Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers holds the trophy after being named the MVP of the 2024 Korea Baseball Organization season during the awards ceremony at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul, Nov. 26. Yonhap
Kia Tigers superstar Kim Do-yeong is the MVP of Korean baseball in 2024.
Kim was unveiled as the winner of the top individual prize in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) during the annual awards ceremony in Seoul on Tuesday, after earning 95 out of 101 from the media to easily beat out Victor Reyes of the Lotte Giants, who garnered three votes. Along with the trophy, the 21-year-old third baseman received a Kia EV9 SUV.
Kim authored a historic campaign in 2024, just his third season in the KBO. He set a league record by scoring 143 runs and became the youngest player with at least 30 home runs and 30 steals in a season. He finished with 38 homers and 40 stolen bases, falling only two home runs shy of just the second 40-40 campaign in KBO history.
Kim led or finished among the leaders in all major offensive categories. He topped the league in runs (143), slugging percentage (.647), on-base plus slugging (1.067), total bases (352) and triples (10). He was third in batting average (.347), third in hits (189), third in on-base percentage (.420), tied for seventh in RBIs (109) and seventh in walks (66).
He became the youngest player ever with at least a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored in a season.
On July 23, Kim became the first player to complete a natural cycle without being retired, hitting a single, a double, a triple and a home run in order in four plate appearances.
Kim is the seventh Tigers player to be honored as the KBO MVP. Former pitcher Sun Dong-yol won three MVPs, and ex-infielder Kim Sung-han won the award twice, with infielders Lee Jong-beom and Kim Sang-hyun, and pitchers Yoon Suk-min and Yang Hyeon-jong winning it once each.
"It's an honor to win such a big award," Kim said. "To win it in a year when we won the Korean Series championship makes it even more special. I will try to stay humble for the rest of my career."
Kim looked back on the start of his career and recalled how overwhelmed he felt at times. He even admitted he wasn't always in a good place mentally early in his career, but a piece of advice helped him get back on his feet.
"Someone once told me, 'You have to trust yourself, and someday, someone will be inspired by what you're doing,'" Kim said. "I hope people going through difficult days will draw comfort from me." (Yonhap)