(LEAD) Slugging catcher voted KBO's top player for May

Sports 17:56 June 08, 2023

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By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- LG Twins catcher Park Dong-won has been voted the top player in South Korean baseball for May, on the strength of his remarkable power surge.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Thursday that Park led the fan and media voting for the Player of the Month honor. He collected 16 out of 29 votes from the media and 178,638 out of 431,790 online votes cast by fans, for the combined voting points of 48.27.

Park Dong-won of the LG Twins rounds the first base bag after hitting a single against the Lotte Giants during the bottom of the fourth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on June 1, 2023. (Yonhap)

In May, Park led the KBO with nine home runs, 25 RBIs and a .787 slugging percentage in 23 games. He tied for second with 14 runs scored and ranked fourth with a .333 batting average.

Park, who signed with the Twins as a free agent over the winter, is the first Twin to win the monthly award in four years.

"I'd like to thank everyone who voted for me. I couldn't have done this without the help of my teammates and coaching staff," Park told reporters Thursday before taking on the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "I am grateful for the opportunity this team has given me, and I am glad I've been able to live up to expectations so far."

Through Wednesday, Park was leading the KBO with 14 home runs for the season. He is trying to become the first catcher in 19 years to top the league in home runs.

"It's only June. There's a lot of season left," Park said with a smile. "Right now, the primary goal is to keep playing well so that we will reach the Korean Series. I am focusing more on that than anything else."

Twins manger Youm Kyoung-youb reserved high praise for Park, saying the 33-year-old catcher is finally realizing his offensive potential late in his career.

"We never once worried about his defense. We thought he had some untapped potential as a hitter, and his hard work is finally paying off," Youm said Thursday. "I think he can continue to get better even at his age. I think he's capable of winning the home run title and batting .300 at the same time."

Park said Youm's show of faith in him has been a major part of his success so far this year.

"He has always believed in me, and he keeps giving me opportunities," Park said. "I think that's why I've been able to post strong numbers. I am really thankful."

Park beat out his teammate, right-hander Im Chan-kyu, for the prize. Im finished with 15.32 voting points, after going 4-0 and posting a league-best 1.13 ERA in four starts last month.

Behind the two players' excellent performance on the mound and at the plate, the Twins posted the league's best record in May at 16-6-1 (wins-losses-ties).