Austin blocked by Avila, 40 home run attempt fails...KBO home run ranking Kim Do-young leading with 41
LG's Austin Dean failed to hit his 40th home run in the Incheon SSG game on September 29. On the same day, Kim Do-young hit his 41st. The gap between 1st and 2nd place in KBO home run rankings widened to 2.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
"His physical condition was fine and he had a strong will to play." Seoul Newspaper reported that KIA Manager Lee Bum-ho explained in this way the reason he put Kim Do-young (22) in his return game on September 29 (gist of report). Kim Do-young hit his 41st two-run home run in his first at-bat in the 1st inning against Gwangju KT, asNews1reported. On the same night in Incheon, Austin Dean (32) was silent again.
Avila 104 pitches, complete game; Austin 3 pitches, strikeout in 6th inning
SSG defeated LG7-1. Starting pitcher Pedro Avila earned a complete-game victory on 104 pitches through 9 innings, allowing 8 hits and 1 run. It was his second complete-game victory in September alone, and his ERA became 1.56.STN Newsaccording to, Avila struck out Austin with 3 pitches in the 6th inning. LG's only run was Park Hae-min's solo home run in the 4th inning.
LG starter Tolhurst left the mound early, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) in 3 innings. In the 3rd inning, he allowed back-to-back home runs to Heredia and Jeon Ui-san. With this loss, LG fell into a three-game losing streak. Austin's full at-bat stats for the day were not confirmed. Avila's strikeout count also varies by media outlet as 5 or 6.
KBO home run ranking Kim Do-young 41, Austin·Hilliard 39
2026 KBO Home Run Ranking (as of end of games on 2026.09.29)
| Rank | Player (Age) | Team | Home Runs | 2026 Contract Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Do-young (22) | KIA | 41 | Salary 250 million won |
| Tied 2 | Austin Dean (32) | LG | 39 | Total 1.7 million dollars |
| Tied 2 | Sam Hilliard (32) | KT | 39 | Total 1 million dollars |
The question is whether Austin's silence ended the race. It has been 16 days since his 39th home run on September 13 without a home run. Financial News noted that while Kim Do-young was out for about 2 weeks for the Asian Games,Austin 0, Hilliard 5it pointed out. Hilliard, in his first year on contract with KT for 1 million dollars, hit 9 home runs in 22 September games. Kim Do-young's salary was cut 50% from 500 million won after his injury season.
According to Ilgan Sports tally (as of September 28), Austin's September batting average is 0.351. Remaining games are KIA 12 games, LG 11 games, KT 10 games. Seoul Newspaper predicted the home run title would be decided around 43. If this forecast holds, Austin needs 4 more. If there is a tie for home run title, it would be the first since Choi Jung·Thames in 2016.
Austin's salary 1.1 million dollars, LG's two firsts
The 'firsts' refer to two records. An LG player's first 40 home runs in a single season, and the organization's first home run title. According to X Sports News, LG has never had a home run title, even combining the MBC Blue Dragon era. Austin hit his 37th through 39th home runs in a cluster against Daegu Samsung on September 12-13, already surpassing Ramos's 38 from 2020. Until 40 home runs, there areonly 1remaining.
Austin, born October 14, 1993, is 32 years old. He debuted with Miami in the MLB in 2018, but had only 11 career MLB home runs. Since joining LG in 2023, he has hit 23, 32, 31, and 39 over four seasons.KBO Records Officeaccording to (as of inquiry on 2026.09.30), in 134 games this year he recorded a batting average of 0.341, 122 RBIs, and 1.090 OPS. He was the 2024 RBI leader and won the Gold Glove twice.
LG Official Press Releaseaccording to, the 2026 season contract total is 1.7 million dollars. A salary of 1.1 million dollars with signing bonus and incentives of 300,000 dollars each. One report described the re-signing as 'salary freeze.' At the time of re-signing, he said, "LG Twins is a home for me and my family."
Rankings and gaps are based on the end of games on September 29. They change based on results after the 30th. Hilliard's home run status on the 29th was confirmed only by Seoul Newspaper's notation of 39. One remains until an LG player's first 40 home runs. The gap between leader Kim Do-young and Austin is2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How old is Austin?
Born October 14, 1993, he is 32 years old as of September 30, 2026. He will be 33 on October 14.
Q. Who is ranked 1st in KBO home run ranking?
As of the end of games on September 29, 2026, KIA's Kim Do-young is in 1st place with 41. LG's Austin and KT's Hilliard are tied for 2nd with 39.
Q. What is Austin's salary?
According to LG's official announcement, the 2026 season salary is 1.1 million dollars. The total of 300,000 dollars signing bonus and 300,000 dollars incentive is 1.7 million dollars.
Related Official Sites
- KBO Official Records — Austin's Player Record — Check season and career home run and batting average records
- SSG Landers Official Website Game Schedule — Check remaining regular season schedule
Representative image · reference photo · not on-site photos of the current game in the article · photo collage · Photo=Wikimedia Commons(Kp deri), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons(Christophe95), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons(All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA), CC BY-SA 2.0
Related Resources to View Together
·"Reset from the beginning"...Kim Do-young leading with 40 home runs, 1 ahead of Austin·Hilliard
·"Carrasco did his job well"...Austin 39 home runs, 1 behind Kim Do-young's 40
·"Tied 1st with 27 home runs"...Austin shakes up KBO MVP race with 1.082 OPS
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