A historic 'simultaneous 200 hits' appears on the horizon, as Choi Won-jun and Reyes face off in a tight race separated by just one hit.

*This content was translated by AI.

The battle for the most hits is heating up. It may even be possible for two players to simultaneously achieve the 'dream of 200 hits' in a single season.

In this season's hit category, KT Wiz's Choi Won-jun (29) and Lotte Giants' Reyes (32) are leading with 115 and 114 hits, respectively.

Early on, Choi Won-jun took the lead by hitting an impressive 45 hits in May alone. However, while Choi added 34 hits in 26 games since June, Reyes added 42 hits in 31 games, closing the gap to just one hit.

After becoming a free agent following last season, Choi joined KT on a four-year, 4.8 billion won contract and has blossomed as a permanent leadoff hitter in his first year with the team. Since making his professional debut in 2016, he had never filled the required plate appearances or posted a batting average above .300, but this season he stands confidently at the top with a .364 average.

Reyes made his Korean debut in 2024 and hit 202 hits in his first year, surpassing Seo Geon-chang (then of Nexen, 201 hits in 2014) to set a new KBO League record for most hits in a single season. Last year, he also led the league with 187 hits, continuing his role as one of the top 'hit producers.'

If these two continue their friendly competition and accelerate their hit march, both may reach the milestone of 200 hits. The 200-hit mark has been achieved by only two players in the 44th-year history of the KBO League: Seo Geon-chang and Reyes.

Choi Won-jun has recorded 115 hits in 78 personal games (averaging 1.47 hits per game). If he maintains this pace over KT's remaining 62 games, he could reach 206 hits. Reyes, who has played in all 83 of his team's games and recorded 114 hits (averaging 1.37 hits per game), is projected to finish the season with 198 hits—just two short of 200.

However, even in 2024 when Reyes recorded 202 hits, he accelerated his pace in the second half (64 games, .359 average, 93 hits, averaging 1.45 hits per game) compared to the first half (80 games, .346 average, 109 hits, averaging 1.36 hits per game). This year, he is expected to challenge once again for a third consecutive batting title and potentially reach the historic 200-hit mark.

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*This content was translated by AI.