*This content was translated by AI.
The game of the most hits in KBO League history is fluctuating. While Son Ah-seop (38, Hanwha Eagles), who has to protect the throne of the most hits in his career, met the unexpected bad news of the cancellation of the first division, "chasers" Kim Hyun-soo (38, KT Wiz) and Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung Lions) are threatening the position with a scary additional hit pace.
In fact, Son Ah-seop's move ahead of this season was not smooth. After passing the year without an FA contract, he stayed with the original Hanwha Eagles in February on the condition of an annual salary of 100 million won. He joined the opening entry by choosing "White Army" as one of his passion for the milestone, but the reality was cold.
Son Ah-seop took the batter's box as a pinch hitter in the opening game against the Kiwoom Heroes on March 28th, which was all the first-team record this season. Since then, Hanwha canceled Son Ah-seop from the first-team entry on March 30. It is a decision to reinforce pitchers, not injuries, but for Son Ah-seop, who has to look at opportunities again in the Futures League, the "hit clock" has stopped. Son Ah-seop's career record is still tied to 2,618 hits.
While Son Ah-seop is faltering, Choi Hyung-woo is chasing fiercely. Choi Hyung-woo is still showing off his skills by hitting his 420th career home run against the Doosan Bears in Daegu on March 31, breaking the record for the oldest home run in KBO history. In particular, he has added hits in all four regular league games this season, showing off his strong batting sense. On March 31, he completed a three-hit game, including a home run.
This brings Choi's total number of hits to 2,592. The gap with No. 1 Son Ah-seop is only 26. While Son Ah-seop is adjusting his condition in the second division, it is only a matter of time before Choi Hyung-woo, who plays as Samsung's built-in designated hitter, overturns this gap. If this pace is maintained, the baseball community expects that the main character of the KBO's most hits will change as early as mid-April or at the end of April at the latest.
Another axis of the chase is Kim Hyun-soo, who changed from the LG Twins to the KT Wiz uniform this season. Kim Hyun-soo, who has a total of 2,538 hits, is 80 different from Son Ah-seop.
Although it is farther than Choi Hyung-woo, Kim Hyun-soo is a batter with unrivaled consistency that produces more than 150 hits every season. In particular, he swung an enormous three hits and four RBIs in six at-bats against Hanwha on the 1st. It is a multi-hit game for two consecutive games after two hits against Hanwha on March 31. Above all, as KT has guaranteed a stable opportunity to play, the later Son Ah-seop returns to the first team, the more Kim Hyun-soo will also be in sight.
Usually, Son Ah-seop has not hidden his desire for an unprecedented milestone of 3,000 hits in his career. However, the variable of the cancellation of entries from the beginning of the season is a major obstacle to his great work.
Will Son Ah-seop be able to protect the throne again in Seosan, or will 42-year-old "Noikjang" Choi Hyung-woo make history by becoming the new king of hits. Kim Hyun-soo is also eyeing the post. Fans are paying attention to the batters' race to the top of the KBO league's most hits list this season.
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*This content was translated by AI.
