The 2023 KBO Awards held on the 27th. After the official event, a picture of the winner was taken on the podium. Best player Eric Peddy (NC Dinos) whispered to the player next to him, “I hope you win this award someday.”
Pedi won the MVP, the highest honor, with 102 out of 111 valid votes at the 2023 KBO Awards held in Westin Chosun Seoul on the 27th. He easily beat Noh Si-hwan (6 votes) of the Hanwha Eagles, the second-most RBI and home run king. “It was an incredible performance,” Peddy said. “There will be no greater season in my baseball life than this year,” he said.
Just in time, the winner of the Rookie of the Year Award was Moon Dong-ju of the Hanwha Eagles. Moon Dong-ju played in 23 games this year and was responsible for 118 and two thirds of innings, recording eight wins, eight losses and a 3.72 ERA. Although he failed to fill the regular innings (144 innings) under the team’s pitching innings management, he ranked second in the most wins and second in the most innings in the team. He also made a strong impression on the national team.
Moon Dong-ju (Hanwha Eagles) asked Pedi to “meet you” through a foreign scout during the season. After taking the club’s permission, Pedi was willing to accept it after receiving an answer that “there is no problem.” The two talked face to face. Pedi answered various baseball-related stories that Moon Dong-ju was curious about. Immediately after the meeting, Pedi said, “If Moon Dong-ju shows the things I told him (such as sweeper) well on the ground, wouldn’t the league grow that much and become more fun baseball?”
Pedi and Moon Dong-ju met at the awards ceremony as the league’s best player and rookie in suits, not uniforms.
Pedi said, “It was nice to be here with Moon Dong-ju. While taking a picture together on stage earlier, he said in a whisper, ‘I want you to hear this award I’m holding now later.’ Moon Dong-ju said, “I’ll do my best.” It was a very meaningful day,” he said.
Pedi, who returned to the U.S. on the 8th after being eliminated from the playoffs, entered the country through Incheon International Airport on the 26th to attend the awards ceremony. Recently, most foreign winners did not attend the award ceremony and replaced their impressions with video messages. On the other hand, Pedi, who attended the awards ceremony and graced her seat, will leave the country immediately on the 28th after three days and two nights. He said, “I attended with hope of winning the award. I’m happy to win the award,” he said.
Pedi pitched in 30 games this year with a 20-6 record with a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts. With multiple wins, strikeouts, and ERA, he became the fourth pitcher to achieve triple crown in the pitching category, following Sun Dong-yeol (4 times), Ryu Hyun-jin (2006), and Yoon Seok-min (2011). Since Haitai Sun Dong-yeol (24 wins, 214 strikeouts) in 1986, he has achieved his fifth “season 20 wins, 200 strikeouts” in 37 years.
In the first defense award introduced this year by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), he was also selected as the winner (94.91 points) in the pitcher category selected by the manager, general manager, and coach. Pedi, who lifted a total of five trophies on the day, said, “I never expected such a finish in a season. It’s such an honor,” he said. Pedi is also likely to win the Golden Glove Award in the pitching category on the 11th of next month.