KBO Roundup: Carlos Carrasco Gets First Win, Been Gwak Continues to Dominate on the Mound

The KBO officially restarted its season Tuesday after games were postponed from Aug. 5-9 because of a record heat wave. It was the first time the KBO season had been delayed for a non-baseball reason since 2021, when games were postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

In their return Tuesday, the LG Twins picked up a much-needed win over Kiwoom. The game saw former MLB starter Carlos Carrasco earn his first career win in the KBO. He went six innings and allowed two runs while striking out five. He threw three perfect innings to start the game and extended his hitless streak in the KBO to 10 innings to begin his career in South Korea. He is already making a big impact for the defending KBO champions.

The KT Wiz beat the NC Dinos 7-3 Tuesday. They staged a huge ninth-inning rally to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 7-3 win. The victory extended their lead over second-place Samsung to 2 1/2 games and gave them a four-game edge in the loss column. It was their seventh straight win as they looked to take complete control of first place.

It was the Wiz’s 60th win of the season, making them the first team to reach 60 wins. If history is any indication, the Wiz are in pretty good shape. Twenty-eight of the 36 previous teams to be the first to 60 wins advanced to the Korean Series. Their win streak ended Wednesday, but they remain 2 1/2 games ahead of Samsung.

KBO MVP for July Announced - KT Wiz center fielder Sam Hilliard took home July MVP honors after posting a huge month. The 32-year-old hit .365/.413/.743 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs. He led the KBO in batting average, slugging percentage, home runs and RBIs for the month of July.

Hilliard ranks third in the KBO in home runs with 29 and second in RBIs with 92. He became the first foreign player for the KT Wiz to win monthly MVP honors since Mel Rojas Jr. in 2020.

Been Gwak’s Breakout in 2026 Has Truly Arrived - On Tuesday, Been Gwak delivered another gem for the Doosan Bears. He went six scoreless innings, struck out 10 and allowed just two hits against the Hanwha Eagles, the KBO’s best offense.

He now leads the KBO with a 2.53 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 121 innings. His 29.8% strikeout rate and 6.2% walk rate are both career highs. He has emerged as the KBO’s best pitcher.

Gwak sits one win behind Adam Oller, Yan-Cheng Wang and Chan-kyu Im for the KBO lead in victories. If he leads the KBO in wins, ERA and strikeouts, it would mark the first time since 2011 that a Korean pitcher has won the pitching triple crown in the KBO.

With a fastball that touches just below 99 mph, MLB scouts have taken notice, and he is a name to watch as he looks to become the latest Korean player to make the jump to MLB. He is eligible to be posted to MLB teams after the season and can exercise his international free-agent rights after the 2027 season.

KIA Tigers superstar Do-yeong Kim hit his KBO-leading 34th home run of the season Wednesday against the Samsung Lions. Facing former MLB pitcher Austin Voth in the third inning, Kim hit a 91 mph pitch over the left-center-field wall.

After an MVP season in 2024 in which he hit 38 home runs and stole 40 bases, the 22-year-old has hit 34 home runs in 102 games and is well on his way to surpassing his 2024 home run total. He leads the KBO in home runs, ranks third in RBIs with 87 and is second in OPS at 1.016. Kim is currently on pace for 48 home runs. This would break Choi Jeong’s record of 46 home runs for a third baseman that he set back in 2017. It would also blow past the KIA Tigers single-season record of 40.

He is once again delivering an MVP-caliber season and showing why he is the most dynamic young star in the KBO.

Photo: Sam Hilliard celebrates home run against Chicago Cubs on September 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)