Ask players or even the manager for the LG Twins to pick their team's MVP for the first half of this Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, and, to a man, they will point to sophomore reliever You Young-chan. It's not just that the right-hander has racked up a career-high 18 saves. It's how You has picked up those saves, while also pitching to a 1.82 ERA and earning five wins out of a bullpen that has been plagued by injuries all year. You's latest save, which came Thursday night in a 3-2 win over the Kiwoom Heroes, was emblematic of how much the Twins have leaned on him this season. The Twins took a 3-1 lead into the bottom eighth at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Setup man Lee Sang-yung came on and got a groundout to begin the inning, before hitting Ronnie Dawson and then walking Kim Hye-seong. Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb, who has credited You with helping keep the team afloat this year, then summoned the closer for a five-out save opportunity. You promptly walked cleanup hitter Song Sung-mun after losing an eight-pitch battle to load the bases. Now the Heroes had the go-ahead run at first. You escaped the jam with minimal damage. He got Choi Joo-hwan to bounce into a 4-6 fielder's choice, which plated in a run. Pinch hitter Byeon Sang-kwon then swung on a first-pitch fastball from You and grounded into a 4-6 forceout that ended the rally. You retired the side in order in the bottom ninth in 11 pitches to close out the narrow win. It kept the Twins in second place heading into the All-Star break, 3.5 games behind the Kia Tigers at 46-38-2 (wins-losses-ties). He is third in the KBO with 18 saves and first with six "tough saves," or saves earned with the tying run on base. He has recorded five outs for a save four times, and he has also had three saves in which he got the final four outs. That's plenty of work, considering closers are often asked to handle only the final inning. "I knew I was going into the game at a critical juncture, and I didn't really care what inning it was," You said after Thur sday's game. "I was only thinking about protecting the lead and helping the team win." After being drafted out of college in 2019, You only made his KBO debut in 2023 at age 26. He made most of his first extended opportunity, as he recorded 12 holds in 67 relief appearances along with a 3.44 ERA. In 68 innings, You struck out 55 and walked 40. He was thrust into the closer role this year after the incumbent Go Woo-suk signed with the San Diego Padres in January. And the pressure on You's shoulders only increased when one reliever after another went down with injuries. Most notably, All-Star reliever Jung Woo-young spent the majority of the first half either on the injured list or in the minors. Lefty reliever Ham Deok-ju had elbow surgery in January and isn't expected back until later in the summer. Two relievers who picked up the slack earlier in the season, Baek Seung-hyeon and Park Myung-geun, have both missed significant time with injuries. You Young-chan has been the one healthy member of the bullpen , and his rate stats across the board have improved from last season. In 2023, You had a walk rate of 13.1 percent, and he gave free passes to 5.3 batters per nine innings. This year, his walk rate is down to 9.8 percent and he's only walking 3.9 batters per nine innings. And his strikeout rate has jumped from 18 percent to 27.7 percent. With 48 Ks in 39 2/3 innings, You is striking out 10.9 batters per nine innings. "I am satisfied that I am giving up fewer walks than last year," You said. "But on the other hand, I've let too many inherited runners score this year. I have to cut that down." The pitcher is being hard on himself. Manager Youm said this week he felt You has "saved a lot of games that we could have lost" and that the pitcher "has done wonders to the team morale." Youm selected You as a reserve for the All-Star Game this weekend, giving the right-hander his first All-Star nod. "I can't wait for my first All-Star Game," You said. "I hope fans will come out and enjoy the game." Source: Yonh ap News Agency