'45 Home Runs, 140 RBIs Pace' — A Historic Season Unseen with LG Twins: Austin Eyes First Home Run Crown and MVP... Team Performance Is the Variable

*This content was translated by AI.

Austin Dean (33), an overseas hitter in his fourth year in the KBO, is aiming for the club's first regular-season MVP award and home run crown with a historic season unlike anything seen before with LG Twins.

On the 29th at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game against Kiwoom Heroes, Austin started as the third hitter and first baseman, going 4-for-5 with one home run, four RBIs, one walk, and two runs scored in a standout performance.

LG collapsed on the mound, allowing nine runs in just the fifth inning, leading to an 18-11 defeat against last-place Kiwoom. The game featured a total of 40 hits — 23 for Kiwoom and 17 for LG — spanning four hours and 23 minutes in a fierce battle. Even so, Austin's presence was worth a hundred men, accounting for about one-quarter of his team's hits. In contrast, Kiwoom had eight multi-hit players, five of whom recorded three or more hits.

Austin made a powerful impression from the start. In the bottom of the first with no outs and runners on first and third, he pulled a sweeper that slipped outside against Ha Young-min over the left-field fence. The 119.2-meter flight marked his 30th home run of the season. With this homer, Austin became only the ninth player in KBO history and the third foreign player to hit 30 home runs in three consecutive seasons. Previous foreign hitters to achieve this feat were Tyrone Woods (formerly with OB Bears) and Eric Thames (formerly with NC Dinos).

He showcased his presence every time he came to bat. In the bottom of the third, Austin sparked his bat with a single to left field, then in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and runners on first and second, he delivered a one-run double down the left-field line, contributing once again to a four-run big inning. Despite his hot hitting streak, he remained composed. In the bottom of the sixth, facing shaky pitcher Kim Sun-ki, Austin calmly took a walk. In the seventh, after Lee Jae-won's two-run homer to left-center field, Austin maintained momentum with a steady hit between left and center fields.

Even in the final at-bat of the ninth inning when the score gap had widened significantly, Austin's appearance raised the crowd's excitement. He flew out to left field, but it was a moment that reflected fans' high expectations. As a result, Austin's season stats now stand at: 96 games, .341 batting average (125 hits in 367 at-bats), 30 home runs, 93 RBIs, 77 runs scored, .430 on-base percentage, .659 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.089 (on-base plus slugging).

This pace — 45 home runs and 140 RBIs — is unprecedented for LG batters who call the vast Jamsil Baseball Stadium their home. The single-season record for most home runs with LG was set by Roberto Ramos in 2020 with 38, while Austin himself holds the club's single-season RBI record of 132 set in 2024.

Looking across the entire league, no player matches Austin's consistent top-tier performance across multiple batting categories. He leads the league in RBIs and slugging percentage, ranks second in home runs, third in hits and runs scored, and fourth in batting average. With a bit more effort, he could be within reach of winning seven crowns. Given this, expectations for Austin to win both the regular-season MVP and home run crown are high. LG is the only one of the 10th professional teams that has never won either award.

However, competition is fierce. A leading contender for the home run crown is Kim Do-young (23) of KIA Tigers. In 98 games, Kim has posted a .298 batting average (108 hits in 363 at-bats), 31 home runs, 84 RBIs, 79 runs scored, .393 on-base percentage, .614 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.007 — delivering impact comparable to Austin's.

KT Wiz's high-flying duo, Sam Hilliard (32) and Choi Won-jun (29), are also making serious waves. Hilliard hit two home runs in a single day on the 29th, jumping straight to third place in home runs. He has maintained consistent performance with a .310 batting average (114 hits in 368 at-bats), 27 home runs, 89 RBIs, 71 runs scored, .374 on-base percentage, .587 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 0.961.

Choi Won-jun, who leads the league in both batting average and on-base percentage, is known as a symbol of value buying but delivers production comparable to a middle-of-the-order hitter. In 89 regular-season games, he has hit .354 (128 hits in 362 at-bats) with eight home runs, 49 RBIs, 78 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases, posting a .433 on-base percentage, .503 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 0.936 — reviving his reputation as Seoul's original batting genius.

Amid such strong contenders, team performance is expected to be the deciding factor. In this regard, Austin has been most vulnerable since the second half began. LG has gone 6-12 in July, including an eight-game losing streak, dropping from first place to third with a league-worst winning percentage of .333. With 54 wins and 42 losses, they are now closer to fourth place than first. They trail first-place Samsung Lions (58-2-36) by five games and fourth-place KIA (51-2-45) by three games.

Austin is already on his way to making history as the first player in LG's franchise to achieve such individual milestones. However, as seen on this day when he recorded four hits and four RBIs yet still watched his team lose 18-11, there are limits to what one player can do alone. As Austin's bat continues its push toward the home run crown and MVP, a team-wide turnaround is now essential.

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*This content was translated by AI.