'With' Kim Do-young's bombshell remarks: "This isn't a perfect season; the number of home runs doesn't matter." Why?

*This content was translated by AI.

"I don't think this season is the perfect season I envisioned. Therefore, the number of home runs doesn't hold much significance."

He has been performing well enough, yet he says it's not a perfect season... This statement could be heard as a bombshell remark. It came from KIA Tigers superstar Kim Do-young. What exactly does he mean? Why did he say this season isn't perfect?

There is a reason. Due to his selection for the 2026 Asian Games baseball national team, he will not be able to play all KBO League games even if he wants to. That is why he said the home run count also lacks significance.

Nevertheless, Kim Do-young continues to lead the home run category.

On the 18th, KIA secured a one-run victory (4-3) over Hanwha Eagles in an away regular-season game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League at Daejeon Hanwha Life Park.

With this win, KIA extended their winning streak to three games, improving their record to 57 wins, 48 losses, and 2 ties. KIA remains in sole fourth place in the league.

Kim Do-young started that day as the third hitter and third baseman, going 1-for-4 with one home run, one RBI, one run scored, and one walk, contributing significantly to the team's victory.

In the first inning, Kim Do-young reached base on a walk but failed to score. He struck out in both the third and fourth innings.

Against Hanwha starter Wang Yencheng, he swung and missed at a 147 km/h fastball for a strikeout in the third inning. In the fourth, with two outs and bases loaded, after a full-count battle, he again swung and missed at another 147 km/h fastball. Most regrettable was that the pitch resulting in his sixth strikeout had been outside the strike zone.

Still, Kim Do-young was Kim Do-young.

In the bottom of the seventh inning with the team leading 3-2, it was KIA's turn to bat. Leadoff hitter Park Jae-hyun reached base with a double that struck the right-field fence directly. When Kim Seon-bin grounded out to shortstop, Park attempted to advance to third but was thrown out. The runner vanished instantly, completing two outs. This moment was especially frustrating because the next batter was Kim Do-young.

Then Kim Do-young stepped up for his fourth at-bat. Hanwha reliever Lee Sang-gyu was on the mound. From a favorable 2-0 count, Kim Do-young attacked the third pitch—a 134 km/h cutter—and launched a solo home run over the left-field wall.

This was Kim Do-young's 36th home run of the season. The distance was 125 meters, exit velocity 177 km/h, and launch angle 23 degrees. With this homer, Kim Do-young firmly secured sole possession of first place in the home run race. At a time when his team extended its lead to 4-2, it was especially valuable given that KIA had surrendered one run in the top of the seventh.

After the game, Kim Do-young met with reporters and said humbly, "The pitchers really played well and we won, so I don't even know why I'm here for this interview." He then added, "My hitting feel keeps improving. If I keep going like this, I think good hits will continue to come out."

With that home run, Kim Do-young extended his lead over second-place LG's Austin Dean (32 home runs) by four.

Kim Do-young said, "I'd be satisfied if I hit 40 home runs before going to the Asian Games," but added, "Honestly, I don't have many thoughts on it."

He continued, "I always aim for a perfect season. This season, due to the Asian Games, I'll miss almost ten or more games. So I don't consider this my perfect season. That's why I don't attach much significance to the number of home runs this season and have been thinking that way continuously. Therefore, I tend not to focus on it consciously."

In fact, during the first half of the season, it would be no exaggeration to say that the words "home run champion" were virtually absent from Kim Do-young's mind. At the end of June, when asked about competing for the home run title, he said, "I've never even thought about that. To maintain good form, I think it's right to set aside such thoughts entirely. While I don't have thoughts about records, I am paying attention to batting average. And I'm focusing solely on helping the team win."

However, the situation has changed somewhat now. Unlike Austin, who hit five home runs in the second half, Kim Do-young has crushed nine more, further widening the gap. Moreover, Austin plays his home games at the vast Jamsil Stadium. Currently, this creates a scenario where Kim Do-young can still fully compete for the home run title even after returning from the Asian Games.

Still, there is one record Kim Do-young aspires to: RBIs. He stated, "As a third hitter, I believe you must reach 100 RBIs without fail. What I truly desire is the 'batting average of .300, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs scored' record." This season, Kim Do-young has appeared in 107 games, posting an impressive line: .295 batting average (117 hits in 396 at-bats), 36 home runs, 90 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 7 stolen bases (1 caught stealing), 61 walks, 81 strikeouts, .393 on-base percentage, .626 slugging percentage, 1.019 OPS (on-base plus slugging), and a .351 batting average with runners in scoring position. What further performances will Kim Do-young deliver in the remaining season? KIA fans' expectations continue to rise.

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*This content was translated by AI.