Hanwha Eagles left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin added another milestone to his career.
Ryu started Monday at Incheon’s SSG Landers Field and earned the win after allowing two runs over six innings in Hanwha’s 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season game against the SSG Landers.
He struck out 10 to become the oldest pitcher in KBO history to reach 1,500 strikeouts, doing so at 39 years, 13 days. He also set the record for fewest games to 1,500, reaching the mark in 246 appearances.
It was also his first double-digit strikeout game in 14 years, since an Oct. 2012 outing against the Nexen Heroes (now the Kiwoom Heroes).
After the game, Ryu told reporters he learned about the approaching milestone after his previous start.
“I did think I wanted to get at least one strikeout,” he said. “I got it in the first inning, so I was able to pitch comfortably.”
Ryu added that he was not focused on piling up strikeouts.
“I don’t have a desire to chase strikeouts,” he said. “But it’s good to have a day like today once in a while, and I’m just happy to have double-digit strikeouts for the first time in a long time.”
Ryu previously recorded 934 strikeouts over 10 seasons in Major League Baseball. Combined with his KBO total, he has 2,434 strikeouts in Korea and the United States.
Since debuting in the KBO in 2006, Ryu has recorded at least 100 strikeouts in nine straight seasons through last year, and he is aiming to make it 10 consecutive seasons in 2026.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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