Doosan’s Yang Eui-ji, proper, received the KBO League Batting Award on the 2025 Shinhan SOL Financial institution KBO Awards in Lotte Resort World, Seoul, Nov. 24. Yonhap
The reigning Korean baseball batting champion will look to say a record-tying award this week, a yr after lacking out on nomination.
Doosan Bears catcher Yang Eui-ji is favored to win his tenth profession Golden Glove when the Korea Baseball Group (KBO) hosts its annual award ceremony in Seoul on Tuesday.
Regardless of the phrase “Glove” in its title, the award has typically favored offense over protection at each place apart from pitcher. The KBO honors designated hitters with Golden Gloves annually, too.
The league created a separate defensive prize, named the KBO Fielding Award, in 2023. With the very best defenders now getting their dues, hitting statistics tackle much more significance for Golden Gloves, even at premium defensive positions akin to catcher.
And Yang loved a powerful offensive season, batting .337 to win his second profession batting title and main all catchers with 153 hits, 27 doubles, 89 RBIs and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .939.
Yang additionally logged 726 innings behind the plate, six over the brink to be eligible for the Golden Glove.
In 2024, he cut up his season as catcher and designated hitter (DH), however didn’t meet eligibility standards at both spot for the Golden Glove — with solely 608 1/3 innings behind the dish and 161 plate appearances as DH, 136 wanting the minimal.
Yang has received eight Golden Gloves as catcher and one as DH. A tenth Golden Glove will tie him with former Samsung Lions star and his ex-Bears supervisor Lee Seung-yuop for many in KBO historical past.
In different positions, veteran slugger Choi Hyoung-woo, a favourite to win the DH class, is anticipated to interrupt his personal document for the oldest Golden Glove winner.
Choi received final yr’s Golden Glove at DH at 40 years, 11 months and 27 days. This yr’s ceremony will happen one week earlier than his forty second birthday.
In 2025, Choi put collectively his most efficient season in 5 years, batting .307/.399/.529 with 24 residence runs and 86 RBIs. He tied for seventh within the KBO in residence runs and ranked fifth in on-base proportion, seventh in slugging proportion and fifth in OPS.
Choi just lately signed with the Samsung Lions as a free agent for his second tour of obligation, following 9 seasons with the Kia Tigers. Choi had first been with the Lions from 2002 to 2025, and once more from 2008 to 2016.
Kiwoom Heroes third baseman Music Sung-mun, posted for main league golf equipment, might be eyeing his first profession Golden Glove.
Music fell nicely wanting the award final yr, regardless of setting profession highs with a .340 batting common, 19 residence runs, 104 RBIs and 21 steals, as Kia Tigers celebrity Kim Do-yeong, the league MVP, ran away with the Golden Glove. Kim earned 280 out of 288 votes solid by media, with Music ending a distant second with 4 votes.
This yr, Kim is not going to be an element within the race after taking part in in solely 30 video games as a result of a number of hamstring accidents.
Music led all third basemen in wins above alternative (6.84), hits (181), batting common (.315), on-base proportion (.387), slugging proportion (.530), runs (103) and steals (25). Music additionally nabbed his first Fielding Award at third base final month.
Every Golden Glove winner will obtain a trophy and a 5 million received ($3,400) voucher for the baseball tools producer ZETT.
Through the Golden Glove ceremony, the KBO can even hand out its inaugural Supervisor of the 12 months award.
