Samsung’s Lewin Diaz Hits 45th Home Run, Nearing KBO Record for Foreign Players
Diaz Launches Solo Shot Against SSG to Close In on Single-Season Foreign Player Home Run Record Only Three Home Runs Away From Tying KBO Record, Diaz Also Pursues RBI Milestone
Lewin Diaz, the foreign hitter for the Samsung Lions, blasted his 45th home run of the season against the SSG Landers on September 11 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the score tied 1-1, Diaz came to the plate with one out and no runners on base. Facing SSG’s starting pitcher, Mitch White, he drilled a 152 km/h fastball over the right-center field fence for a solo home run.
This homer came five days and three games after his previous home run against the Hanwha Eagles on September 6. With this, Diaz now stands just three home runs away from tying the KBO League’s single-season record for foreign players—48 homers.
Should Diaz hit five more home runs this season, he would become the first player in a decade, since Park Byung-ho accomplished the feat with 53 homers in 2015, to reach the 50-homer mark in a single KBO season.
With his solo shot, Diaz notched his 134th RBI of the season. He now has his eyes set on breaking the KBO foreign hitter record for most RBIs in a season: 140, set by Eric Thames of the NC Dinos in 2015.
Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”
Photo=Yonhap News