Key Changes
The first change to confirm in the standings race between the KIA Tigers and NC Dinos is the result of their September 1 game. In the game held at Changwon NC Park, NC defeated KIA 7–2, and reports said that KIA dropped from third to fourth place after the loss. NC extended its winning streak to four games with the victory, while KIA’s winning streak came to an end.
Another point of interest during the same period was Kim Do-yeong’s pursuit of 40 home runs. Kim hit his 39th home run of the season against Lotte on August 26, setting a new personal single-season home-run record. The benchmark presented for a challenge to become the youngest player to hit 40 home runs was that he needed to add one more home run by September 6.
Current Status
Lee Soon-cheol’s advice was that, rather than chasing records such as the stolen-base title too aggressively, Kim Do-yeong should make the most of his strength as a hitter and attempt steals only when truly necessary. The comments were presented through the “Off the 야구3” content on the YouTube channel “Off the TV.” However, the publicly available reports conveyed the gist of the comments, so no basis has been confirmed for interpreting them as an official controversy or disciplinary issue.
For Kim Do-yeong, 40 home runs is not yet an achieved record; it remains a challenge requiring one more home run after No. 39. Accordingly, when reviewing the record, it is important to distinguish between the expressions “having hit 40 home runs” and “meeting the conditions for a challenge to become the youngest player to hit 40 home runs.” The September 1 result against NC should likewise be viewed separately from Kim Do-yeong’s individual record pursuit, as a game result that affected KIA’s team standing.
The core of Lee Soon-cheol’s advice was to preserve Kim Do-yeong’s hitting ability while attempting stolen bases only when necessary.
Impact
For KIA, the 7–2 loss to NC was more than the result of a single game. According to reports, KIA’s standing changed from third to fourth, while NC recorded its fourth consecutive win. As a result, the KIA–NC game drew attention not only for Kim Do-yeong’s record pursuit but also for the teams’ standings race.
From the perspective of individual records, the important point is that Kim Do-yeong set a new personal single-season home-run record with his 39th homer. A schedule was presented under which adding a 40th home run could allow him to meet the conditions for a challenge to become the youngest player to hit 40 home runs. However, the information provided does not establish whether he ultimately reached 40 home runs or what the final season standings were.
Lee Soon-cheol’s advice also provides a way to watch the story unfold. The focus is not simply on increasing the stolen-base total, but on whether Kim Do-yeong maintains his core ability as a hitter and chooses to steal according to the game situation. Team standings and individual records are connected in ways that heighten interest, but the game result and whether the record was achieved must each be confirmed separately for accuracy.
Next Checkpoint
Based on the schedule at the time, the next checkpoint was the rematch between KIA and NC on September 2. It was a game that could show whether the flow of the standings race would change after KIA fell to fourth place. At the same time, it was necessary to check whether Kim Do-yeong had added his 40th home run after No. 39.
The condition for Kim Do-yeong’s challenge to become the youngest player to hit 40 home runs was to add one home run by September 6. Therefore, when checking the record, the number of home runs in each game and the relevant date should be reviewed together. The expression “he hit his 40th home run” should be used only after the actual game record has been confirmed; the fact that he was pursuing the milestone does not justify presuming the result in advance.
In summary, three points are currently confirmed. NC defeated KIA 7–2 on September 1, and KIA fell from third to fourth place. Kim Do-yeong set a new personal single-season record with his 39th home run and was presented as having one home run remaining in his pursuit of 40. Lee Soon-cheol advised him to prioritize his hitting ability and situation-appropriate stolen-base decisions over aggressively competing for the stolen-base title. Subsequent standings and home-run records should be checked again against the relevant game results and official record announcements.