Baseball’s NC Foreign Pitcher Eric Peddie, 30, has emerged as the best player of the 2023 season.
Pedi was named the regular-season Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Awards Ceremony on Sunday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul. In a poll conducted by the Korea Baseball Writers Association after the regular season ended, Pedi received 102 out of 111 valid votes, a whopping 91.9 percent of the vote. This was a 96-vote margin over runner-up Roh Si-hwan (Hanwha), who received six votes.
Pedi made his KBO debut this year in an NC uniform and immediately made a mark on the league. In 30 games, he went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA. He led the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts (209). He became the fourth pitcher in history to win the Triple Crown, joining Seon Dong-yeol of Haetae (1986, 1989, 1990, 1991), Ryu Hyun-jin of Hanwha (2006) and Yoon Seok-min of KIA (2011). He also became the first player in 37 years to win 20 games and strike out 200 batters, joining Seon Dong-yeol (24 wins, 214 strikeouts) in 1986.
Peddy, who flew back to the United States on Aug. 8, returned to South Korea on Aug. 18 with his father, Scott Peddy, to attend the ceremony. Unlike previous foreign athletes, who are almost certain to win the award, Peddie’s post-season trip home was replaced by a video reflection.
Peddie, who was hit in the forearm by a pitch in his final appearance of the regular season, and who appeared in only one game in NC’s postseason run and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, became teary-eyed with remorse as he recalled that day.
“I cried because I couldn’t help the team then. I was very emotional because all the players on the team are brothers to me,” he said, adding, “I only won this award because I came to NC.” “I think this award actually belongs to my father. I’m grateful,” he said.
Pedi, who is expected to enter the major leagues, ended his 2023 season in the KBO with a sincere award, heartfelt emotions, and happy tears.
The Rookie of the Year was Moon Dong-ju (20-Hanwha). Moon, who joined Hanwha last year but pitched 28.2 innings for the first team to remain eligible for this year’s Rookie of the Year award, received 85 of the 111 votes to overwhelmingly beat out runner-up Yoon Young-chul (KIA – 15 votes).
Including his time in the Binggrae, Moon is the fourth Eagles player to win the Rookie of the Year award, joining Lee Jung-hoon in 1987, Kim Tae-gyun in 2001 and Ryu Hyun-jin in 2006.
After becoming the first Hanwha player to win Rookie of the Year in 17 years, Moon Dong-ju took the trophy on stage and said, “The trophy seems to be very heavy. I will have to bear this weight well,” he said, expressing his joy at winning the Rookie of the Year award and his sense of responsibility for the future.
Moon Dong-ju, who appeared in 23 games this year and went 8-8 with a 3.72 ERA, said, “I played my first full-time season, but I don’t think I can say that my performance overwhelmed the league. “Earlier, Pedi asked me, ‘Do you think you’ll be the MVP next year,’ so I said, ‘I’ll try,'” he said. I don’t think I can win MVP yet, but I hope to fulfill that promise one day. I think I need to be much better next year.”