Kang Baek-ho rankings roundup: first career 30 home runs and 900 million won salary in first year with Hanwha
Kang Baek-ho, who hit 136 career home runs over 8 seasons with KT, topped 30 home runs for the first time in his career in his first year with Hanwha. We break down home run and RBI rankings, his 900 million won salary and the makeup of his 10 billion won FA deal season by season.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
31. That is Kang Baek-ho's home run total in the KBO records room after the games on September 13, 2026. It is more than double the 15 he hit in 95 games a season earlier. It is the first time in his 9th season that he has topped 30 home runs, and as of that date he ranked 4th in the league. This piece breaks down Kang Baek-ho's rankings by season in three areas: home runs, RBIs and salary.
Kang Baek-ho was born on July 29, 1999. As of September 28, 2026, he is 27 years old. He throws right-handed and bats left-handed, and moves between designated hitter, first base and the outfield. He was picked No. 1 overall by the KT Wiz in the 2018 KBO rookie draft. In his 2018 debut season he hit 29 home runs, the most ever by a high school rookie, and won Rookie of the Year. He won Golden Gloves in 2020 and 2021 and was an All-Star for 3 straight years from 2018 to 2020.
136 career home runs over 8 seasons with KT, but the trend turned down with 15 in 2025
Over 8 seasons (2018–2025) with KT, his career line is a 0.303 average, 136 home runs and 565 RBIs. Yonhap News reports match the values in the KBO yearly records. Divided across 8 seasons, that averages 17 home runs and 70.6 RBIs per season. In 2021 he was part of KT's Korean Series title, and with the national team he won silver at the 2019 Premier12 and gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Kang Baek-ho's key stats by season
| Season | Team | Games | Average | HR | RBI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | KT | — | — | 29 | — | Rookie of the Year, most home runs by a high school rookie |
| 2024 | KT | 144 | 0.289 | 26 | 96 | KBO yearly records |
| 2025 | KT | 95 | 0.265 | 15 | 61 | Season final |
| 2026 | Hanwha | — | — | 31 | 94 | Home runs as of the end of games on 9.13; RBIs as of 8.31 |
The trend turned down in 2025. In 2024 he recorded a 0.289 average, 26 home runs and 96 RBIs in 144 games, but in 2025 he managed only a 0.265 average, 15 home runs and 61 RBIs in 95 games. His appearances fell by 49 games, home runs by 11 and RBIs by 35. Some sources mistakenly listed the 2024 stats as 2025's. In the official KBO records, the 2025 stats are the latter values.
Kang Baek-ho's FA contract: 10 billion won, 8 billion won guaranteed
On November 20, 2025, after a disappointing season, Kang Baek-ho signed an FA contract with the Hanwha Eagles. It is worth up to 10 billion won over 4 years. Edaily and Yonhap News reported the same details: a 5 billion won signing bonus, 3 billion won in total salary and 2 billion won in options. The deal ended his 8 seasons with KT, and he has worn a Hanwha uniform since 2026.
Breaking down the contract, the guaranteed amount is the signing bonus and salary combined, 8 billion won, or 80% of the total. The remaining 2 billion won is in options that are paid only if conditions are met. So the "10 billion won" should not be read as money he will actually receive. Subtract the disclosed 2026 salary of 900 million won from the 3 billion won in total salary and the remaining 3 years of salary come to 2.1 billion won. Simply divided, that averages 700 million won a year.
Kang Baek-ho's 900 million won salary: highest ever for a 9th-year player, tied for 13th among domestic players
Kang Baek-ho's salary by year
| Season | Team | Salary | Change from previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | KT | 290 million won | — |
| 2025 | KT | 700 million won | +410 million won (141%) |
| 2026 | Hanwha | 900 million won | +200 million won (28.6%) |
SPOTV News reports that KT raised his 2025 season salary from 290 million won to 700 million won. His disclosed 2026 season salary of 900 million won is another 200 million won higher after just one year. Compared with 2024, that is about 3.1 times as much.
KBO salary disclosure (March 18, 2026) shows that 900 million won is the highest salary ever for a 9th-year player in the KBO. The previous record was Jang Won-sam's 750 million won in 2014, so this is 150 million won (20%) more. However, this is the top amount by years of service, not the top in the league. According to Scorebase's tally, as of August 31, 2026, Kang Baek-ho is tied for 13th in the domestic player salary rankings, with the same amount as Ku Chang-mo, Eom Sang-baek and Han Yu-seom.
Kang Baek-ho 4th in home runs, 12 behind No. 1 Kim Do-yeong
Top 5 in 2026 KBO home run rankings (as of 2026.08.31)
| Rank | Player | Team | HR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Do-yeong | KIA | 39 |
| 2 | Austin | LG | 35 |
| 3 | Hilliard | KT | 30 |
| 4 | Kang Baek-ho | Hanwha | 27 |
| 5 | No Si-hwan | Hanwha | 25 |
As of August 31, 2026, Kang Baek-ho had 27 home runs, 4th in the league. He was 12 behind No. 1 Kim Do-yeong and 3 behind Hilliard just above him. One spot below in 5th was Hanwha teammate No Si-hwan (25). That means two of the top 5 on the home run table were Hanwha players. Since this table reflects that day's records, it should not be read as the current standings.
The numbers changed 13 days later. As of the end of games on September 13, Kang Baek-ho was still 4th with 31 home runs. Hitting 4 more over 13 days, he topped 30 home runs for the first time in his career. That is 2 more than the 29 from his rookie year and 16 more than the 15 in the full 2025 season. Separately, the KBO top-5 screen, which does not show a cutoff time, listed Austin and Hilliard separately at 39 home runs, but in the detailed standings the two were tied for 2nd. It has not been confirmed whether this figure is from the same point in time as the September 13 record.
94 RBIs, 5th: two conflicting numbers in the records room
Top 5 in 2026 KBO RBI rankings (as of 2026.08.31)
| Rank | Player | RBI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 111 |
| 2 | Diaz | 102 |
| 3 | Hilliard | 99 |
| 4 | Kim Do-yeong | 98 |
| 5 | Kang Baek-ho | 94 |
As of August 31, 2026, Kang Baek-ho had 94 RBIs, 5th in the league. He was 17 behind No. 1 Austin and 4 behind 4th-place Kim Do-yeong. He had already passed the 61 RBIs from his full 2025 season by 33. He later also broke his personal single-season RBI record set in 2021. RBIs are also a stat that depends on how often the hitters ahead of him get on base.
Checking the KBO records room on September 28 gives two different sets of numbers. The home run standings showed 33 home runs and 113 RBIs in 122 games, while the player's basic record showed 30 home runs and 103 RBIs in 110 games. Either way, it is his first season with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. However, neither page shows a cutoff time, so we have not treated them as the current standings.
Home run and RBI rankings change with every game, and salary is updated at each season's disclosure. Sponsorship and advertising income was left out because the announcement dates and validity could not be confirmed. From 15 to 31, the increase in home runs in a single season is 16.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How old is Kang Baek-ho?
Born on July 29, 1999, he is 27 years old as of September 28, 2026. He has played for the Hanwha Eagles since 2026, a right-handed thrower and left-handed batter who plays designated hitter, first base and the outfield.
Q. What is Kang Baek-ho's salary?
His 2026 season salary as disclosed by the KBO is 900 million won, the highest ever for a 9th-year player in the KBO. His FA contract is worth up to 10 billion won over 4 years, made up of a 5 billion won signing bonus, 3 billion won in total salary and 2 billion won in options.
Q. Where does Kang Baek-ho rank in home runs?
As of the end of games on September 13, 2026, he had 31 home runs, 4th in the league. Because rankings change with every game, check the official KBO records room for the latest standings.
Related official sites
- Official KBO player rankings — Check the top 5 by category, including home runs and RBIs
- Official KBO home run rankings (detailed) — Check the full batter home run standings and ties
- Kang Baek-ho's official KBO career and yearly records — Check the raw per-season average, home run and RBI data
Lead image · Archive photo · Not a photo from a current game in this article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Fetx2002), CC BY-SA 4.0
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