Kang Baek-ho, after a grueling blood battle with the tenacious Oh Tae-gon, wins the thrilling 'Home Run Derby'! Asserts presence as the '3rd most home runs' → 'Home Run leader' Kim Do-young finishes 5th

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha Eagles' Kang Baek-ho (27) claimed the final throne of the 'War of Stars' Home Runs that lit up Jamsil Stadium. It was a dramatic victory, winning not only the fierce preliminary battles but also the blood-pounding sudden death finals. Especially significant is this win at the 'last home run derby,' held at Jamsil Stadium, which is widely regarded as the largest venue.

On the 10th, Kang Baek-ho of Hanwha lifted the final championship trophy after defeating Oh Tae-gon of SSG Landers in a fierce sudden death finals at the 'Com2uS Pro Baseball Home Run Derby,' a pre-event for the 2026 KBO All-Star Game held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium located in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Coincidentally, Oh Tae-gon was the player who stepped in as a replacement for Austin Dean of LG Twins, who sat out due to lower back discomfort on that day.

Kang Baek-ho, currently ranked 3rd in the league with 23 home runs this season, once again perfectly showcased his explosive power hitter presence with this Home Run Derby victory. Meanwhile, Kim Do-young of KIA Tigers, who is leading the home run race with a fierce bat recording 27 home runs in the regular season this year, managed only two home runs in the preliminaries and sadly finished tied for 5th place.

The preliminary round of this Home Run Derby featured a firepower battle among power hitters hotter than ever before. Especially, with only two tickets to the finals available, an unprecedented classic match unfolded with three players tied for first place. Kang Baek-ho (Hanwha), Oh Tae-gon (SSG), and Heo In-seo (Hanwha) each hit seven home runs, forming a joint lead group. According to 'Home Run Derby' rules, when the number of home runs is tied, the principle that the player with the longest distance record advances to the finals was applied.

As a result, Kang Baek-ho, who launched a massive 145-meter home run, and Oh Tae-gon, who recorded 140 meters, secured the final tickets to the finals, while Heo In-seo, who unfortunately fell short at 135 meters, had to turn back despite his valiant performance. Besides Kim Do-young, Hanwha's Moon Hyun-bin finished 4th with four home runs, NC's Kim Ju-won tied for 5th with two, and Doosan's Park Jun-soon followed with one. Yang Eui-ji recorded six home runs.

The finals between Kang Baek-ho and Oh Tae-gon, who fought a classic battle in the preliminaries, was truly a match that lived up to its reputation of being nail-bitingly tense. While the finals normally determine the champion and runner-up based on the number of home runs hit, both players, as if by agreement, each launched seven home runs even in their final at-bats, recording another tie.

The match proceeded to a nerve-wracking sudden death round of 'most home runs within 30 seconds.' It was an extreme situation requiring concentration under time pressure. In the final test of concentration, Kang Baek-ho emerged victorious. Kang Baek-ho dramatically outpaced Oh Tae-gon and claimed the throne of the home run king.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.