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'Ace pitcher' Yang Hyeon-jong (38·KIA Tigers) and others have paved the way in KBO League history, which Choi Won-tae (29·Samsung Lions) has quietly followed. By surpassing triple-digit innings for 10 consecutive seasons, he has risen as a symbol of consistency representing the league.
On the 26th, Choi Won-tae started against Kiwoom Heroes in an away game at Gocheok Sky Dome located in Guro-gu, Seoul, during the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League'. He pitched six innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs while striking out six batters. His pitch count that day reached 110 pitches, surpassing his previous season-high of 105 pitches against Hanwha on April 14 in Daejeon, setting a new personal record for most pitches thrown in a single game this season.
On the mound that day, another historic milestone was achieved, one that will be remembered in KBO League history. Choi Won-tae calmly handled the situation through the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs, reaching 100 innings for the season and building a golden monument as only the 9th pitcher in KBO history to record 10 consecutive seasons of 100 innings. This remarkable feat could never have been achieved without rigorous self-management and consistent performance.
In KBO League history, only a handful of pitchers have recorded triple-digit innings for 10 or more consecutive seasons. The all-time record is held by Yang Hyeon-jong and Song Jin-woo (both with 13 seasons), followed by Jang Won-jun (11 seasons). Only legendary aces who dominated their eras, including Jeong Sam-heum, Lee Kang-cheol, Cho Gye-hyun, Jung Min-cheol, and Ryu Hyun-jin (all with 10 seasons), have reached this level. Choi Won-tae has consistently shouldered over 100 innings every season from 2017 through the current year, proudly becoming the 9th name on this prestigious list of legends.
After the game, Choi Won-tae credited his teammates for achieving this historic milestone. He said, "It was a game where luck played a big role. Even though the batters scored many runs from the first inning, I tried to play as usual without worrying about the score difference." He added, "Thanks to (Kim) Sung-yoon's great defense, I was able to hold the mound through the sixth inning," expressing his gratitude.
He also expressed deep appreciation for veteran catcher Park Se-hyuk's dedicated calling that complemented his battery work. Choi Won-tae emphasized, "I'm most satisfied with how well my last changeup worked. (Park) Se-hyuk's excellent calling directly led to the positive outcome."
Regarding the crisis situation in the sixth inning when his pitch count far exceeded 100, he calmly remarked, "There were critical moments, but we managed to finish without allowing any runs. I didn't get swayed by the situation and simply focused on throwing forward without overthinking."
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*This content was translated by AI.
