"A huge hit!" KT's Choi Won-jun reaches the 200th-hit mark for the first time in 12 years, following Seo Geon-chang

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz outfielder Choi Won-jun (29) has set a historic record that will be remembered in KBO League history. It is the second time in league history that a domestic player has reached 200 hits in a single season, a feat not achieved for a full 12 years since Seo Geon-chang.

Choi Won-jun started as the leadoff hitter and right fielder in the matchup against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 6th in the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League," hitting his milestone 200th hit in his second at-bat in the top of the third inning.

The moment of record came in the top of the third inning with the score tied at 0-0. Facing Kiwoom's starting pitcher Park Jun-hyun, Choi Won-jun calmly took two consecutive pitches for balls to secure a favorable count of two balls. When the third pitch was delivered as a strike, he swung without hesitation, and the ball traveled along the right-field line to become a double. As Choi Won-jun settled into base, loud cheers and applause poured from the visiting supporters' stands and the dugout.

With this, Choi Won-jun has joined the ranks of only three batters in history to reach the 200th-hit mark in a single KBO League season. In league history, 200 hits was a dream territory that only two players had ever reached: Seo Geon-chang (201 hits) with Nexen (now Kiwoom) in 2014 and Victor Reyes of the Lotte Giants (202 hits) in 2024. Narrowing the scope to domestic batters, this is a true record born after a full 12 years since Seo Geon-chang in 2014.

Choi Won-jun's previous single-season hit record was 174 hits, set during the 2021 season with the KIA Tigers. Having switched to the KT uniform ahead of this season and demonstrated precise contact ability and excellent plate discipline, he has fully awakened his hitting, far surpassing his previous record to stand as the league's premier contact hitter.

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*This content was translated by AI.