'Finally,' KIA's Kim Do-young speaks directly on his thoughts about the 'MVP': "It would be nice to receive it, of course... but there are truly remarkable players this year" [Interview at Gwangju]

*This content was translated by AI.

With just one home run away from reaching the long-awaited milestone of 40, KIA Tigers superstar Kim Do-young (23) has shared his personal thoughts on the MVP award.

On the 26th, KIA secured a 16-11 victory over Lotte Giants in their regular-season home game at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

The day before (on the 25th), KIA won 16-5 after Lee Ho-yeon hit a walk-off, bases-loaded, two-out, go-ahead home run in the bottom of the ninth inning — the first such feat in KBO history. With today's win, KIA extended their winning streak to two games and moved further ahead toward the top of the standings. Having secured a winning series, KIA will now challenge for a series sweep on the 27th, led by their eternal ace Yang Hyeon-jong.

With this victory, KIA improved to 62 wins, 50 losses, and 2 ties, maintaining sole possession of fourth place in the league. The team has now won two consecutive games. On the same day, they maintained a half-game lead over third-place LG Twins and NC Dinos.

KIA's lineup recorded 13 hits across the game. Notably, third baseman Kim Do-young and fourth batter Castro combined for five of those hits.

Among them, Kim Do-young, starting at third base and batting third, went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBIs, three runs scored, and one walk, delivering an outstanding performance.

Kim Do-young's bat was already swinging powerfully from the first inning. Lotte's starting pitcher was Rodriguez. Leadoff hitter Lee Ho-yeon reached base on a hit-by-pitch, followed by Park Sang-jun drawing a walk on a straight pitch. Kim Do-young then stepped up to the plate.

With a 2-2 count and six pitches thrown, Kim Do-young connected with an outside, slightly high fastball clocked at 155 km/h that crossed the strike zone, launching a three-run go-ahead home run over the right-field wall.

This was Kim Do-young's 39th home run of the season. By doing so, he surpassed his own record of 38 home runs set during the 2024 season when he won MVP, establishing a new personal single-season home run record.

He also maintained a five-home-run lead over Austin Dean of LG Twins, who sits second in the home run race with 34 on the same day.

Kim Do-young was born on October 2, 2003. If he adds one more home run by next month's sixth, he will break the KBO League record for youngest player to hit 40 home runs in a season — a mark set by Lee Seung-yeop, known as "Korea's living legend," who achieved it at age 22 years, 11 months, and 5 days in 1999.

Kim Do-young's performance continued throughout the game. In the bottom of the third inning, leadoff hitter Lee Ho-yeon reached base with a single to left-center field. After one out, Kim Do-young hit a two-run double down the left-center gap. He was retired in the fourth on a strikeout and in the fifth on a ground ball to shortstop, but he drew a walk in the seventh inning to complete a three-hit game.

After the win, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho praised Kim Do-young: "Kim hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, which energized the team. He also delivered the go-ahead hit when the game was tied, leading the offense effectively."

Following the game, Kim Do-young told reporters: "It was a really important moment, so hitting that home run felt even more thrilling. I'm happy because it helped the team."

Regarding his approach against Rodriguez's 155 km/h fastball, he said: "It wasn't intentional, but I felt Rodriguez's pitches were excellent today. His fastballs are so sharp that I thought, 'If I can't time them even after two strikes, there'll be no way out.' So I kept adjusting my timing to the fastball. I hit it lightly, and it resulted in a great outcome."

Kim Do-young now aims for his long-awaited 40th home run. He reflected: "I was aware of the 40th-home-run goal two years ago, but I quickly realized that thinking about it too much makes it harder to achieve. So this year, I hoped it would come sooner. Because of that past experience, I think I was able to hit my personal best number of home runs this season."

Kim Do-young is in a fierce race for the home run title with Austin. On the competition for the home run crown, he said calmly: "I'm trying to accept it as fate. I'll just do what I can, and if I go to the Asian Games, I believe I should also accept whatever happens as fate. After all, there's nothing I can control. If I don't get it, I'll just let it be. There will be another opportunity next time, so I think I'll make the most of that."

The debate over this season's MVP is also intense among fans. Among position players, Kim Do-young and Austin are frequently mentioned, while pitcher Kwak Bin (Doosan Bears) is often cited on the pitching side. When asked about the MVP award, Kim Do-young said: "Of course, it would be nice to win MVP, but I haven't really been thinking about it. Many incredible players have emerged this year, so I've always believed it won't be easy. I think if I just focus on doing my best, whether it's the MVP or any other award, I can still achieve something. So rather than fixating on one thing, I'm just focusing on doing what I can."

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*This content was translated by AI.