“Fly ball → error → grounder → 205 hits”: Lotte’s Reyes finally delivers! Overtakes Choi Won-jun to set new KBO single-season hit record “again” [On the ground in Busan]

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Lotte Giants foreign hitter Victor Reyes (32) finally reclaimed the KBO League single-season most hits record as his own after three failed attempts.

Reyes started as the No. 2 hitter and designated hitter in the home game against the LG Twins at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium on the 10th during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, hitting his 205th hit of the season in his fourth at-bat.

The long-awaited hit came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Entering the batter’s box with two outs and a runner on first base, Reyes hit Ko Woo-seok’s third pitch, a forkball, into the center field for a single. It was his 205th hit of the season. With this, Reyes surpassed Choi Won-jun (29, KT Wiz) who had 204 hits, setting a new KBO League single-season most hits record.

He reclaimed the record he had held for two years from Choi Won-jun just three days after losing it. Reyes hit 202 hits in his rookie year in the KBO League in 2024, setting a then-single-season most hits record at the time. It was a historic achievement that surpassed Seo Geon-chang’s (37, Kiwoom Heroes) 201 hits recorded in 2014 after 10 years.

Reyes, who had won the most hits title for two consecutive years with 187 hits last year, once again reached the milestone of 200 hits this year. Reyes is also the first player in KBO League history to record 200 hits in a single season twice.

The process of surpassing his own 202-hit mark and reclaiming the most hits title was not as easy as expected. The recent momentum of his rival Choi Won-jun was formidable. Choi Won-jun hit three hits against the Suwon Samsung Lions on the 7th, reaching 204 hits for the season and surpassing Reyes’ previous record.

Reyes did not back down either. He had recorded 203 hits before the game against LG on the 9th, and although he drew an intentional walk in the seventh inning, he struggled to find opportunities. However, in his final at-bat of the eighth inning, he hit a single to center field for an RBI, tying Choi Won-jun with 204 hits.

The following day was the season’s final home game at their home ground. Fans who visited Sajik Baseball Stadium waited for Reyes’ historic hit, but things did not go as planned in the early innings. He struck out on a fly ball to center field in his first at-bat. His second at-bat was even more disappointing. In the bottom of the third inning, Reyes swung hard at Anders Tolhurst’s inside curveball, but the ball went directly toward shortstop Koo Bon-hyuk. Koo Bon-hyuk failed to catch the ball cleanly and fumbled it again during the throw, allowing Reyes to reach first base. However, the official record was an error, not a hit.

No hit came in his third at-bat either. With two outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the fifth inning, he attacked Tolhurst’s forkball, but the ball again went toward Koo Bon-hyuk. This time, Koo Bon-hyuk calmly threw to first base to end the inning. However, he did not let his fourth opportunity slip away. Entering the batter’s box again in the bottom of the seventh inning, Reyes hit Ko Woo-seok’s forkball toward center field.

As the 205th hit was recorded, home fans at Sajik Baseball Stadium celebrated the birth of new history with enthusiastic applause. By surpassing Choi Won-jun, who had reached the 204th-hit mark first on the 7th, just three days later, Reyes not only reclaimed his familiar position as the holder of the KBO single-season most hits record but also took sole lead in the race for the most hits this season.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original