Why did Gwak Been receive the 2026 Choi Dong-won Award despite falling short of some eligibility thresholds?

The selection committee made an exception because Gwak missed about two weeks of the regular season while competing in the Asian Games. It cited his dominant season and his performance as Korea won the gold medal.

What were Gwak Been’s 2026 KBO pitching statistics?

Gwak finished 11-7 in 27 starts, covering 161 innings. He led the league with a 2.24 ERA and 197 strikeouts and was the only starter to post an ERA below 3.00.

When and where will Gwak Been receive the Choi Dong-won Award, and what is the prize?

The award ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 11 in Busan, a date chosen in honor of Choi Dong-won’s playing number. Gwak will receive a trophy and 20 million won in prize money.

KBO's ERA, strikeout champion wins top Korean pitching award

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Summary

Doosan Bears starter Gwak Been was named the 2026 Choi Dong-won Award winner Monday. He led the KBO in ERA and strikeouts with a 2.24 ERA and 197 strikeouts despite missing about two weeks for the Asian Games. Gwak also pitched Korea to the gold medal, allowing one run and striking out 19 in two starts. The award ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 11 in Busan.

Key Facts

Gwak went 11-7 in 27 starts and pitched 161 innings during the season.
Gwak was the only KBO starter to finish the season with an ERA below 3.00.
He received first-place votes from six of the seven members of the award selection committee.
Gwak allowed one run in 12 1/3 innings across two Asian Games starts, including a start against Japan in the gold medal game.
Gwak will receive a trophy and 20 million won in prize money at the ceremony.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 19, 2026 4:26 pm KST

Doosan Bears starter Gwak Been pitches against the LG Twins during the clubs' wild card game in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Doosan Bears starter Gwak Been, who led the Korean baseball league in ERA and strikeouts this year, was named the recipient of the country's top pitching award Monday.

Gwak was chosen as the winner of the 2026 Choi Dong-won Award. Named after the late former pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the award has been recognizing the top hurler in the KBO since 2014.

The award selection committee said Gwak received first-place votes from six of its seven members.

Gwak went 11-7 in 27 starts, covering 161 innings, and topped the KBO with a 2.24 ERA and 197 strikeouts. He was the only starter this season to post an ERA of under 3.00.

Gwak also pitched Korea to the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September, allowing just one run in 12 1/3 innings and striking out 19 in his two starts, including one against Japan in the gold medal game.

Candidates for the award must meet the following criteria: at least 25 starts, 180 innings pitched, 12 wins, 150 strikeouts, 15 quality starts, a sub-3.00 ERA and 35 saves for relievers.

Although Gwak fell short of thresholds in the wins and innings pitched categories, the selection committee said it made an exception for the 27-year-old pitcher, who missed about two weeks in the regular season to compete in the Asian Games.

"He had a dominant season and lived up to the legacy of an ace pitcher left by Choi Dong-won," the committee said.

Choi, who died in 2011 at age 53, is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in KBO history. He had a short but memorable peak in the mid-1980s. In 1984, Choi won all four games for the Lotte Giants, based in his hometown of Busan, in their first Korean Series victory, appearing in five out of seven games in the series and tossing four complete games. In the regular season that year, Choi recorded 223 strikeouts, a record that stood for 37 years.

The award ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 11, in honor of Choi's number during his playing days, in Busan. Gwak will receive a trophy and prize money of 20 million won ($15,000).

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