Park Yeong-hyeon, After Throwing 85 Pitches in 3 Asian Games Appearances, Declares He Will Pitch Immediately in the 29th KIA Game
Park Yeong-hyeon said he will pitch starting with the 29th KIA game, even after throwing 85 pitches in 3 Asian Games appearances. KT leads second-place Samsung by 3 games. The issue is fatigue.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Three-Line Summary
- Park Yeong-hyeon threw 85 pitches over 4 innings in 3 Asian Games appearances, posting a 0 ERA and protecting the gold medal.
- He told the coaching staff he would pitch starting with the 29th KIA game in Gwangju, two days after the final, but whether he will actually pitch is still unknown.
- KT is in first place, 3 games ahead of second-place Samsung, and Park Yeong-hyeon is third in saves with 27 (as of 2026.09.28).
85 pitches. That is how many pitches Park Yeong-hyeon (22, KT Wiz) threw in 3 Asian Games appearances from Sept. 21 to 27. He covered 4 innings, so he threw about 21 pitches per inning, and his ERA was 0. The issue is one thing: whether it is acceptable to put a closer who threw 34 pitches in the final straight into the first-place race 2 days later.
Park Yeong-hyeon's pitch count of 85, from the Taiwan game to the final
SPOTV News compiled game-by-game records that show his pitch count rose with every outing. It went up by 13, from 21 against Taiwan to 34 in the final. The game in which he was responsible for 5 outs happened to be the final.
| Date | Opponent | Innings | Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 21 | Taiwan | 1 | 21 |
| Sept. 25 | Japan | 1⅓ | 30 |
| Sept. 27 | Japan (final) | 1⅔ | 34 |
| Total | 3 games | 4 | 85 |
With Korea leading 3-1, Park came in with 1 out and a runner on second in the bottom of the 8th and earned the save, pitching 1⅔ scoreless innings with 2 hits allowed, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Korea held the score to win its fifth consecutive Asian Games baseball gold medal.
KT 3 Games Ahead in First, Park Yeong-hyeon Declares Immediate Return
The reason for the rush to return is in the standings. KT is in first place at 81 wins, 4 ties and 49 losses. The gap to second-place Samsung (78 wins, 3 ties, 52 losses) is 3 games (as of 2026.09.28). The gap, which was 3.5 games around Sept. 20, has shrunk by half a game. As of Sept. 27, the magic number for the regular-season title was reported to be 8.
Park returned to Korea through Incheon International Airport on the 28th. Asked about pitching in the 29th KIA game, he answered, "Absolutely. I absolutely have to. I'll do well there too." He also said, "I have to do it for the championship. I've already told the coach I'll pitch." OhmyStar analyzed that his return is decisive for KT's regular-season title and Korean Series bid.
The argument on the other side is also in the numbers. The 34 pitches in the final were the most he threw in a single game at this tournament. The 29th is the second day after the final. Whether he actually pitches, and Manager Lee Gang-cheol's decision on using him, were unconfirmed because the game had not yet been played. The gold medal also comes with a bonus. According to News1, Park said, "I'm happy to have given a medal as a gift to Won-seok hyung and Hyeong-jun hyung." He was referring to the military service exemption for his KT teammates Oh Won-seok and So Hyeong-jun.
Park Yeong-hyeon Ranks 3rd in Saves with 27
His 2026 season record is 51 games, 6 wins, 27 saves, and a 2.54 ERA (as of 2026.09.28). However, the records of first-place Kim Jae-yun and second-place Son Ju-young are as of Sept. 20, so saves after that may be missing. OhmyStar judged that it will be hard for Park, who won the saves title last year with 35 saves, to repeat this year.
| Rank | Player | Team | Saves | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Jae-yun | Samsung | 32 | 9.20 |
| 2 | Son Ju-young | LG | 30 | 9.20 |
| 3 | Park Yeong-hyeon | KT | 27 | 9.28 |
Widen the time frame and the rankings flip. The Gate's tally shows that the pitcher with the most saves from 2024 through the end of July 2026 is Park Yeong-hyeon (80 saves), 19 more than second-place Kim Won-jung. His own stated goal this season is 36 saves. The Gate reported that reaching it would fill both KT's single-season saves record and his 100th career save at once.
Park Yeong-hyeon's Salary of 300 million won Is Up 87.5% in 2 Years
Park Yeong-hyeon was born on Oct. 11, 2003, making him 22 by international age. He joined KT as a first-round pick in 2022. In 2023 he recorded 32 holds as a setup man and won the holds title, and he has served as closer since 2024. His 5 consecutive seasons of 50 or more appearances since joining is the third such streak, after Oh Seung-hwan and Jeong U-yeong.
His 2026 salary is 300 million won. Kiho Ilbo reported that this is the highest among fifth-year players in the league. It has risen 140 million won in 2 years from 160 million won in 2024, or 87.5% in percentage terms. It is about 1.5 times KT's average salary of 198.48 million won per player.
| Season | Salary | Change from previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 160 million won | 162.3% raise |
| 2025 | 240 million won | 50% raise |
| 2026 | 300 million won | 25% raise (calculated) |
The per-game pitch counts (21, 30 and 34) come from a single outlet, SPOTV News, and only the 34 pitches in the final were confirmed by multiple outlets. Park, heading to Gwangju, has already thrown 85 pitches in one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How old is Park Yeong-hyeon?
He was born on Oct. 11, 2003, and is 22 by international age as of Sept. 29, 2026. The 23 seen in the press is his Korean-style age by calendar year, and he turns 23 by international age on Oct. 11.
Q. What is Park Yeong-hyeon's salary?
His 2026 salary is 300 million won, the highest among fifth-year players in the league. He received 240 million won in the 2025 season and 160 million won in the 2024 season.
Q. Will Park Yeong-hyeon actually pitch in the 29th KIA game?
He has told the coach he will pitch. However, the game had not yet been played at Gwangju KIA Champions Field at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 29, so whether he actually pitches is unconfirmed.
Related Official Sites
- KBO Official Website - Daily Team Standings — Check the game gap between KT and Samsung by date
- KT Wiz Official Website - Game Schedule — Check KT's remaining regular-season schedule
- KT Wiz Official Website - Team Standings — The latest standings published by the club
- KIA Tigers Official Website — Information on the opposing team for the 29th game in Gwangju
Featured image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo of the current game in the article · Photo composite · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Trainholic), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Fetx2002), CC BY-SA 4.0
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