'SSG Champion' Wilmer Font's Latest: Crowned Strikeout King in Mexican League with 100 Ks in 19 Games

*This content was translated by AI.

Wilmer Font (36), a right-handed foreign pitcher who played a key role in SSG Landers' 2022 championship, has delivered a dazzling strikeout performance on the Mexican stage to claim the strikeout king title. In this season's Mexican League (LMB), he became the only pitcher to reach the 100th-strikeout milestone, securing the "strikeout king" title and demonstrating his enduring pitching prowess.

According to a report by Venezuelan sports outlet "El Emergente" on the 8th (Korean time), Font, who plays for Saraperos de Saltillo, struggled in his final appearance of the 2026 LMB regular season on the 3rd, pitching 2⅓ innings and allowing four runs. However, even while failing to complete three innings due to poor form, he struck out three opposing batters to reach the 100th-strikeout mark for the season.

The twist came from just three strikeouts in his final appearance. Font finished ahead of Noah Schiro (Tijuana, 98 strikeouts) by two strikes to rank first overall in LMB strikeouts for the 2026 season. Former KIA Tigers pitcher Ronnie Williams ended the season with 89 strikeouts, ranking fourth in the category, while another former KIA pitcher, Daniel Mendonza, finished fifth with 87 strikeouts. Only Font reached the 100th-strikeout milestone.

With this achievement, Font became the fourth Venezuelan pitcher in LMB history to win the strikeout king title. The same outlet highlighted this record, noting it as a historic feat achieved after 33 years, following Julián Ladera (136 strikeouts) in 1957, Luis Mercedes Sánchez (155 strikeouts) in 1980, and Urbano Rugo (164 strikeouts) in 1993.

Font remains a vivid memory for Korean baseball fans. He played two seasons with SSG Landers starting from 2021, notably leading the team to a wire-to-wire championship in 2022 with an outstanding record of 13 wins, 6 losses, and a 2.69 ERA. Ahead of the 2023 season, he signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres to attempt a return to Major League Baseball, but the comeback did not materialize.

After making his Mexican debut in 2025 with Diablos Rojos del México, Font started all 20 games this season for Saltillo, posting an 8-4 record with a 4.91 ERA and fulfilling the role of ace. Although the team finished eighth in the Northern Division and missed the postseason (which includes the top six teams), Font's pitching ability remained impressive.

Font is now preparing to return to his home country, Venezuela, to join the Leones del Caracas for the winter league (LVBP). Known for commanding the KBO mound with a powerful high-velocity fastball exceeding 150 km/h and a sharp-breaking curveball during his SSG days, Font, at 36 years old, continues to demonstrate the instincts of a "strikeout machine" in his latest update.

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*This content was translated by AI.