*This content was translated by AI.
KIA Tigers left-handed veteran Yang Hyeon-jong (38) is set to take the mound as the starter at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 21st, standing on the verge of a historic milestone in KBO League history.
As of the 20th, Yang Hyeon-jong has pitched 95⅔ innings this season, leaving just 4⅓ innings to achieve his personal record of 13 consecutive seasons with over 100 innings. If he can pitch through five innings with one out in today's start against Kiwoom Heroes (21st), he will tie the KBO League's all-time longest record of '13 consecutive seasons with over 100 innings,' set by Song Jin-woo (former Hanwha Eagles, 1994–2006 seasons).
Yang Hyeon-jong established himself as a starter in his third professional season in 2009, pitching 148⅔ innings. After taking a brief break in the 2012 season (41 innings), he began his full-fledged 'Iron Will' campaign from the 2013 season (104⅔ innings). Excluding the 2021 season when he advanced to Major League Baseball, he has shouldered triple-digit innings every year up to this season.
Notably, from the 2015 season through the 2019 season, he pitched over 180 innings for five consecutive years, establishing himself as the league's representative 'innings eater.' In the 2016 season, he broke through his personal first 200 innings with 200⅓ innings, and in the 2017 season, he recorded 193⅓ innings, leading his team to a combined regular season and Korean Series championship.
Currently, Yang Hyeon-jong holds sole second place in the KBO League record for consecutive seasons with over 100 innings at 12 seasons, following Song Jin-woo (13 seasons). Jang Won-jun (former Lotte, Doosan) is third with 11 seasons. Jung Sam-heum (former MBC, LG), Lee Kang-cheol (former Haitai), Cho Gye-hyun (former Haitai, Samsung), Jung Min-cheol (former Binggrae, Hanwha), and Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha) are tied for fourth place with 10 seasons each.
As the team's steadfast ace who has maintained the rotation, it remains to be seen whether Yang Hyeon-jong can complete 4⅓ innings in today's start and become only the second pitcher in KBO League history to achieve 13 consecutive seasons with over 100 innings.
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*This content was translated by AI.
