'11 Home Runs' Austin Dean, '0.84 ERA' Min-seok Choi, '9 Saves' Ju-young Son Named June KBO MVP Candidates... Online Voting Open Until the 7th

*This content was translated by AI.

The seven candidates for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League June Monthly Most Valuable Player (MVP) were announced.

In the pitcher category, LG Twins closer Ju-young Son (28), Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin (39), KIA Tigers starter Adam Oller (32), and Doosan Bears starter Min-seok Choi (20) were named as candidates. In the position player category, LG infielder Austin Dean (33), NC Dinos infielder Min-woo Park (33), and KIA infielder Do-young Kim (23) were named as candidates.

Among the pitchers, Min-seok Choi stands out. Choi, a rookie selected in the second round last year, has shown his potential by joining the starting rotation from the early part of this season, and his performance has surged dramatically since June.

In five games, he pitched 32 innings, recording 4 wins (tied for first), 28 strikeouts, and an ERA of 0.84 (first in the league). He recorded a quality start (six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs allowed) in all five games he appeared in, and in two of those games, he pitched seven or more innings, taking responsibility on the mound.

With such performances, Choi has also been named to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Baseball National Team, further boosting his profile.

Ju-young Son was the one who most solidly protected the back end of the bullpen. After the regular closer, Young-chan Yu, was sidelined due to injury, Son stepped in as the closer following his return from injury last month. He had a stellar May with 1 win and 8 saves with a 1.59 ERA, but his June performance was even more impressive.

In nine games played throughout June, Son recorded a save in every appearance, leading the league in monthly saves. Notably, aside from allowing one run in a game against Lotte at Sajik on June 27, he allowed zero runs in the remaining eight games, showcasing perfect performance. His ERA was 0.84. Although he started as a closer a month later than others, he has already climbed to second place in saves with 18.

Hanwha's Ryu Hyun-jin is becoming increasingly formidable as the games progress. After recording 2 wins and 2 losses with a 3.60 ERA in April, and 4 wins with no losses and a 2.93 ERA in May, Ryu appeared in five games in June, pitching 30 innings to record 2 wins with no losses and a 1.50 ERA (second in the league). He achieved a quality start in every game and added 21 strikeouts, leaving just one strikeout away from reaching 2,500 combined strikeouts in the Korean and American leagues.

KIA's Oller also showed a terrifying upward trend. In five games in June, he recorded 3 wins (tied for third), 31 innings (tied for third), 35 strikeouts (third), and a 1.74 ERA (tied for third). He displayed stable performance, ranking near the top in most pitching statistics. He pitched six or more innings in all five games and recorded a quality start in every game except the June 11 match against Daejeon Hanwha (four earned runs allowed).

Among the hitters, LG's Austin Dean shone the brightest. Dean led the team's offense by posting top-tier results across all offensive categories in June. Notably, he showcased his problem-solver capabilities based on power, recording a personal monthly record of 11 home runs (tied for first), 34 RBIs (first), and a slugging percentage of 0.798 (first). His precise hitting also stood out. With only four scoreless games, he demonstrated consistent hitting throughout June. He proved his league-leading offensive production with a .382 batting average (fourth), 34 hits (tied for first), 23 runs scored (tied for third), and a .462 on-base percentage (fourth).

KIA's Do-young Kim was no less impressive than Austin Dean. He displayed a performance rich in both power and run production, anchoring the team's lineup. Kim appeared in 25 games, recording 11 home runs (tied for first), 34 hits (tied for first), and 26 RBIs (third), showing explosive hitting. Especially in a game against Gwangju SSG on June 30, he hit multiple home runs, setting a new personal record for most home runs in a month. Additionally, based on his active on-base performance, he scored 27 runs, securing sole first place in that category, and shone in various offensive metrics with a .760 slugging percentage (second) and a .431 on-base percentage.

Although his hitting style differs, NC's Min-woo Park also shone. He performed well by leveraging precise hitting and high on-base ability. Park appeared in 23 games throughout June, recording a .423 batting average (78 at-bats, 33 hits) and a .520 on-base percentage, leading the league in both categories. With his high on-base percentage, he reached base in more than half of his plate appearances, opening the door for the team's offense. He also recorded 33 hits (fourth) and 6 stolen bases (tied for fourth), displaying good performance.

The 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League Monthly MVP is selected monthly by the KBO and its title sponsor, Shinhan Bank. The Monthly MVP, awarded to the player who shows the best performance in the KBO League each month, is determined by combining fan voting and votes from the Korean Baseball Writers Association to select Choi Jong (수상) winner. Fan voting is available from 10 a.m. today until 11:59 p.m. on the 7th via Shinhan Bank's mobile application 'Super SOL'.

The Monthly MVP winner, selected through the final voting results, will receive a prize of 3 million won and a Monthly MVP commemorative trophy. Additionally, to support the development of youth baseball, a donation of 2 million won will be made in the name of the domestic MVP winner to their former middle school through Shinhan Bank's sponsorship.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.