A 25-year-old younger brother has achieved it! '3 wins, undefeated - ERA 1.78' KT's So Hyoung-jun named KBO July Shell Hero of the Month

*This content was translated by AI.

One of the three pitchers who led KT Wiz's dramatic July comeback has been the first to claim the monthly MVP award.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) officially announced on the 5th that "KT's So Hyoung-jun and KIA's Castro have been selected as the winners of the 'Shell Hero of the Month' for July 2026 in the Shinhan SOL KBO League, awarded in partnership with Korea Shell Petroleum Co., Ltd. (hereinafter Korea Shell)."

The 'Shell Hero of the Month' is selected based on monthly WAR (Wins Above Replacement). In the pitcher category first, So Hyoung-jun (25) took first place with a monthly WAR of 1.27.

So Hyoung-jun made five starts in July, recording four Quality Starts (QS) and securing three wins. Over 30⅓ innings pitched, he posted an ERA of 1.78 and recorded 20 strikeouts, demonstrating stable pitching that earned him the title of Shell Hero of the Month for pitchers in July.

He was also a key figure in leading KT, his team, to the league's only .700 winning percentage in July. In addition to So Hyoung-jun, Logan Allen (5 games, 3 wins, 1 loss, ERA 3.00) and Ko Young-pyo (3 games, 2 wins, 1 loss, ERA 0.98) performed well, preventing overuse of the bullpen. Among them, So Hyoung-jun was the only domestic pitcher to pitch more than 30 innings in July, fulfilling the role of an inning-eater.

In the batter category, Castro took first place with a monthly WAR of 1.53. Over July, he hit .405 (84 at-bats, 34 hits), with 7 home runs, 17 RBIs, 17 runs scored, an on-base percentage of 0.440, a slugging percentage of 0.738, and an OPS of 1.178, showcasing outstanding hitting.

Notably, in last month's match against the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 30th, he went 3-for-3 (including 1 home run), drove in 2 runs, scored 3 times, and drew 1 walk, leading his team to a decisive 12-3 victory. Castro earned the qualification for the Shell Hero of the Month award for batters in July due to his consistent performance throughout the month as a central lineup hitter.

The award ceremony for players selected as the monthly 'Shell Hero of the Month' for July will be held at each team's home stadium during August. The winners will receive an award money of 1.5 million won, sponsored by Korea Shell.

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*This content was translated by AI.