*This content was translated by AI.
Lotte Giants homegrown ace Park Se-woong (31) is set to challenge for the eighth-ever record in KBO League history alongside his team's six-game winning streak.
Park Se-woong will make a scheduled start against the Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 23rd during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.
He was originally scheduled to pitch the previous day (the 22nd), but heavy rains that struck central regions pushed his appearance to today. Lotte's momentum has been impressive recently. While other teams have shown inconsistent performance following the heatwave break, Lotte alone continues its winning streak with five consecutive victories.
The standout during the five-game winning run was undoubtedly their batting. Led by Ko Seung-min and Victor Reyes, Lotte's lineup posted a .339 batting average (61 hits in 180 at-bats), six home runs, 43 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.947, leading the league in batting.
Thanks to this resurgence, Jeremy Biesl was able to avoid being named the losing pitcher despite allowing eight earned runs (seven self-charged points) over six innings in last year's match against Busan Kiwoom Heroes on the 18th. The improved offense is equally welcome news for Park Se-woong.
Park Se-woong stands on the verge of becoming only the eighth player in KBO League history to record 100 strikeouts in seven consecutive seasons. After graduating from Gyeongbuk High School, he was selected first overall by KT Wiz in the 2014 KBO Rookie Draft and made his debut with Lotte in 2015 following a trade.
Park recorded his first strikeout on April 1, 2015, against Suwon Samsung. Since the 2020 season, he has consistently achieved over 100 strikeouts in six consecutive seasons. This year, he has appeared in 19 games with a record of two wins and seven losses, an ERA of 4.77, 103⅔ innings pitched, and 94 strikeouts.
The KBO League record for most consecutive seasons with 100 strikeouts is held by Yang Hyeon-jong (KIA Tigers) with 11 straight seasons (2014–2020 and 2022–2025). Following him are Lee Kang-cheol (formerly of Haitai Tigers), Jang Won-jun (formerly of Lotte and Doosan) with 10 consecutive seasons, Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) with nine consecutive seasons, and Jung Min-tae (formerly of Taeyang Pyeongyang and Hyundai) with eight consecutive seasons.
Son Dong-yeol (formerly of Haitai) and Koo Dae-sung (formerly of Hanwha) both hold the record for seven consecutive seasons. If Park Se-woong achieves 100 strikeouts this time, he will join Son Dong-yeol and Koo Dae-sung on equal footing.
Additionally, through this start, Park Se-woong aims to reach his career total of 1,300 strikeouts (currently at 1,298).
However, the opponent is no pushover. Doosan, known for its solid pitching and hitting balance, has surged from the lower ranks to fifth place in a single leap, making them a tough matchup even for Park Se-woong. This season, Park has faced Doosan three times without a win, recording one loss with an ERA of 8.62. At Jamsil as well, he remains winless with one loss and an ERA of 9.28, requiring a turnaround performance.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
