The KBO announced eight candidates for the August 2026 Monthly MVP. The list consists of four pitchers and four position players, with the Doosan Bears and Samsung Lions each providing two candidates.
Key Changes
The pitching candidates are Pedro Ávila of the SSG Landers, Chris Paddack of the Samsung Lions, and Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok of the Doosan Bears. The position-player candidates are Koo Ja-wook of the Samsung Lions, Victor Reyes of the Lotte Giants, Kim Do-yeong of the KIA Tigers, and Seo Geon-chang of the Kiwoom Heroes.
Current Status
The candidates’ main August statistics are as follows.
| Category | Candidate | Main August statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | Pedro Ávila | 2–1 in 5 games, 1.74 ERA, 31 innings, 35 strikeouts |
| Pitcher | Chris Paddack | 2–1 in 4 games, 1.00 ERA, 32 strikeouts, 27 innings |
| Pitcher | Kwak Bin | 2–1 in 5 games, 1.41 ERA, 32 innings, 41 strikeouts |
| Pitcher | Choi Min-seok | Won all 4 of his starts in August |
| Position player | Koo Ja-wook | .403 batting average in 17 games, 25 hits, 4 home runs, 17 RBIs, .519 on-base percentage |
| Position player | Victor Reyes | .435 batting average in 15 games, 27 hits, .470 on-base percentage |
| Position player | Kim Do-yeong | .321 batting average, 6 home runs, 16 runs, .714 slugging percentage |
| Position player | Seo Geon-chang | .387 batting average in 20 games, 29 hits, .459 on-base percentage, 15 runs |
Impact
The key point of this candidate lineup is that fans can review each player’s August performance before taking part in the vote. The final winner will be selected by combining the fan vote with the vote of the Korea Baseball Writers Association press corps.
The announcement of the candidates and selection of the final winner are separate procedures.
The Monthly MVP winner will receive 3 million won and a commemorative trophy. The middle school attended by the winning Korean player will also receive a 2 million won donation.
Next Checkpoint
Fan voting will take place in Shinhan Bank’s mobile application, Super SOL, from 10 a.m. on September 1, 2026, through midnight on September 6. The press corps vote will be added after the fan vote, and the final winner announcement should be checked separately.
Sources: [Official KBO announcement](https://web1.koreabaseball.com/MediaNews/Notice/View.aspx?bdSe=12124), [Yonhap News Agency](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260901078200007), [Ilgan Sports](https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202609010081), [Maeil Business Newspaper](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/sports/12141129)