'Let's see Kim Do-young hit 40 home runs' — Even on weekdays, the Champions Field was packed! KIA's 30th sellout of the season already ties their record from their 2024 championship year [Gwangju]

*This content was translated by AI.

As the Tigers' fervor has intensified, fans have responded in kind. The KIA Tigers once again packed Gwangju-Kia Champions Field amid Kim Do-young's (23) historic bid for 40 home runs and a fierce battle for league standings.

On the 4th, the KIA organization officially announced that at 6:30 p.m., all 25,007 seats at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field were sold out during their regular-season home game against KT Wiz in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

This marks the 30th sellout crowd of the season so far, tying KIA's single-season record for most sellouts. The previous record was also 30, set in 2024 when the team went on to win the Korean Series. With regular-season games still remaining, there is a strong possibility this year will see a new club record.

There were plenty of reasons to draw over 20,000 fans to the ballpark even on a weekday. The biggest attraction was undoubtedly Kim Do-young's bat. Having already hit 39 home runs this season, Kim needs just one more to rewrite KBO League history. That would surpass the all-time record for most home runs in a single season by age: Lee Seung-yeop, former manager, set the mark at 22 years, 11 months, and 5 days during the 1999 season.

Kim Do-young will surpass that record if he adds one more home run by the 6th. The three-game home series against KT starting on the 4th is effectively his final opportunity to challenge for the new record. Since hitting his 39th home run of the season in a game against Gwangju Lotte on the 26th, no additional home runs have been recorded. With consecutive rainouts further reducing his chances, he will now attempt to break the record once again at his familiar home field.

Opponent KT is also in no position to simply assist Kim's record pursuit. Before today's game, KT led the league with 69 wins, 3 ties, and 43 losses. KT Manager Kim Do-young emphasized regarding the matchup against Kim: "We play to win games. If it becomes easy for the following batters, we have no choice but to hold them back." This underscores that winning a single game takes precedence over historic records.

KIA is equally desperate. Sitting in fourth place with 63 wins, 2 ties, and 52 losses, they trail third-place LG by 2.5 games and first-place KT by 7.5 games. Although they suffered two consecutive losses on a road trip to Changwon against NC, their upward momentum prior to that was strong.

In 15 games during August, KIA posted an 11-4 record with a winning percentage of 0.733, ranking first among all 10 teams for monthly performance. With a team batting average of 0.292 and an ERA of 3.94, both pitching and hitting contributed effectively, propelling the team as high as third place at one point. To aim for a higher standing in the final stretch of the season, the results of this three-game series against first-place KT are crucial.

Award ceremonies honoring the players who drove this momentum were also held prior to today's game. Foreign pitcher James Neil was named the August Monthly MVP by Bright Eye & 21 Hospital. Over three games in August, he pitched 19 innings with two wins, an ERA of 2.84, 18 strikeouts, and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.05. Of the 1st million won prize money, he donated 500,000 won to support those in need.

Park Jae-hyun was named the August MVP by Kisco. In 14 games, he batted .358 (24 hits in 67 at-bats), hit two home runs, drove in 14 runs, and posted an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.010, delivering powerful performances. Lee Ui-ri, who has transitioned to a closer role, also received the August Monthly MVP award from Gwangju Christian Hospital. In eight games over seven innings, he recorded four saves, 10 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.86, and a WHIP of 0.86, securing the back end of the bullpen.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.