Due to the impact of soaring inflation, the number of people earning billions of dollars is increasing. In this year’s KBO League, as of February, 158 out of 527 players with annual salaries in the hundreds of millions of dollars accounted for 30% of the total. The average annual salary of 152.59 million won is the highest ever.
However, this is a figure raised by players with large free agents and non-FA multi-year contracts, and most of them are still low-wage players under 100 million won. Although the value of 100 million won is not the same as before, it is still a symbolic number and an indicator of a successful player. It is a thrilling winter for players who will receive their first billion-dollar annual salary.
On the pitcher side, KIA left-hander Eui-ri Lee, who won the Rookie of the Year title last year, is certain to earn the first billion won in annual salary. Eui-ri Lee, who recorded a 200% increase from the minimum annual salary of 30 million won in the first year and received 90 million won this year, played an active role in 29 games (154 innings) with a 10-10 loss, 3.86 ERA, and 161 strikeouts, putting the second year jinx to rest. His third year salary is also expected to increase significantly.
Starting pitchers Kwak Bin (Doosan) and Oh Won-seok (SSG), who broke through the first regulation innings along with Lee Eui-ri, also have a salary of 100 million won. Both pitchers have the same annual salary of 65 million won this year. Kwak Bin recorded an average ERA of 3.78 with 8 wins and 9 losses in 27 games (147⅔ innings), and Oh Won-seok recorded an average ERA of 4.50 with 6 wins and 8 losses in 31 games (144 innings).
Lotte Lee In-bok also failed to fill the required innings, but spent a career high season with an average ERA of 4.19 with 9 wins, 9 losses and 1 hold in 26 games (126⅔ innings) as a starting pitcher. This year’s annual salary is 85 million won. At the age of 32 next year, he is likely to become the first billionaire. Pitcher Na Gyun-an of the same team is also an all-weather pitcher with an average ERA of 3.98 with 3 wins, 8 losses and 2 holds in 39 games (117⅔ innings).
KT Eom Sang-baek (80 million won), who took first place in winning percentage (.846), Kim Bum-soo (96.8 million won), the pitcher who recorded the most 23 holds in the history of the Hanwha team, Lee Min-ho (98 million won), Kim Yoon-shik (70 million won), KIA left-hander of the LG starters. Lee Joon-yeong (67 million won), who has been reborn as a winning man, and Kim Young-gyu (95 million won), an NC setup man, are also likely to have their first 100 million won annual salary. Doosan bullpen pitcher Jung Cheol-won (30 million won), who received the Rookie of the Year award, also raises questions.
On the batter side, Moon Bo-kyung, who has established himself as the LG’s main third baseman, is likely to have an annual salary of 100 million won. Moon Bo-gyeong, who became the youngest LG hitter ever (22 years old) to hit 30% of the regular at-bats, played an active role in 126 games this year with a batting average of 30.15, 128 hits, 9 homers, 56 RBIs, and an OPS of .833. A player with an annual salary of 68 million won ranked 7th in the overall batting average and contributed to LG’s team’s most 87 wins, so it was the best value for money.
Third baseman Song Seong-moon, who contributed to Kiwoom’s runner-up in the Korean Series, is expected to earn hundreds of millions of dollars in annual salary. Song Seong-moon, who earned an annual salary of 75 million won this year, recorded a batting average of .247, 135 hits, 13 homers, 79 RBIs and an OPS of .673 in 142 games. 토토사이트 Overcoming the sluggishness at the beginning of the season, he played an active part in fall baseball.
KIA outfielder Lee Chang-jin also had a career high season with a batting average of 3.1, 104 hits, 7 homers, 48 RBIs and an OPS of .767 in 111 games. Although he fell short of the required number of at-bats with 42 at-bats, he achieved good cost-effectiveness with an annual salary of 70 million won this year, and is expected to enter the first billion won salary. KIA first baseman Hwang Dae-in (65 million won), who recorded 14 homers and 91 RBIs in his first full-time season, and Kim Joo-won (60 million won), who recorded 10 homers in his second year as the NC shortstop, are also drawing attention.