'Park Jun-young, College Graduate, ERA 1.29' Development Player Shines! Hanwha Sweeps Futures League Monthly MVP

*This content was translated by AI.

'A development player has shone. Hanwha Eagles' Park Jun-young (24) has continued strong performances for over a month and was awarded his first Futures League Monthly MVP.

'The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 7th the first recipient of the 2026 Medihill KBO Futures League Monthly Medihill Futures Rookie Award for the season.

'Hanwha players swept the awards. In the pitcher category, Park Jun-young was selected with a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 1.11, while in the batter category, Bae Seung-soo (23) was chosen with a WAR of 1.30. Both players will receive a commemorative trophy, along with a cash prize of 500,000 won and Medihill cosmetic products worth 500,000 won, sponsored by Medihill.

'The most notable player is Park Jun-young. Born in 2002, Park Jun-young graduated from Yeongil Elementary, Yeongnam Middle, Chungam High School, and Cheongwon University before joining Hanwha as a development player this year. He is a right-handed pitcher. Park Jun-young (23, 2022 2nd Round 1st Pick) will start against Daejeon LG Twins on the 8th and shares the same name.

'As of the end of the game on the 7th, Park Jun-young has recorded 7 games, 4 wins, no losses, an ERA of 1.29, 28 innings, 22 strikeouts, and a batting average against of 0.186, leading the ERA rankings across both the Southern and Northern Leagues. Thanks to this, the Hanwha Futures team also stands at 22 wins and 12 losses, placing second in the Northern League, just two games behind the top-ranked Army team (GukCOLONY).

'The KBO stated, "Park Jun-young secured three wins with stable pitching and is a right-handed sidearm pitcher known for his fastball reaching the high 140 km/h range." They added, "He started in all six games from March to April, pitching a total of 26 innings. He recorded three scoreless games and four games with no earned runs, maintaining an ERA of 1.38 (first in the Northern League) and delivering consistent strong performances over the past month."

'Bae Seung-soo (20), the winner in the batter category, graduated from Gakdong Elementary, Jayang Middle, and Deoksu High School before joining Hanwha in the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft as the 32nd pick in the 4th round. He is a right-handed batter and infielder. In 30 Futures League games, he has recorded a batting average of 0.299 (77 at-bats, 23 hits), one home run, 15 RBIs, 12 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of 0.466 and a slugging percentage of 0.377. The KBO noted, "Bae Seung-soo, in his second year, has been gaining experience in the Futures League since last year. In 26 games from March to April, he achieved a batting average of 0.328, 22 hits, and 19 walks, resulting in an on-base percentage of 0.494 (second in the Northern League), demonstrating high contribution across all aspects of offense."

'Meanwhile, the Monthly Medihill Futures Rookie Award was first established in 2024 through the sponsorship of Medihill, the title sponsor of the Futures League. It was created to encourage young players active in the Futures League and support the development of promising rising stars.

'The award criteria target players in their first to third years of signing who have met the required innings or plate appearances in the Futures League. It is an award recognizing the top pitcher and batter based on the monthly WAR in the Futures League.'

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*This content was translated by AI.