39 home runs and No. 1 OPS, yet "team performance is a weakness?" Austin has actually led LG this far... targeting the club's first-ever MVP and Home Run Champion

*This content was translated by AI.

Austin Dean (33), an overseas hitter in his fourth year in the KBO, is enjoying a historic season at LG Twins unlike anything seen before, aiming for the club's first regular-season MVP and Home Run Champion titles.

As of the end of the game on the 20th, Austin has recorded a .342 batting average (169 hits in 494 at-bats), 39 home runs, 122 RBIs, 107 runs scored, and 5 stolen bases across 131 games. His on-base percentage is .436, slugging percentage is .662, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) stands at 1.098. In scoring position, his batting average is .406. He leads the league in RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS; he is tied for first in runs scored. He ranks second in home runs and on-base percentage, third in total hits, and fourth in batting average. He excels evenly across accuracy, power hitting, on-base ability, and run production without leaning heavily on any single category. As a result, he is competing for seven major batting titles excluding stolen bases.

These numbers are even more special for LG. Among the 10th professional clubs, LG is the only one that has never produced a regular-season MVP or Home Run Champion. In 2026, Austin is considered one of the strongest candidates to finally fulfill that dream. He continues to etch his name into the club's 45-year history, leaving an extraordinary impact. On July 29 against Kiwoom Heroes at Jamsil, he became only the ninth player in KBO history and the third foreign player after Tyrone Woods and Eric Thames to hit 30 home runs in three consecutive seasons.

On August 25 against NC Dinos at Jamsil, he completed a cycle. This was LG's fourth cycle since Lee Byung-kyu in 2013 — the first time in 13 years — and the first ever by an overseas hitter for the club. It was also the first cycle hit by an LG batter at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. On September 13 against Samsung Lions in Daegu, he launched his 39th home run of the season, setting a new single-season club record for most home runs. Every additional home run Austin hits now rewrites LG's history.

His hitting form is so sharp that opponents seem eager to avoid direct confrontation. Lee Ho-jun (50), who previously coached Austin as an LG coach and now manages NC Dinos, remarked ahead of the recent Changwon LG match: "During our power analysis meeting, coaches said 'Austin has no weaknesses right now.' In the past, he had a weakness in the high zone, but now even when pitches go up, he hits them for home runs. He also drives in outside-breaking balls. They say the strike zone is divided into nine parts — Austin can hit anything thrown at him."

In fact, opponents are increasingly avoiding direct confrontation with Austin. After a fly out to right field in the first inning of the Changwon NC game on the 16th, he recorded two hits and seven walks in three at-bats through the Suwon KT game on the 18th, achieving nine consecutive plate appearances reaching base. As opponents stopped offering easy pitches, his league ranking for on-base percentage quickly rose from fifth to second.

However, Austin has not forced himself into competition for personal records. Ahead of the Suwon KT game on the 18th, he told StarNews: "If opponents want to walk me, they can do so freely. After all, behind me are Song Chan-ui and Moon Jeong-bin, who have performed exceptionally well throughout the season."

It is not without frustration as a hitter. Austin also said, "I want to get hits and bring in runners to drive in runs," but added, "Sometimes I need to set aside selfish desires and think about what is right for the team in that situation. In recent games, getting four walks actually helped the team win. The players behind me stepped up and secured victories." He expressed gratitude for their support.

Even amid intense personal record competition, his focus remained clear. Austin emphasized: "Rather than worrying about when I'll hit my 40th home run or how many more RBIs I can get, team victory is far more important."

The MVP race surrounding Austin is not one-sided. Some point out that his team's performance lags behind competitors as a weakness. Another overseas hitter, Sam Hilliard (32), who leads top-ranked KT with a .304 batting average (152 hits in 500 at-bats), 37 home runs, 116 RBIs, 102 runs scored, 8 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.953 over 127 games, serves as a strong example.

His status as a foreign player is also cited as a variable in voting. This is one reason why Kim Do-young (23·KIA Tigers) from 2024 is considered a strong contender for MVP. Despite just recovering from severe hamstring injuries, Kim played a full season and posted impressive stats: .310 batting average, 40 home runs, 102 RBIs, 106 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.053 across 123 games. Even though he briefly missed time due to selection for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games representative team, other hitters have struggled to challenge his dominance.

Nevertheless, there are clear reasons Austin remains a top MVP candidate. He maintains top-tier performance across most hitting metrics, continues rewriting club history, and commands such intimidation that opponents avoid facing him directly. Most importantly, whenever LG wavered, he shouldered the weight of the middle of the lineup. It is difficult to undervalue Austin simply because his team's record appears slightly weaker than other candidates'.

In fact, one of the key reasons LG has held its ground and could look upward again with a seven-game winning streak was Austin's bat. The regular-season MVP title cannot be decided by the impact of just one or two games. Considering the cumulative stats and records built over 131 games, along with the pressure felt by opposing battery units in every game, there is ample reason why Austin remains an inseparable part of the MVP contender group.

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*This content was translated by AI.