Kim Do-yeong hits his 35th home run of 2026 on August 15
Kim Do-yeong of the KIA Tigers hit his 35th home run of the 2026 KBO season in the fourth inning against Doosan in Gwangju on August 15, a 120-metre solo shot off a 142km fastball, in a game KIA won 6-1, leaving him five short of 40 with an Asian Games absence of about two weeks ahead in September
The three lines
- The homer — fourth inning, August 15, 2026 at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field; a 120-metre solo shot off a 142km fastball. His 34th came three days earlier
- The game — KIA 6-1 Doosan. Yang Hyeon-jong threw a quality start of six innings and one run; Park Jae-hyun drove in two from the lower order. KIA snapped a two-game skid
- The schedule problem — Kim is expected to miss roughly two weeks in September for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. His closest rival for the home run title has no such gap
Key questions
- How many home runs does Kim Do-yeong have?
- Thirty-five, through the game of August 15, 2026. He hit his 34th on August 12 against Samsung in Gwangju to take sole possession of the league lead, then added the 35th three days later against Doosan — a 120-metre solo home run off a 142km fastball in the fourth inning. That leaves him five short of 40.
- Who is he racing for the home run title?
- Austin Dean of the LG Twins. At the end of July it was 32 to 31 — a one-homer gap — and both men hit six home runs in July alone. This article was not able to confirm Dean's total as of August 15; the last figure verified here is 31 at the end of July. Hilliard of the Lotte Giants was third at 27 at the same point.
- Can he reach 40?
- The arithmetic depends on games remaining, and there is an asymmetry. Kim is expected to be called up for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September, costing him roughly two weeks. Austin Dean has no equivalent absence, so the two will not play the same number of remaining games. Korean outlets report Kim is chasing what would be the first 40-homer season by a domestic KIA player; this page did not verify the club's home run records in detail.
Gwangju, August 15, fourth inning. A 142km fastball came in and the ball travelled 120 metres.
Home run number 35. Three days after number 34.
1. The home run
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | August 15, 2026 |
| Venue | Gwangju-KIA Champions Field |
| Inning | 4th |
| Type | Solo |
| Pitch | 142km fastball |
| Distance | 120 metres |
| Season total | 35 |
The previous one came on August 12 against Samsung, also in Gwangju. Three days between them.
For readers outside Korea: Kim Do-yeong is a 23-year-old infielder for the KIA Tigers, one of the KBO League's ten clubs, and the league's most-followed young hitter since a breakout 2024 season.
2. The game itself
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Result | KIA 6-1 Doosan |
| Starter | Yang Hyeon-jong — six innings, one run, quality start |
| Offence | Kim Do-yeong solo homer (35th); Park Jae-hyun two RBI from the lower order |
| Meaning | Answered the previous night's loss; snapped a two-game skid |
The win put KIA at 55-2-48 in fifth place, half a game behind fourth-place Doosan. Those standings figures are press tallies; this page did not check them against official KBO records.
3. The home run race — what is confirmed and what is not
| Player | Club | Last verified total | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Do-yeong | KIA | 35 | August 15 |
| Austin Dean | LG | 31 | End of July |
| Hilliard | Lotte | 27 | End of July |
An honest note: this article could not confirm Austin Dean's total as of August 15. The last verified figure is 31 at the end of July. Do not read the gap in that table as the current gap.
What is confirmed is the shape of July. Both men hit six home runs each in that month alone. Kim homered in three straight games from July 24-26, then twice more in consecutive games from July 29, and hit five in a six-game stretch. Dean answered with three in five games from July 25. Every time one pulled away, the other closed within a game.
4. The arithmetic of 40 — and two weeks in September
Five home runs remain to reach 40.
The complication is games, not power.
| Player | September variable |
|---|---|
| Kim Do-yeong | 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games call-up — about two weeks out |
| Austin Dean | None |
This is the structural asymmetry in the race. The two will not play the same number of remaining games. Kim leads on home runs but trails on opportunities.
The call-up is also an honour — national team selection. On the individual record ledger alone, though, it is a straight subtraction. Asked at the end of July about leading the league, Kim was quoted saying he should have hit more.
Korean outlets report that he is chasing what would be the first 40-homer season by a domestic KIA player, with the club's 40-homer mark attributed to Tracy Sanders in 1999. This page did not verify the franchise records — meaning the precise scope of "first domestic player" is unconfirmed here.
5. What is not settled
The rival's current number is unknown. Dean's August 15 total was not confirmed, so the home run gap in this article is a July figure.
Franchise records were not checked. The scope of the "first domestic 40-homer season" claim is unverified.
The Asian Games absence is inferred. "About two weeks" comes from the tournament calendar; the final roster and departure schedule await official announcement.
Only one game was verified. Results from the other ballparks that day were not established here.
Earlier KBO coverage on this page: "KBO results, August 12" and "The KBO heat break ends."
Sources
- Newspim — Yang Hyeon-jong quality start, Kim Do-yeong's 35th: KIA beat Doosan 6-1
- Newspim — Preview: KIA vs Doosan in Gwangju, August 15
- Nate Sports — KIA's Kim Do-yeong hits his 34th, pulling clear at the top
- Nate Sports — Kim Do-yeong 31, Austin 30, Hilliard 26 and 27: the home run race heats up
- Seoul Economic Daily — Kim Do-yeong and Austin go deep on the same night; the lead stays tight
- Nate Sports — 'Home run leader? I should have hit more' — Kim Do-yeong
- OSEN — August 15 preview: can KIA answer back against Doosan?