From left: Home run leader Austin Dean of the LG Twins, strikeout leader Adam Oller of the Kia Tigers, Choi Min-seok of the Doosan Bears and batting average leader Choi Won-jun of the KT WizYONHAP, KT WIZ
The KBO enters its All-Star break after a five-game slate on Thursday, with first-half award races beginning to take shape.
At the plate, Austin Dean of the LG Twins is the league's undisputed top hitter.
Through Tuesday, Dean was batting .344 with 27 home runs, 82 RBIs, 68 runs scored and a 1.092 OPS in 83 games. Among the KBO's eight official statistical categories, Dean ranks first in home runs and slugging percentage (. 669), second in RBIs and runs scored, third in hits (114), fourth in batting average and sixth in on-base percentage (. 423). Stolen bases are the only category in which Dean is not among the league leaders.
Dean's home run race with Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers, who has 26 home runs, has become one of the season's biggest attractions. Already regarded as the greatest foreign hitter in Twins history, Dean has taken his game to another level in his fourth KBO season.
On the mound, Adam Oller has been the league's top pitcher in the first half.
The Tigers right-hander has thrown 99 1/3 innings in 16 starts, leading the league with 108 strikeouts while tying for the lead with nine wins. Oller's 2.36 ERA ranks second in the league.
Just two seasons after arriving in Korea, Oller has surpassed former ace James Naile to establish himself as one of the KBO's elite pitchers. The fourth-place Tigers hope to break into the top three in the second half of the season, and Oller is expected to lead the way.
Joining Dean and Oller among the first half's biggest surprises are Doosan Bears starter Choi Min-seok and KT Wiz outfielder Choi Won-jun.
Doosan starter Choi Min-seok pitches at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro District, western Seoul, on July 5.YONHAP
Choi, the second-year Bears starter, has posted a league-leading 2.33 ERA through 16 starts, ahead of Oller with 2.36 ERA and Hanwha Eagles veteran Ryu Hyun-jin with 2.67 ERA. Choi Min-seok is also tied with Oller for the league lead with nine wins.
Selected by Doosan in the second round (16th overall) of the 2025 KBO Draft, Choi Min-seok made his first-team debut in late May last year and spent the rest of the season developing as a starter. Choi Min-seok finished his rookie campaign 3-3 with a 4.40 ERA in 17 appearances.
In his second professional season, Choi Min-seok has developed into one of the KBO's top starters. His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 140-kilometer-per-hour (87-miles-per-hour) range, but his pinpoint command and ability to induce ground balls have made him highly effective. His opponents' batting average of 0.212 and 1.17 WHIP both rank among the league's top 10.
Earlier this season, Bears manager Kim Won-hyung described Choi Min-seok as “a player who is still developing.”
Austin Dean of the LG Twins celebrates after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro District, western Seoul, on July 2.NEWS1
Now, Kim is full of praise.
“Whenever Choi Min-seok takes the mound, I feel as confident as I do with Gwak Been,” Kim said. “He pitches with remarkable poise for a 20-year-old.”
KT outfielder Choi Won-jun has also been one of the KBO's biggest breakout players this season.
Choi Won-jun debuted with the Tigers in 2016 before being traded to the NC Dinos in July 2025. He became a free agent after the season but was not viewed as one of the market's marquee players.
When KT signed Choi Won-jun to a four-year contract worth up to 4.8 billion won ($3.2 million), many questioned whether the club had overpaid after missing out on other free-agent outfielders.
However, that deal now looks like a bargain.
A KBO game takes place at the sold-out Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on March 29.NEWS1
Choi Won-jun leads the league with a .364 batting average and 115 hits, establishing himself as one of the KBO's top leadoff hitters. He is also tied for the league lead in on-base percentage at 0.441, alongside SSG Landers infielder Park Seong-han and Dinos infielder Park Min-woo.
After putting aside the pressure of living up to his free-agent contract, Choi Won-jun has produced the best season of his career. Before this year, he had batted above .300 only once in 10 full seasons, hitting .326 in 2020. Now with this season, he has opened a new chapter in his baseball career.
BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
