Yang Hyeon-jong (36, KIA) has reached the top of the KBO League strikeout history. On the 21st, in the Lotte game held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, Yang Hyeon-jong recorded 7 hits (2 home runs), 7 strikeouts, and 4 runs in 5 innings. Among the 7 strikeouts he achieved that day, the third strikeout, which he made against Lotte’s 2nd batter Yoon Dong-hee in the 3rd inning with 2 outs and a runner on first base, was Yang Hyeon-jong’s 2,049th career strikeout. This strikeout surpassed the KBO career strikeout record set by Song Jin-woo in 2009, which stood at 2,048 strikeouts. Song Jin-woo’s strikeout record, which exceeded the previous leader Lee Kang-chul’s record of 1,751 strikeouts upon his retirement in 2005 by nearly 300 strikeouts, was a major record. Lee Kang-chul’s second-place career record also remained unchallenged for over 10 years until Yang Hyeon-jong broke it in 2022. In addition, Yang Hyeon-jong set another milestone by achieving 100 strikeouts in a season for the 10th consecutive year, following in the footsteps of Lee Kang-chul and Jang Won-jun as the third pitcher in history to do so. Since graduating from Gwangju Dongshin High School in 2007 and making his debut, Yang Hyeon-jong started his pitching career by alternating between starting and relief roles, starting with 48 strikeouts. In 2009, when he switched to full-time starting, he surpassed 100 strikeouts for the first time with 139 strikeouts, and from 2014, when his full-fledged “ace career” began, until this year, he recorded over 100 strikeouts for 10 consecutive years. Yang Hyeon-jong, who threw over 170 innings for 9 consecutive seasons until last year, and maintained a streak of 8 consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins until 2022, is a symbol of a consistent ace. By surpassing the strikeout record of the legendary Song Jin-woo, who retired at the age of 43, at the age of 36, Yang Hyeon-jong left a remarkable record in KBO pitching history. With a total of 2,053 strikeouts on that day, Yang Hyeon-jong will change the all-time strikeout record with each additional strikeout in the future. Yang Hyeon-jong currently has 2,471.1 innings pitched and 177 wins, ranking second in career innings pitched and wins behind Song Jin-woo (3,003 innings, 210 wins). After falling short of the two-digit wins record that he had maintained for 8 consecutive seasons by staying at 9 wins last year, Yang Hyeon-jong has already achieved 9 wins (3 losses) this year and is aiming for 10 wins again. However, on the day he set a record, he did not complete the 10th win. KIA’s batting lineup scored 3 runs first in the 2nd inning with Kim Sun-bin, Han Jun-su, and Park Chan-ho’s timely doubles. However, Yang Hyeon-jong allowed a solo home run to Lotte’s 8th batter No Ji-hyuk in the 5th inning with 1 out, followed by a 3-run home run to Lotte’s 3rd batter Son Ho-young with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd base, allowing a 3-4 lead change. KIA tied the game at 4-4 in the 5th inning with a timely hit by Kim Sun-bin with 2 outs and a runner on 3rd base. Yang Hyeon-jong ended his pitching in the 5th inning with 69 pitches and handed over the ball to the bullpen in the 6th inning without a decision.
Hyun-jong Yang surpasses Jin-woo Song with 2053 strikeouts in 10 words or less.
