Tigers slugger Choi Hyoung-woo becomes oldest winner of top KBO monthly award

Choi Hyoung-woo of the Kia Tigers hits a two-run home run against the Kiwoom Heroes during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, in this May 27 photo. Yonhap

Kia Tigers slugger Choi Hyoung-woo became the oldest winner of the top monthly prize in South Korean baseball Monday.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Choi as the winner of the Player of the Month honor for May.

It was Choi's record sixth monthly award, as he broke a tie with his Tigers teammate Yang Hyeon-jong and Samsung Lions first baseman/designated hitter Park Byung-ho. Choi had last won this award for May 2017.

At 41 years, five months and 24 days old as of Monday, Choi also became the oldest winner of this award since the KBO created it in 2010. Current NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-joon had the previous record at 39 years, three months and 26 days old when he won it for May 2015.

For May this year, Choi led all KBO players with a .407 batting average, a .505 on-base percentage and a .721 slugging percentage. He tied for third with 35 hits and ranked fifth with 23 RBIs in 25 games.

According to the KBO, Choi led all candidates by receiving 19 out of 35 votes cast by the media and finished second with 121,124 votes from fans. Those totals were converted to 37.14 voting points, with Hanwha Eagles starter Cody Ponce, who had three media votes but led all candidates with 287,062 fan votes, finishing second overall with 27.99 points.

Choi will receive 3 million won ($2,210) in prize money and a trophy. Shinhan Bank, the title sponsor of the KBO, will donate 2 million won in Choi's name to his alma mater, Jeonju High School.