'538 Home Run Junior → 2,696 Hit Senior': Next is 41-year-old Kang Min-ho, who hit back-to-back home runs after returning from the minor leagues — '17 consecutive seasons with 10+ home runs -1'

*This content was translated by AI.

He has fully awakened after returning from the minor leagues. Kang Min-ho (41, Samsung Lions) is on the verge of etching a record into Korean baseball history.

On the 14th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, Kang Min-ho contributed with three hits in four at-bats, including one home run, one walk, one RBI, and two runs scored, leading his team to an 8-5 victory over Hanwha Eagles in a home game.

Kang Min-ho, who was hitting .409 in July, headed to the minor leagues for recharging amid the aftermath of cancellations due to extreme heat. Exactly ten days later, he rejoined the team on the 13th and hit back-to-back home runs in two consecutive games.

He is also on the verge of achieving a historic record: 17 consecutive seasons with double-digit home runs. Kang Min-ho, who joined Lotte in 2004, hit his first career home run on April 28, 2005, in Suwon against Daejeon. From his seventh season in 2010 through 2025, he has recorded at least 10 home runs every single year for 16 consecutive seasons without missing a beat.

During this streak of consecutive records, he has reached the 20th-home-run mark five times (2010, 2015–2018). Notably, in 2015, he hit a personal best single-season record of 35 home runs. Based on his consistent power-hitting ability, Kang Min-ho set a new milestone by launching his 350th career home run against Hanwha in Daegu on September 7, 2025 — the first catcher in KBO League history to reach that mark.

Currently, the record for most consecutive seasons with 10+ home runs in the KBO League is held by Choi Jung (39, SSG) with 21 consecutive seasons (2006–2026), while team senior Choi Hyung-woo (43) continues his streak of 19 consecutive seasons (2008–2026). If Kang Min-ho adds just one more home run, he will achieve the third-longest record in KBO League history.

He is also moving forward toward another historic milestone. With 359 career home runs, Kang Min-ho trails Lee Dae-ho (374 home runs), who ranks fifth in this category, by just 15 home runs. Additionally, he has appeared in 2,570 games in his career, continuing to write the record for most appearances in KBO League history.

After the game, Kang Min-ho said, "Since being called up, I tried to focus as much as possible on the game situation to help the team win. It seems like that has led to good results continuing to come." He added, "While I am approaching a major personal record, I am focusing more on my role in helping the team win rather than the record itself. This was a time when a team victory was absolutely necessary, and I was truly happy when Lee Jae-hyun hit back-to-back home runs. Thanks to that, it seems the team's atmosphere improved even more."

His smart game management as a catcher also stood out. Choi Won-tae, who earned the win for the day, said, "We discussed a lot during our power analysis with (Kang) Min-ho, and I think those well-coordinated parts worked out well today. My fastball felt good, so I wanted to throw hard. Min-ho's calling was excellent, so I want to express my sincere gratitude to him." Kang Min-ho responded, "I had good chemistry with starting pitcher Choi Won-tae, and we were able to coordinate well during the game. Most importantly, it was great because it helped the team win."

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*This content was translated by AI.