'And' 43-year-old free agent batter competing for the batting title with a .365 average... Choi Hyung-woo needs just six more hits to make KBO history again

*This content was translated by AI.

This has gone beyond surprise to the level of awe. Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung Lions), who returned to his original team as a free agent this year, has once again brought a new KBO League record within reach.

On the 7th, Choi started as the second hitter and designated hitter against the Daegu Kiwoom Heroes, going 1-for-2 with one RBI and two walks, reaching base three times and leading Samsung to a 6-0 victory. With this performance, Choi recorded a regular-season batting average of .365 (115 at-bats, 42 hits), seven home runs, 27 RBIs, 20 runs scored, an on-base percentage of .483, a slugging percentage of .591, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.074 across 32 games.

As of the end of the game on the 7th, Choi ranked third in batting average, second in on-base percentage, and third in slugging percentage, making pre-season concerns seem trivial. During spring training in Okinawa, Japan, Choi expressed concern to reporters that his physical condition had not improved as much as expected. In fact, he managed only a .125 average (2 hits in 16 at-bats) over eight exhibition games, suggesting he might need more time.

He proved from the start of the regular season that exhibition game results mean nothing to a player with 25 professional years. After recording hits easily from the opening game, he achieved a three-hit game within three contests, including his first home run of the season. Starting from the April 21 game against the SSG Landers, he embarked on a 14-game consecutive hit streak, eventually entering the race for the batting title.

This naturally left Choi just six hits away from achieving the first-ever 4,500-hit record in KBO history. The record highlights Choi as a complete hitter who possesses both consistency and impact. Choi recorded his first professional hit, a double, in a game against the Busan Lotte Giants on October 18, 2002. He led the league in total hits in the 2011, 2013, and 2016 seasons. With 308 hits in the 2015 season and 338 hits in the 2016 season, he became the sixth player in KBO League history to record 300 or more hits in two or more consecutive seasons.

He also surpassed the record of former manager Lee Seung-yeop (50), known as the "Ryan King." Among pitchers who have recorded 3,500 or more total hits, the highest average hits per game is 2.14, held by former manager Lee Seung-yeop. Choi ranks second in this category with an average of 1.92 hits per game.

However, after turning 35, he displayed even more explosive performance. On April 17, 2024, during his time with the KIA Tigers, in a game against the Incheon SSG, he became the second player in history to reach 4,000 career hits, following former manager Lee Seung-yeop (4,077 hits).

Just a few months later, on June 12 of that year, in a game against the Incheon SSG, he surpassed former manager Lee Seung-yeop's record and has firmly held the top spot for the most career hits in history. Regarding Choi's approach to this major milestone, the KBO stated, "If Choi achieves 4,500 career hits, he will be awarded a commemorative trophy in accordance with the award regulations."

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*This content was translated by AI.