Extends lead over Austin Dean to four home runs
KIA Tigers infielder Kim Do-young, 22, has finally reached the 40-home run mark, becoming the first domestic player to do so in eight years.
Kim hit a solo home run in the sixth inning while trailing 1-4 in a road game against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on Tuesday, part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League season. He drove a first-pitch fastball from Samsung's second pitcher, Satoshi Miyamori, for his 40th home run of the season.
Kim, who leads the league in home runs, extended his lead over second-place Austin Dean of the LG Twins, who has 36, to four home runs with the latest blast.
This marks the first time Kim has hit 40 home runs in a single season. He fell short of the KBO League record for youngest player to reach 40 home runs, held by Lee Seung-yeop, now a coach with the Yomiuri Giants. But he set a string of other records.
Kim became only the second player in KIA franchise history to reach 40 home runs, after Tracy Sanders hit 40 in 1999. He is the first domestic player to do so for the club. League-wide, he is the first domestic player to hit 40 home runs in eight years. Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears (44), Park Byung-ho of the Nexen Heroes (42) and Han Yu-som of the SK Wyverns (41) all reached the mark in 2018.
yeongdai@heraldcorp.com
