Austin’s 39th Blast Makes LG History! With KIM Do-young Away on Asian Games Duty, He Closes to Within One Home Run as the Home Run Race Takes a Dramatic Turn
- Input
- 2026-09-14 10:00:00
- Updated
- 2026-09-14 10:00:00
[Financial News] Austin Dean, the foreign-born hitter for the LG Twins, has set a new record for the most home runs in a single season in franchise history. His torrid late-season power surge has also intensified the KBO League home run race.
Austin appeared in the LG Twins’ away game against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 13th and launched a powerful three-run homer over the left-field wall.
Austin’s bat came alive at a decisive moment. With LG leading 4-2 in the top of the fourth and two outs with runners on first and second, Austin stepped to the plate against Samsung’s third pitcher, Yang Chang-seop. After a tense 2-2 count, he pulled the fifth pitch—a 147-kilometer-per-hour two-seam fastball—perfectly and sent it soaring over the left-field wall.
With his 39th home run of the season, Austin surpassed the 38 homers Roberto Ramos hit in 2020 to become the holder of the most home runs in a single season in LG franchise history. It marked a new milestone for the LG Twins.
The record-setting homer has also dramatically reshaped the league home run race. Austin, who has unleashed three home runs over the past two days alone, moved within one of KIA Tigers’ KIM Do-young, who leads the home run standings with 40.
The key variable in the home run race is KIM Do-young’s call-up to the national team. KIM Do-young returned to action on the 13th after undergoing surgery on his nasal bone after being hit by a bunt attempt during a game on the 9th. However, he must soon leave to join the baseball national team for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which convenes on the 14th.
While KIM Do-young is unavailable for KBO League games because of the Asian Games, Austin will continue to play his team’s regular schedule. Given his current form at the plate, Austin now has a strong chance to take sole possession of the home run lead during KIM Do-young’s absence. Baseball fans are watching closely to see whether Austin, who has rewritten the franchise record, can go one step further and claim the KBO League home run title as well.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter