KT's Sam Hilliard wins KBO Sept-Oct MVP, first foreign player to take two in a season
In short
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said on 20 October that KT Wiz batter Sam Hilliard (샘 힐리어드) won the 2026 September-October monthly MVP award with 45.16 points, ahead of SSG Landers' Pedro Avila on 24.88. It is his second monthly MVP this season after July, and outlets say no foreign player had won two in one season before.
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The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said on 20 October that KT Wiz foreign batter Sam Hilliard (샘 힐리어드) was named the September-October monthly most valuable player of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. Yonhap quoted the KBO as saying he received 11 of 35 reporter votes (31.4%) and 271,145 of 460,484 fan votes (58.9%), for 45.16 points in total. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
SSG Landers' Pedro Avila finished second with 24.88 points. Chosun Ilbo reported that Avila, a foreign pitcher, led the reporter vote 12 to 11 but received 71,273 fan votes, far fewer than Hilliard. Newsis said Hilliard won on the strength of the fan vote. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
In 32 games in September-October, Hilliard hit .326 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. He was first in home runs and RBIs, second in runs (33) and slugging percentage (0.697), and third in hits (43). The outlets said the figures kept him at the centre of KT's lineup, or led it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Hilliard hit a home run in his last at-bat against Samsung Lions on 7 October in Suwon. On 11 October in Daegu he homered in his first two at-bats against Samsung, which gave him his first three consecutive at-bats with home runs, according to Dong-A Ilbo, Newsis and Chosun Ilbo. Yonhap also reported the three consecutive home runs and said they helped KT win the regular-season title. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
It is Hilliard's second monthly MVP of the season after July. Since monthly MVP awards became regular in 2010, he is the seventh player to win two in one season, after Ryu Hyun-jin and Lee Dae-ho in 2010, Kang Jung-ho in 2014, Yang Hyeon-jong in 2019, Lee Jung-hoo in 2022 and Kim Do-young in 2024. All four outlets say he is the first foreign player to do it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Chosun Ilbo described him as a foreign batter who had once faced the risk of being released, and said he led KT to its first regular-season first place in five years. Newsis said he also got the better of Samsung, which it called a likely Korean Series rival. Hilliard receives a 3 million won prize and a trophy. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The documents say Hilliard's award is the seventh time a player has won two monthly MVPs in one season since the award became regular in 2010, and the first for a foreign player. Outlets also link his hitting to KT's regular-season title.
Key facts
- The KBO announced on 20 October that Hilliard of KT Wiz won the September-October monthly MVP of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Hilliard scored 45.16 points, from 11 of 35 reporter votes (31.4%) and 271,145 of 460,484 fan votes (58.9%). SSG Landers' Pedro Avila was second with 24.88 points. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- In 32 games in September-October, Hilliard hit .326 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He ranked first in home runs and RBIs, second in runs (33) and slugging percentage (0.697), and third in hits (43). [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He hit home runs in his last at-bat against Samsung Lions on 7 October and in his first two at-bats against Samsung in Daegu on 11 October, his first three consecutive at-bats with home runs. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- It is his second monthly MVP of 2026 after July, and the first time a foreign player has won two in a single season. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Hilliard receives a prize of 3 million won and a trophy. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The KBO announced that Hilliard won the September-October monthly MVP with 45.16 points, ahead of Avila's 24.88. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Hilliard is the seventh player to win two monthly MVPs in one season since 2010, after Ryu Hyun-jin and Lee Dae-ho (2010), Kang Jung-ho (2014), Yang Hyeon-jong (2019), Lee Jung-hoo (2022) and Kim Do-young (2024), and the first foreign player to do so. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- KT won the regular-season title, with outlets crediting Hilliard's hitting. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- How the reporter vote split between Hilliard and Avila. Only one outlet says Avila led the reporter vote 12 to 11 and received 71,273 fan votes; the others give only Hilliard's reporter and fan vote totals.
- Whether Samsung is a leading Korean Series contender. Only one outlet says Hilliard got the better of Samsung, described as a leading Korean Series rival.