Kia Tigers third baseman Kim Do-yeong, who set several milestones in a banner year, will be vying for his first MVP award in the top South Korean baseball league.The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced 18 candidates for its regular-season MVP award Wednesday. The leaders of major pitching and hitting categories earned automatic nominations.Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers is greeted by teammates after scoring a run against the NC Dinos during the teams' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southern city of Gwangju on Sept. 30, 2024. (Yonhap)Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers is greeted by teammates after scoring a run against the NC Dinos during the teams' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southern city of Gwangju on Sept. 30, 2024. (Yonhap)Kim, who had 38 home runs and 40 steals to narrowly miss out on only the second 40-40 season in league history, is one of 10 position players up for the award.Kim, who turned 21 Wednesday, also set the single-season record by scoring 143 runs. He batted .347 and drove in 109 runs to rank among the leaders, while topping the league with a .647 slugging percentage and a 1.067 on-base plus slugging (OPS). Kim is the youngest player ever with at least 30 homers and 30 steals in a season.With the Tigers having finished first in the regular season, Kim has been regarded as the MVP front-runner.Koo Ja-wook, outfielder for the second-place Samsung Lions, would have a strong case if not for Kim's all-around excellence. Koo finished second behind Kim in OPS with 1.044, while setting career highs with 33 home runs, 115 RBIs and a .627 slugging percentage.Victor Reyes of the Lotte Giants set a league record with 202 hits and finished second in batting average with .352, though his club missed the postseason by finishing in seventh place.Eight pitchers have also been nominated for the award, including the Tigers starter James Naile, who won the ERA title at 2.53.The K BO also announced six candidates for the Rookie of the Year award. Players who hadn't accumulated 30 innings or 60 plate appearances over the past five years qualified as rookies, except those who had played pro ball overseas before coming to the KBO.Doosan Bears closer Kim Taek-yeon is widely regarded as the favorite, after leading all freshmen with 19 saves. He pitched to a 2.08 ERA across 65 innings and flashed dominant stuff in striking out 78 batters.Members of the Korea Baseball Writers Association will cast their ballots before the start of the wild card game between the KT Wiz and the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Wednesday evening. The winners will be announced at a ceremony after the conclusion of the Korean Series.Source: Yonhap News Agency