The seemingly impossible feat of a top pitcher reaching "3,003 innings"... After accepting the manager's advice to reduce his innings, Yang Hyeon-jong found a new path forward once again.

*This content was translated by AI.

"I really want to break Senior Song Jin-woo's record of 3,003 innings."

The 3,003-inning record set by former coach Song Jin-woo was lifelong dream for "ace pitcher" Yang Hyeon-jong (38, KIA Tigers).

Last year, it seemed difficult to achieve. However, this year he turned the situation around with a counterintuitive approach. While one might think throwing more innings would bring him closer to a major record, the opposite was true. By reducing his innings, Yang Hyeon-jong regained the time needed to challenge what once seemed impossible: reaching 3,003 innings.

On the 5th, Yang Hyeon-jong started against Gwangju KT Wiz, pitching five innings while allowing seven hits, one walk, two strikeouts, and three earned runs, securing his 10th win (6 losses) of the season. His condition was not at its peak. He mixed four-seam fastballs clocked up to 144 km/h with sliders and changeups, throwing a total of 96 pitches. From the first inning, he allowed runners to reach base in every frame, including a bases-loaded situation with no outs in the first. Nevertheless, he avoided giving up many runs, held his ground for the five innings assigned to him, and laid the foundation for KIA's 6-3 victory.

Yang Hyeon-jong reflected: "I always take the mound to win, but today (the 5th) my condition was not good. It had been a while since I started a game, so I was quite nervous. However, I believed that if I poured everything I could into it, results commensurate with my effort would follow. I focused on every batter and situation, striving to throw my pitches effectively, and thanks to the strong defensive support from my teammates, we were able to secure this precious victory."

This scene perfectly described Yang Hyeon-jong in 2026. At one point, pitching only five innings was not considered a satisfactory outcome for him. From 2015 to 2019, he threw over 180 innings for five consecutive years, and in 2016, he even shouldered 200⅓ innings. In 2024, he set another major record as the first pitcher in KBO history to pitch 170 innings or more for ten consecutive seasons.

However, last year that streak came to an end. He pitched only 153 innings in 30 games, finishing with a record of 7 wins and 9 losses and an ERA of 5.06. As the number of pitches increased, his stamina visibly declined.

At that time, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho proposed a different approach. Ahead of the game on the 6th, Manager Lee said: "Last year, I had many conversations with (Yang) Hyeon-jong, telling him repeatedly that if he reduced his innings slightly, he could definitely achieve good results again. While reducing his innings would mean using more relief pitchers, I believed it would also benefit the team."

He continued: "Within 80 to 90 pitches, he still has enough ability to continue for several more years. If we can create situations where he throws just five or six innings, he remains competitive as a starting pitcher. His age is no longer a major concern."

Yang Hyeon-jong embraced this advice and changed his approach. Instead of aiming for long outings, he focused on delivering five innings with full effort. This season, he has recorded 10 wins and 6 losses in 22 games, with an ERA of 4.25 over 106 innings. On the 21st against Kiwoom, he achieved 13 consecutive seasons with 100 or more innings, matching the KBO's all-time longest streak set by Song Jin-woo from 1994 to 2006.

At 38 years, six months, and four days old, Yang Hyeon-jong became the fifth oldest pitcher in KBO history to reach 10 wins in a single season. This also marks his 12th career double-digit win season. He now joins Kim Kwang-hyun (38, SSG Landers), who last year became the first in KBO history to achieve 10-win seasons 12 times. A span of 17 years has passed since Yang Hyeon-jong's first 10-win season in 2009 until this year.

Yang Hyeon-jong's gaze is now set on an even greater goal: Song Jin-woo's 3,003-inning record. The former coach appeared in 672 games over 21 seasons, accumulating 210 wins, 153 losses, 103 saves, and 3,003 innings. Both the all-time wins and innings records in KBO history still bear his name.

Yang Hyeon-jong has currently pitched a total of 2,762⅔ innings in his career. He remains exactly 240⅓ innings short of Song Jin-woo's record. With 196 career wins, he is just four wins away from reaching 200. Until last year, the 3,003-inning milestone seemed increasingly out of reach. It was not easy to expect a 38-year-old pitcher to add another 240 innings over the coming years.

However, the calculation has changed. Instead of insisting on 170 to 180 innings per season and losing stamina, maintaining a consistent rotation by throwing five to six innings and 80 to 90 pitches could make all the difference. If he can accumulate more innings in his remaining four or five appearances this season and continue to shoulder around 100 innings next year and beyond, the 3,003-inning record could once again become a realistic target.

Manager Lee Beom-ho also envisions that future. He said: "I would love to see (Yang) Hyeon-jong break Senior Song Jin-woo's record at the end of his career. Having such a pitcher emerge from KIA Tigers, a prestigious team, would be extremely meaningful. I hope he finishes this season well and continues to perform strongly next year so that he can finally achieve that record." He smiled as he spoke.

Interestingly, Yang Hyeon-jong himself has stepped back from personal ambitions for records. He stated: "When I was young, I had a strong desire to win 10 games. But now, my only focus is on the team winning. Even if I am not the winning pitcher, if the team can win, that victory means even more to me. I will approach the rest of this season with this mindset, and I believe good records and team success will follow naturally."

Ironically, by no longer fixating on personal records, Yang Hyeon-jong is once again drawing closer to a major milestone. For KBO League's iron man, the fastest path to 3,003 innings is no longer about throwing more, but about enduring longer.

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*This content was translated by AI.