Koo Ja-wook of the Samsung Lions has made history by achieving 100 hits in a single season for the 11th consecutive year, becoming just the 11th player in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League history to reach this remarkable milestone.

On July 22 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, Koo started as the third batter and left fielder in the game against SSG Landers. During the bottom of the fifth inning, with one out, he faced pitcher Mitch White and turned a fastball clocked at 150 km/h into a single up the middle—his 100th hit of the season.

While Koo struggled with his bat early in the year, he has delivered a notable resurgence in recent games. He tallied only 30 hits across 31 games in March and April and 21 hits in 25 games throughout May. However, in June he rebounded with 28 hits in 22 games, and by the 11th game in July, added another 21 hits to his tally.

Koo’s batting average has steadily climbed as well. After dipping to just .189 on April 15, he has since boosted it to .302 as of July 21.

Park Jin-man, manager of the Samsung Lions, remarked, “With Koo Ja-wook regaining his form, the entire lineup has gained momentum,” adding, “By the end of the season, I expect Koo will post the best numbers of his career.”

Since joining Samsung in the second round of the 2012 rookie draft and making his KBO debut in 2015, Koo has recorded over 100 hits every season, exemplifying remarkable consistency. His personal best for most hits in a single season is 175, set in 2017.

The record for the most consecutive seasons with 100 or more hits in the KBO League is held by Yang Jun-hyuk and Park Han-yi, both with 16 seasons. With this feat, Koo Ja-wook becomes the 11th player in KBO history to achieve 11 consecutive seasons with at least 100 hits.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News, Samsung Lions