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Go Yeong-pyo (35) and Choi Won-jun (29), the pitching and batting core that led the KT Wiz to first place in the regular season, were both selected as the final 'Shell Helix Players' of this season.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 16th, "Go Yeong-pyo was selected for the pitcher category and Choi Won-jun for the batter category of the September-October Shell Helix Player awards for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, presented in partnership with Korea Shell Petroleum Co., Ltd."
The Shell Helix Player is selected based on monthly WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Go Yeong-pyo ranked first in the pitcher category with a September-October WAR of 1.62, while Choi Won-jun ranked first in the batter category with a WAR of 2.73.
Go Yeong-pyo fulfilled the role of ace at the end of the season. He started all seven games from September to October, covering 43 innings to record a 5-1 win-loss record and an ERA of 2.30. He struck out 44 batters and achieved a quality start (at least six innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs) in five of his seven appearances.
In particular, in the game against the Lotte Giants on the 3rd, he shut down the opposition for a complete game win by allowing only four hits and one walk over nine innings. It was his sixth career complete game win. It was a perfect pitching performance from the ace at a time when the end-of-season standings race was in full swing.
His overall regular season statistics were also outstanding. Go Yeong-pyo pitched 172⅔ innings in 29 games, recording a 15-7 win-loss record, an ERA of 3.28, 183 strikeouts, and 18 quality starts. He ranked first in wins, third in strikeouts and innings pitched, and fourth in ERA, leading KT to the regular season championship for the first time in five years.
Choi Won-jun's bat was also hot at the end of the season. He batted .413 from September to October with 57 hits, adding 16 RBIs and 35 runs to stand at the forefront of KT's lineup. With a monthly WAR of 2.73, he took first place ahead of all other batters.
For the entire season, Choi Won-jun appeared in 140 games, recording a .356 batting average (208 hits in 585 at-bats), 9 home runs, 74 RBIs, 125 runs, and 28 stolen bases, along with an on-base percentage of .434, a slugging percentage of .485, and an OPS of .919. He ranked first in the league with 41 doubles and 125 runs, second in hits, and third in batting average. Leveraging both accuracy and mobility, he served as the vanguard of KT's offense.
With Go Yeong-pyo guarding the starting rotation and Choi Won-jun swinging a hot bat in the lineup, KT reached the top of the regular season standings for the first time since 2021, advancing directly to the Korea Series. Go Yeong-pyo and Choi Won-jun, selected as the September-October Shell Helix Players, will each receive a prize money of 1 million won, sponsored by Korea Shell.
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
