Seoul: The South Korean baseball league will hand out its regular-season MVP award and the top rookie prize, among other trophies, in an annual ceremony next week. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that the 2024 KBO Awards ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul.According to Yonhap News Agency, leaders of major hitting and pitching categories will receive trophies, and the league will also recognize top defensive players at each position for the second annual KBO Fielding Award. The ceremony will then honor the best rookie and the MVP of the 2024 season.In a file photo from Oct. 23, 2024, Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers is seen celebrating after hitting a solo home run against the Samsung Lions during Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. Kim Do-yeong is widely considered the favorite for the MVP trophy after a historic campaign in his third season. He narrowly missed out on only the second 40-40 season in league history with 38 home runs and 40 steals. The 21-year-old set a single-season record by scoring 143 runs, batting .347, and driving in 109 runs, while leading the league with a .647 slugging percentage and a 1.067 on-base plus slugging (OPS).Among the six Rookie of the Year award candidates, Doosan Bears closer Kim Taek-yeon is expected to be the winner. He led all freshmen with 19 saves, setting a league record by a rookie pitcher who came straight out of high school. The 19-year-old posted a 2.08 ERA over 65 innings and struck out 78 batters.Leaders of the major statistical categories, along with the Rookie of the Year winner, will each receive 3 million won (US$2,150). The MVP will be awarded a Kia EV9 SUV.
- October 12, 2026
