"Eat Korean candy!" The protagonist of the gaffe sets a new MLB record as the first Taiwanese player to hit double-digit home runs in a single season

*This content was translated by AI.

Li Hao-wei (23, Detroit Tigers), who faced intense criticism from Taiwanese and Korean baseball fans in February during spring training for his controversial remarks, has rewritten Major League Baseball history with his bat. He became the first Taiwanese major leaguer to reach double-digit home runs in a single season.

On the 19th (Korean time), Li Hao-wei started as the ninth hitter and third baseman in an away game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA, going 4-for-5 with one home run and three RBIs.

Li Hao-wei's start was actually shaky. In the bottom of the first inning, he committed an error that led to a six-run big inning for the opposing team. However, Li completely made up for it at the plate.

In the top of the fifth with no outs and runners on first and second, he opened the scoring with a single to left field. In the top of the sixth, he boosted his batting momentum with a two-run double that drove in one run. The highlight came in the top of the eighth. With the team trailing 6-8 in the top of the eighth, Li smashed a high fastball from opposing left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb over the right-field wall for a tying two-run home run.

This achievement marked Li's 10th home run of the season. He surpassed the previous record held by Taiwanese player Chang Wei-ching (31, Cleveland Guardians) in the 2021 season (9 home runs), becoming the first Taiwanese player in MLB history to break through double-digit home runs in a single season.

Li Hao-wei's momentum did not stop. He added a clean hit to center field in the top of the ninth, recording his 78th hit of the season. This ranks second all-time in MLB history for most hits by an Asian batter under age 23 in a single season, surpassing Bae Ji-hwan (27, Triple-A affiliate of Milwaukee Brewers) who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 season. The top spot belongs to Shohei Ohtani (90 hits) with the Los Angeles Angels in the 2018 season. Led by Li's outstanding performance, Detroit secured a dramatic 11-8 comeback victory.

In fact, Li Hao-wei has long faced sharp criticism for every action inside and outside the stadium. During spring training before the season, it was revealed that he made the remark "Eat Korean candy (F*** Korea)" to his teammate Jamaal Jones (Boston Red Sox), who is of Korean descent, sparking fierce backlash. Although he later explained it as a joke born from their close friendship ahead of the WBC (World Baseball Classic) matchup and apologized by saying it was a "joke stemming from cultural differences," the controversy did not easily subside.

Subsequently, Li faced his career's biggest crisis with injuries that forced him out of the 2026 WBC and struggles in his MLB debut, but he ultimately turned things around through his skills. As Li Hao-wei overcame repeated controversies and changed the history of Taiwanese baseball, American media attention has also focused on his surge.

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

*This content was translated by AI.