'Futures Star Awards' graduate! High school rookie records QS in 7 of 8 games, mounting a 'strong challenge' for the team's first Rookie of the Year award in 26 years and a rookie 10-win season in 6 years

*This content was translated by AI.

A strong contender has emerged in the race for the 2026 KBO League Rookie of the Year award. The protagonist is SSG high school graduate rookie pitcher Kim Min-jun (20).

Kim Min-jun, who attended Daegu High School and was selected fifth overall in the first round of the 2026 Rookie Draft by SSG, made his professional debut late on June 9 against LG Twins due to a shoulder injury at the start of the season. Since then, he has started all 14 games this season, posting a record of 7 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 3.47. He ranks second on the team in wins behind Kim Geon-woo (24, 8 wins).

His recent performance is even more remarkable. From the July 23 game against Lotte Giants through eight games, he has achieved a Quality Start (QS—six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs allowed) in seven of those games, currently on a five-game winning streak. In the match against KIA Tigers held in Incheon on the 15th, he became the winning pitcher after pitching six innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs while striking out eight batters.

The Rookie of the Year race this season is currently being led by Hanwha Eagles catcher Heo In-seo (23). Having joined the team in 2022 and completed his military service at the Army Baseball Team, Heo In-seo has posted a batting average of .294 (103 hits in 350 at-bats), with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs in 112 games this season. Also a candidate is LG Twins infielder Moon Jung-bin (23), another 2022 draft pick eligible for Rookie of the Year, who has recorded a .258 batting average (59 hits in 229 at-bats), 16 home runs, and 50 RBIs.

Now Kim Min-jun has joined the race. He was recognized early as a potential candidate after winning the grand prize in the baseball category at the '2025 Futures Star Awards' ceremony hosted by StarNews last November.

Kim Min-jun's strength lies in being a 'pure rookie' who joined the league this year, unlike his competitors. With this season's possibility of reaching 10 wins Seong Han-da-myeon (수상), his chances are further heightened.

In KBO League history, a total of 14 high school rookies have achieved 10 wins in their debut year. Narrowing the scope to 'starting pitcher 10 wins' reduces that number to nine. Among them, Yeom Jong-seok (Lotte) in 1992, Kim Soo-kyung in 1998, Oh Ju-won (both Hyundai Unicorns) in 2004, Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha) in 2006, and So Hyoung-jun (KT Wiz) in 2020 went on to win the Rookie of the Year honor.

For Kim Min-jun to reach 10 wins by adding three more victories, there is pressure to win almost all remaining games. SSG currently has only 15 games left. Given the schedule with games spaced out, if Kim Min-jun observes a 'minimum five-day rest,' he can appear in three games; if he pitches after a 'four-day rest,' he could potentially start up to four more games.

The team itself is also eager for a Rookie of the Year award. Including its predecessor SK Wyverns, SSG has not had a Rookie of the Year winner since Lee Seung-ho in 2000 Yoo Il-han (수상).

A rookie 10-win season in KBO history for the first time in six years, and the birth of an SSG Rookie of the Year for the first time in 26 years. It remains to be seen whether Kim Min-jun can catch both birds with one stone.

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*This content was translated by AI.