss and an earned run average of 1.95 (27⅔ innings, 6 earned runs) with 17 strikeouts. He was tied for first place in wins and ranked third in earned run average (first among domestic pitchers), aiming for the MVP award for May. Oh Won-seok was competing alongside top foreign pitchers such as Drew Anderson (SSG), Cody Ponce (Hanwha Eagles), and Jack Logan (Doosan Bears).

The manager also subtly expressed expectations for Oh Won-seok’s MVP award, as he performed as the top starting pitcher throughout May. Manager Lee Kang-cheol emphasized that Oh Won-seok is the only domestic starting pitcher among the candidates including Choi Hyung-woo (KIA Tigers), Ponce, Ahn Hyun-min (KT), Anderson, and Diaz, and gave significant credit for his four wins in five games. Jokingly, he said, "Wouldn't it be better to unify the candidates since both Ahn Hyun-min and Oh Won-seok are doing so well?" He also noted that Anderson, with a May ERA of 0.30, was Oh Won-seok's biggest competitor.

However, the press's choice was Choi Hyung-woo, who achieved a batting average of .470, slugging percentage of .721, on-base percentage of .505, tied for third in hits (35), and fifth in RBIs (23) in May. Choi Hyung-woo received the most votes from the press (19 votes) and 121,124 votes in the Shinhan Bank fan vote, securing a total score of 37.14 for his sixth monthly MVP award in his career, surpassing Yang Hyun-jong (KIA) and Park Byung-ho (Samsung) to set a record for the most monthly MVP awards.

Along with his overwhelming record, Choi Hyung-woo appeared in 25 games in May and had ten multi-hit games. He also recorded hits in 16 consecutive games from May 13 against Lotte to May 30 against KT.

Choi Hyung-woo, at 41 years, 5 months, and 24 days, broke the record for the oldest recipient of the monthly MVP award. As of June 9, Choi Hyung-woo is now the oldest monthly MVP, surpassing the previous record held by Lee Ho-jun, the manager of NC Dinos, who was 39 years, 3 months, and 26 days old during the 2015 season.

Hanwha's ace Ponce, despite being the overwhelming first place in the Shinhan Bank fan voting with 287,062 votes, managed to receive only 3 votes from the press, finishing second in the MVP voting with a total score of 27.99. Drew Anderson, who dominated the league with a 0.30 ERA in five games with three wins and no losses (29⅔ innings, 1 earned run), ended with 6 votes from the press and 39,386 votes in the Shinhan Bank fan vote, placing fourth with a total score of 11.82.

Choi Hyung-woo, the May MVP, will receive a prize of 3 million won and a trophy. Additionally, a donation of 2 million won will be given to his alma mater, Jeonju High School, through the sponsorship of Shinhan Bank for the development of youth baseball.

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