Seoul: Ahn Hyun-min, the hot-hitting rookie outfielder for the KT Wiz, has been named the top player in South Korean baseball for the month of July.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that Ahn earned the most votes from media and fans for the Player of the Month honor for July. He becomes the first player from the Wiz to receive this accolade since starter William Cuevas won it in August 2023.
Ahn garnered 24 out of 35 votes from members of the Korea Baseball Writers Association and secured 32,578 out of 447,304 votes cast by fans, accumulating 37.93 voting points. In his 21 games in July, Ahn ranked second in the KBO with a .441 batting average and led the league with a .551 on-base percentage and a .706 slugging percentage. He also tied for third with 30 hits and ranked fourth with five home runs.
At 21 years old, Ahn appeared in only 16 games and logged 29 plate appearances last year, keeping him eligible for the Rookie of the Year award this year. His performance for the season includes leading the KBO with a .348 batting average, a .457 on-base percentage, and a 1.060 on-base plus slugging.
Trailing Ahn in the voting was Hanwha Eagles starter Cody Ponce, who finished second with 34.35 points. Ponce received five votes from the media but led all players with 243,379 votes from fans. For his achievement, Ahn will receive 3 million won (US$2,160) in prize money along with a trophy.