SSG Future Team right-hander Yoo Hosik (24) and infielder Ko Myung-jun (21) were named the team’s monthly MVPs for May.
Yoo pitched 17 innings in four games in May, posting a 3.18 ERA. With a .472 OPS, he was unlucky to lose two games despite pitching well.
In 10 games in May, Ko went 13-for-36 with a .361 batting average, three home runs and six RBIs. His OPS reached 1.139.
Head Coach Lee Dae-soo said, “For the selection of the monthly MVP, we have different criteria for each part. Pitchers are judged on the basis of their OPS, and their ability to block, steal bases, and defend bunts are added together,” said Lee.
“Yoo Hosik is a pitcher whose skills are improving every year, and he throws an average fastball in the low 140 kilometers per hour, 메이저놀이터 but he has a strong end of the ball compared to his speed, so opposing batters tend to be pushed around. He has also improved his changeup this year and is pitching well.”
As for Ko Myung-joon, “For hitters, we select players based on their OPS, as well as their defense, baserunning, and team batting average. This is to emphasize team play, not just batting,” he said.
“It’s his first season playing full-time. He has a good swing balance and is a talented player who can improve. If he gains experience, he will become a better player.”
“First of all, I would like to thank the coaching staff and my teammates for helping me win this award. I think learning a lot about changeups from Coach Park Joo-en and realizing the importance of controlling my changeup made a positive difference,” Yoo explained.
“Coach Chae Byung-yong taught me a lot about using my lower body. I think this also contributed to my improvement. Both of them taught me well, so it was fun to learn.”
“My goal is to be called up to the first team this season and pitch more than 10 games. I will show the fans a lot of good things, so I would like to tell them to look forward to it and support me.”
Ko Myung-jun said, “It feels great to be selected as the Beast Monthly MVP for my good performance in May. I think it’s because my hitting coach, Park Jung-kwon, gave me a lot of advice.”
“He emphasized the timing of my batting, especially how to handle different types of pitchers. My batting was good, but I personally made a lot of mistakes in defense. In June, I will focus more on my defense and improve it so that I can make it to the first team as soon as possible.”