Will the 50-Home Run Phenomenon Finally Awaken? Samsung Fans Await Díaz’s Big Hit

Will the bat of the 'phenom' come alive once more? For Samsung to meet Hanwha in the postseason, this is a condition that must be fulfilled.
Lewin Díaz, the man who left his mark on the 2025 regular season, now stands before the wall of autumn baseball. This season, Díaz rewrote the history of the KBO League. He posted a .314 batting average, 50 home runs, and 158 RBIs, claiming the Triple Crown in home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage. Surpassing Yamaico Navarro’s 48 home runs in 2014, he became the first foreign hitter to reach 50 home runs, and broke Byung-ho Park’s single-season RBI record of 146 set in 2015. In September and October, Díaz ranked among the league’s best in nearly every offensive category: a .412 average (3rd), 7 home runs (tied 2nd), 28 hits (tied 3rd), 27 RBIs (1st), .838 slugging percentage (1st), and a .500 on-base percentage (tied 1st). With this remarkable pace, he capped off the season by earning the Monthly MVP for September and October.
Now, however, Díaz has gone quiet. While his performance in the semi-playoffs isn’t poor, his power bat has been silent, which is the most painful part. The fearsome swing that cleared the fence 49 times during the season seems to be dormant in the postseason.
This year, Díaz is more than just a foreign player. With his symbolic numbers—50 home runs and 150 RBIs—he has become the team’s icon and beacon of hope. His big hits do more than just put runs on the board; they serve as a spark to ignite the entire team’s energy. As the Samsung Lions head into Game 3 of the semi-playoffs against the SSG Landers, that spark is desperately needed.
Díaz earned a reputation as a 'postseason player' last year, hitting three home runs in the playoffs and two in the Korean Series. Thanks to his clutch hitting, the Samsung Lions defeated the LG Twins and made a strong run to the Korean Series.
Game 3 is essentially the deciding stage of this semi-playoff. A win guarantees a spot in the postseason. The opponent is Drew Anderson, one of the league’s top foreign pitchers. Díaz has fond memories of homering off Anderson as well.
Samsung fans are eagerly awaiting that towering home run soaring through the Daegu night sky. From the king of the regular season to the man of autumn.
Will the real season for Lewin Díaz finally begin?
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter