KT Wiz slugger Hilliard voted KBO's top player for July

Seoul, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- KT Wiz outfielder Sam Hilliard has been recognized as South Korea's top baseball player for July. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) declared Hilliard the Player of the Month for the month, outpacing six other contenders. Media and fan votes determined his victory, with Hilliard securing 22 of 35 media votes and 70,702 of 428,888 online votes, totaling 39.67 points.

Samsung Lions outfielder Kim Ji-chan came in second place with 29.48 points, based on two media votes and 228,406 fan votes. In July, Hilliard was a standout performer, hitting nine home runs, driving in 26 runs, and posting a .365/.413/.743 batting average over 19 games. He led the KBO in home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage for the month, and was third in runs scored with 17.

Hilliard's season statistics include a third-place finish in home runs with 29 and second in RBIs with 92, along with the third-highest slugging percentage at .592. Hilliard is the first foreign player for the Wiz to claim the monthly award since Mel Rojas Jr. in June 2020. He will receive a prize of 3 million won (US$2,115) and a trophy for his achievement.