The excitement is building for the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO All-Star Game as the Best 12 roster has been officially announced, showcasing a thrilling lineup of Korea Baseball Organization's top talent. This year's fan voting, which took place from June 2 to June 22 across three platforms—the KBO website, KBO official app, and Shinhan SOL Bank app—broke records with a staggering 3,529,258 votes cast, marking an approximate 9% increase from last year. The combined results of fan votes (70%) and player votes (30%) have crowned Hanwha Eagles' closer Kim Seo-hyun as the standout star, winning the most fan votes in KBO history with an astonishing 1,786,837 ballots.
Kim Seo-hyun's remarkable achievement not only places him as the fan vote leader but also secures him the top spot in the overall scoring with 54.19 points, thanks to an additional 220 votes from player ballots. This marks the second time since 2015 that a closer pitcher has led the fan votes, following KIA Tigers' Jung Hae-young in 2024. Additionally, Kim is the second Hanwha player to earn this honor after Lee Yong-gyu in 2016 and the first Hanwha pitcher to do so. His dominance was evident as he edged out Lotte Giants' Yoon Dong-hee by roughly 69,000 votes, who finished second with 1,717,766 votes.
Hanwha's strong presence in the Nanum All-Star team doesn't stop with Kim Seo-hyun. The Eagles also have Park Sang-won selected as a middle reliever and Cody Ponce as a starting pitcher, both making their first career appearances in the Best 12 lineup. Estevan Florial rounds out the Hanwha contingent as an outfielder, bringing the total number of Hanwha players in the Nanum roster to four.
On the Dream All-Star side, the Lotte Giants dominated with six players selected, the highest for any team this year. Their roster includes closer Kim Won-jung, second baseman Go Seung-min, shortstop Jeon Min-jae, outfielders Yoon Dong-hee and Big Time Reyeseu, and designated hitter Jeon Jun-woo. Lotte's strong showing is complemented by Samsung Lions, who placed five players in the Dream All-Star Best 12: starting pitcher Won Tae-in, middle reliever rookie sensation Bae Chan-su, catcher Kang Min-ho, outfielder Koo Ja-wook, and first baseman Ruvin Diaz.
Samsung's Won Tae-in will be making his third career Best 12 appearance and second consecutive All-Star Game start, underscoring his rising prominence in the league. Meanwhile, Bae Chan-su, a high school rookie, has made history by becoming only the third rookie pitcher ever to be selected for the Best 12, joining the ranks of LG Twins' Jung Woo-young and Doosan Bears' Kim Taek-yeon. Despite trailing in fan votes behind Lotte's Jeong Cheol-won, Bae Chan-su surged ahead in the player votes, clinching his spot by a narrow margin of 0.42 points with a total score of 32.86.
Veteran catcher Kang Min-ho continues to cement his legacy with his 15th career All-Star selection, tying the record for most All-Star appearances alongside LG Twins' Kim Hyun-soo and former Samsung player Yang Jun-hyuk. Kang also matched the record for most Best 12 catcher selections with 12, equaling the legendary Lee Man-soo.
The infield sees a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh faces. Samsung's Ruvin Diaz leads as the first baseman with the highest player votes—241 out of 352—earning a total score of 50 points. Lotte's Go Seung-min secured his first All-Star appearance at second base after overturning Samsung's Ryu Ji-hyuk by 2.85 points in the total score. SSG Landers' Choi Jeong, a powerhouse with over 500 career home runs, continues his dominance at third base with his ninth Best 12 selection, the most for any third baseman in KBO history. Shortstop Jeon Min-jae of Lotte, making his All-Star debut, garnered overwhelming support with 1,579,413 fan votes and 178 player votes, showcasing his rising star status.
The outfield positions are occupied by Samsung's Koo Ja-wook, Lotte's Yoon Dong-hee, and Big Time Reyeseu. Koo Ja-wook, known for his versatility, is making his ninth Best 12 appearance and fifth consecutive selection since 2021, having been chosen previously at first base, outfield, and designated hitter positions. On the Nanum side, the outfield features NC Dinos' Park Kun-woo, Hanwha's Estevan Florial, and LG Twins' Park Hae-min, representing three different teams and adding to the competitive spirit of the All-Star showdown.
Designated hitter honors go to Lotte's Jeon Jun-woo, who led the fan vote and earned his fifth Best 12 selection, and KIA Tigers' Choi Hyeong-woo, the 2024 All-Star MVP. Choi's selection was one of the tightest races, edging out Hanwha's Moon Hyun-bin by a mere 0.27 points, demonstrating the fierce competition for every spot on the roster.
Reflecting on the broader picture, the 2025 KBO League continues to thrive in popularity, having reached six million spectators faster than ever since the league's expansion to 10 teams. With nearly 177 games sold out—almost 48% of the season's matches—the fervor of fans is palpable and clearly mirrored in the record-breaking All-Star fan votes.
Looking ahead, the 2025 KBO All-Star Game is set for July 12 at the Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon. The event will feature a classic showdown between the Dream All-Stars, led by manager Park Jin-man, and the Nanum All-Stars, managed by Lee Beom-ho. Each manager will also select 13 additional players, rounding out the 26-man roster for this much-anticipated exhibition.
As the league's brightest stars prepare to take the field, fans can expect a showcase of talent, passion, and thrilling baseball moments. Whether it's the record-breaking fan favorite Kim Seo-hyun, the rookie sensation Bae Chan-su, or the seasoned veterans like Kang Min-ho and Choi Jeong, the 2025 KBO All-Star Game promises to be a celebration of Korea's baseball excellence.
