"Put Song Chan-ui at No. 1!" A historic first for LG in its 45 years, something even Kim Jae-hyun couldn't achieve! With 13 games left, it's exactly "59 plate appearances"

*This content was translated by AI.

"Put Song Chan-ui at No. 1!"

This is a happy fantasy that LG Twins fans might have had at least once during the Chuseok holiday. Of course, it's not baseless talk. If Song Chan-ui (27) steps up to the plate just 59 more times, he will fill the required number of plate appearances for the first time since his professional debut. If he maintains his current batting performance, he could also set a new record in the club's history dating back to the MBC Cheongryong era.

LG is scheduled to play a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game against Lotte Giants at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 24th, the first day of the Chuseok holiday. Entering the game with a seven-game winning streak, LG sits in third place with 75 wins, one draw, and 55 losses, trailing first-place KT Wiz by 5.5 games and second-place Samsung Lions by 2.5 games.

Song Chan-ui is considered one of the key figures who will continue LG's upward momentum. This year, Song has posted a batting average of 0.286 (96 hits in 336 at-bats) over 107 games, with 15 home runs, 66 RBIs, 62 runs scored, and one stolen base. His on-base percentage is 0.380 and slugging percentage is 0.518, resulting in an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.898.

Another number that stands out is 388 plate appearances. The KBO League's required number of plate appearances is calculated by multiplying the team's total games played by 3.1. If a team plays all 144 games, the final required number of plate appearances is 447. Song Chan-ui is short by exactly 59 plate appearances. LG has played 131 games through the 23rd. In the remaining 13 games, an average of 4.54 plate appearances per game is needed. It's not an impossible number, but it is certainly not a comfortable margin.

The recent trend makes this even more challenging. Over his last 10 games, Song Chan-ui has accumulated a total of 44 plate appearances, averaging 4.4 per game. If he maintains this pace for all remaining 13 games, a simple calculation shows he would reach approximately 57 plate appearances—just two short of the required number.

Even if we assume he continues to bat fourth as recently, there is still a way. Simplifying by assuming he steps up 4 to 5 times per game, he would need to get at least five plate appearances in at least seven of the remaining 13 games to reach the required 59. The more active LG's lineup becomes, the closer Song Chan-ui gets to achieving his first career qualifying number of plate appearances.

That is why a somewhat playful solution has emerged: "Batting Song Chan-ui at No. 1." The earlier he bats in the order, the higher the chance he will step up to the plate at least once more per game. Of course, there is no reason to change his batting order just to help him set a personal record. His recent performance over the last 10 games has not been strong, with a batting average of 0.222 (8 hits in 36 at-bats). However, considering the dual goals of shifting momentum and reaching the required number of plate appearances, it is a pleasant fantasy that fans might consider trying at least once.

Song Chan-ui's first career qualifying number of plate appearances is significant because of the path he has taken. Song was selected by LG in the second round, 67th overall, of the 2018 KBO Rookie Draft. After completing his military service, he made his first-division debut in 2022. However, he recorded only 78 plate appearances in 2022, 22 in 2023, and 21 in 2024, and last year saw him play 66 games with just 166 plate appearances.

Yet this same player has already accumulated 388 plate appearances this season alone—101 more than the total of his previous four seasons combined. Once hailed as a "promising prospect with potential," he has now grown into a central figure in LG's lineup, confidently talking about reaching the required number of plate appearances.

A small piece of history also awaits him. Since the founding of MBC Cheongryong (the predecessor to LG) in 1982, the highest OPS recorded by a domestic batter achieving their first qualifying season with LG was 0.897, set by former commentator Lee Jong-do (74), who played in the inaugural year of professional baseball. At that time, former commentator Lee Jong-do drew attention as a star of early MBC Cheongryong with a batting average of 0.324, on-base percentage of 0.399, and slugging percentage of 0.498 over 77 games.

Since then, many notable LG batters have emerged, but none surpassed this record when looking solely at their first qualifying season. Kim Dong-soo (58), the Rookie of the Year in 1990 and now manager of Seoul High School, posted an OPS of 0.842 in his first qualifying season. Kim Jae-hyun (51), who recorded 21 home runs and 21 stolen bases as a high school graduate rookie in 1994 and is now the General Manager of SSG Landers, had an OPS of 0.871. Ryu Ji-hyun (55), manager of the Korean national team who emerged that same year, recorded 0.831, while Lee Yong-bin (55), LG's Strength Enhancement Coordinator, posted 0.791.

Sim Jae-hak (54), General Manager of KIA Tigers, had an OPS of 0.863 in his first qualifying season in 1996, and Lee Byung-kyu (52), manager of LG Futures, recorded 0.810 in 1997. Park Yong-taek (47) also posted 0.826 in his first qualifying season in 2002. Hong Chang-gi (33), who has grown into a representative batter for recent LG teams, started with 0.828 in 2020, and Moon Bo-kyung (26) began with 0.833 in 2022.

Song Chan-ui currently stands at 0.898. If he maintains this figure while reaching the required number of plate appearances, he will set a new record for the highest OPS in a first qualifying season by a domestic batter making their professional debut with LG. Furthermore, if he raises his OPS to 0.900 or higher, he would establish an even clearer milestone as the first to achieve "900 OPS" under these conditions.

Of course, the most important thing is LG's victory. The batting order cannot be changed for personal records. However, this does not diminish the significance of the number 59 remaining until he reaches the required plate appearances. A seventh-round pick who stood at just 287 plate appearances over four seasons in the first division up to last year is now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with predecessors like Lee Jong-do, Kim Jae-hyun, Lee Byung-kyu, and Park Yong-taek on their first full-time seasons.

With 13 games remaining and 59 plate appearances needed, this is why LG fans during the Chuseok holiday are indulging in a happy wish for an eight-game winning streak and "batting Song Chan-ui at No. 1."

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*This content was translated by AI.