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Young slugger emerges from anonymity to capture best rookie award

Published: 24 Nov. 2025, 19:11

KT Wiz outfielder Ahn Hyun-min kisses his trophy after winning Rookie of the Year at the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Awards at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Nov. 24. [YONHAP]

After spending the past several years in almost complete anonymity, KT Wiz outfielder Ahn Hyun-min emerged as one of the top young sluggers in Korean baseball this year, even winning Rookie of the Year at the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO awards on Monday.

The 22-year-old was the obvious choice for the award, 22 home runs, 80 RBIs and a line of .334/.448/.570.

Ahn finished first overall in on-base percentage, second in batting average and third in slugging percentage. Ahn earned 110 out of 125 votes cast by the baseball media.

Unlike many previous Rookie of the Year winners, Ahn was not a “can't-miss” prospect destined for greatness from the moment he stepped into the box.

The Wiz selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, and he spent the early part of his first professional season in 2022 in the Futures League, the KBO's minor league. Ahn began his mandatory military service later that year and took an unconventional route by enlisting as an active serviceman rather than signing up to join the military club in the Futures League like many other players do.

Ahn finally made his KBO debut last year but was limited to just 16 games, with his season derailed in June by a broken left middle finger.

He spent most of the early part of this season in the Futures League and appeared in only two games in the KBO through April.

Ahn Hyun-min of the KT Wiz is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run against Japan during the teams' exhibition baseball game at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Nov. 16. [YONHAP]

Ahn started getting more opportunities in Mayt. He batted .333 with nine homers and 29 RBIs in May and followed that up with a .346 average in June.

Ahn was voted the Player of the Month for July after batting .441 with five home runs and 14 RBIs. He drew 17 walks and struck out just six times in 21 games that month.

Ahn hit a speed bump in August, when he batted only .234 and did not have a home run in 23 games. At the time, he quipped that he gave up any hope of winning MVP. He successfully bounced back in September, batting .344 with four homers and 13 RBIs over his final 17 games.

“When I started swinging the bat better in September, I felt like I had the rookie award wrapped up,” Ahn said. “If my slump had continued through September, I think it would have been a closer race, but I was able to finish the season with strong numbers.”

Ahn said he wasn't as frustrated with his rough patch as some thought he'd be.

“I thought that it wasn't anything physical,” he said. “It was more of a mental issue, so I tried to take care of myself in that regard. I was able to stay more relaxed in September, and that helped me perform the way I did that month.”

Ahn Hyun-min of Korea rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against Japan during the teams' exhibition baseball game at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Nov. 15. [YONHAP]

Ahn brought a rare combination of power, contact and on-base skills. For the season, he drew 75 walks to rank fourth in the league and struck out only 72 times. Of the 13 players who had 20 or more home runs this year, Ahn was the only player who had more walks than strikeouts.

His numbers allowed him to reach the top of the leaderboard in advanced metrics, too. He accumulated wins above replacement of 7.22, and his weighted runs created plus (wRC+), an all-encompassing stat that measures a player's total offensive value, came to 172.5. A 100 wRC+ is the league average, and every point above or below 100 represents one percentage point better or worse than the average. Even though Ahn only played 112 games this year, he was still 72.5 percent better than the KBO average in his offensive contribution.

After the KBO season, Ahn also had a productive run with the national team, belting two home runs against Japan in two exhibition games at the Tokyo Dome.

Citing wRC+ as an important measuring stick, national team manager Ryu Ji-hyun said Ahn would be his No. 2 hitter, given his power and ability to get on base to set the table for the middle of the lineup.

Ahn Hyun-min of the KT Wiz kisses the trophy after winning the Korea Baseball Organization Rookie of the Year award at the ceremony at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Nov. 24. [YONHAP]

Ahn is also a rare homegrown, right-handed slugger in a league full of left-handed power hitters — someone who oozes with potential to dominate the competition for years to come.

In a media scrum after the ceremony, Ahn sheepishly admitted he fumbled his words on stage because he was too nervous. And yes, he does want to win the MVP down the road and reach even greater heights.

“I think anyone who wants to move to a bigger competition has to dominate their current league first,” Ahn said. “I think I first have to be the best in the KBO before I can start talking about playing in America or Japan. I want to be the best player in the KBO, and there's no bigger prize than MVP.”

Yonhap