"There is still a long way to go." KIA's Kim Do-young, who missed the youngest-ever 40-home run record, makes that single sentence even more exciting

*This content was translated by AI.

"I felt there was a little further to go."

KIA Tigers' Kim Do-young (23) said he still has much to improve after narrowly missing the KBO's record for the youngest player to hit 40 home runs in a single season. Yet strangely, those words do not sound regretful. Instead, they are exciting.

On the 6th, Kim Do-young started as the third hitter and third baseman in KIA's home game against KT Wiz at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, going 4-for-4 with one walk, three runs scored, and a standout performance. KIA swept all three games of the series by defeating KT 8-3.

There were no home runs that day. Had Kim Do-young hit a home run on this date, he would have broken the record for the youngest player to reach 40 home runs in KBO history at 22 years, 11 months, and 4 days, one day ahead of former manager Lee Seung-yeop. Former manager Lee reached 40 home runs on July 23 during a game against Daejeon Hanwha Eagles in the 1999 season, which had a 132-game schedule, after just 89 games. At that time, he was 22 years, 11 months, and 5 days old. He had already hit 38 home runs at age 21 and went on to hit 56 home runs in 2003, growing into Asia's representative power hitter with a combined total of 626 home runs across Korea and Japan.

Kim Do-young's challenge ultimately fell short by just one day. After hitting his 39th home run of the season on the 26th last month against Gwangju Lotte, he failed to clear the fence for 11 days. There were three rain-cancelled games, and bad luck also struck when well-hit balls were caught just before the wall or hit directly off the top of the fence. Aware of the record himself, he felt more tension in his body than usual.

After the game on the 6th, Kim Do-young said, "I think I unconsciously became too focused on the record recently, and my performance at the plate didn't show up," adding, "Once the game ended, I thought to myself, 'This is a great record, so why am I feeling stressed?'" He openly shared his true feelings.

So on the 6th, he changed his mindset. In the first inning, he lightly pushed a high pitch inside and created a single to left field. In the third inning, he connected Daniel's first pitch into another single to left, and in the fourth, he even pulled an outside-breaking changeup for a double to center field.

As Kim Do-young focused on making solid contact, KT was forced to take action first. In the bottom of the sixth with two outs and a runner on second, they intentionally walked Kim Do-young and chose Harold Castro instead. Castro immediately followed with a two-run double. In the eighth inning, Kim also created an infield hit with a hard grounder. He went 4-for-4 with one walk, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. Kim said, "I just came to the ballpark thinking about the baseball I love. Except for my last at-bat, I didn't think about the record at all."

It was precisely when he missed the record that Kim Do-young's true self returned. That is why his subsequent confession carried special meaning. He calmly reflected, "I realized this time that I still don't have the strength to bear the weight of a crown. I felt there was a little further to go."

However, he did not become so obsessed with the record that he neglected team hitting. In the six games after his 39th home run, he drew 12 walks, including three intentional walks. He struck out only three times and posted an on-base percentage of 0.556. Even in his impatience to hit home runs quickly, he did not blindly chase pitches.

This is why Castro, who experienced the humiliation(?) of being intentionally walked behind Kim Do-young that day, holds Kim in high regard. Castro went 4-for-4 with six RBIs, one stolen base, and one run scored, driving the team's lineup from right behind Kim in the batting order.

After the game, Castro said about being passed over while Kim was targeted, "(Kim) Do-young is known by everyone as the most dangerous hitter in our KBO League and the number one player to be wary of, so it was natural for them to pass him and choose me. That's why I also did my best at that moment," showing no resentment.

Castro is a veteran who played six seasons and 450 games in Major League Baseball (MLB). Even through the eyes of such a big leaguer, Kim Do-young was seen as a player with enough talent to play in MLB in the future. Castro said, "I think (Kim) Do-young has such excellent ability that he could become a big star even if he goes to America," and added with a smile, "He is so gifted and well-rounded that I have no special advice to give him."

Although Kim Do-young downplayed himself, he is already leading the MVP race this season with a .306 batting average, 39 home runs, 98 RBIs, 103 runs scored, a .412 on-base percentage, a .633 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.045 in 120 games.

Considering this is his first season back after suffering hamstring injuries three times last year, his current performance is even more remarkable. He himself said that his mind was harder on him than his body.

In an interview with StarNews last June, Kim Do-young also revealed, "During my rehabilitation period, I played claw machines almost every day to refresh myself." After the 2025 season ended, he posted on his SNS, saying, "My mind was really harder on me than my body due to injuries," but promised fans, "Next year, I will definitely help the team in a healthy condition."

This is the first full-time season where he kept that promise. Especially noteworthy is his third-base defense, which has improved significantly even in his first season back from injury. According to Korean baseball statistics site Statiz, Kim Do-young's defensive range factor (RF9) is 2.75, the highest level in the league. Even narrowing it down to players with over 100 innings, he ranks second after Lee Young-bin of LG Twins (111 2/3 innings), but there is a significant difference in innings played between Kim's 881 innings and Lee's.

His fielding percentage also ranks fourth among third basemen who have handled over 300 innings. Given that the hot corner sees as much activity front-to-back and side-to-side as shortstop, this level of performance at third base is enough to say he has completely shaken off concerns about his hamstring injury.

It is at this point that the difference between former manager Lee Seung-yeop and Kim Do-young becomes clear. Former manager Lee created his own history with overwhelming home run production. Kim Do-young, on the other hand, is forging his own path by adding speed, base running, and now stable third-base defense to his power hitting. Already two years ago, he recorded 40 stolen bases, leaving just two home runs short of becoming the first domestic player to achieve a 40-home run-40-stolen base season. Kim Do-young, who is only 23 years old, still has the possibility of pioneering a path that even Lee Seung-yeop never walked.

Regarding his failure to achieve the youngest-ever 40-home run record, Kim Do-young said, "It's regrettable because it's a once-in-a-lifetime record," but added, "I think there are many records yet to be built in the future. I will only feel regretful up until today (the 6th) and then let it go."

That is why Kim Do-young's single sentence, "There is still a long way to go," makes us even more excited.

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*This content was translated by AI.