Kim Do-young and Austin Dean battle for KBO home run crown

KIA Tigers outfielder Kim Do‑young has taken the lead in the KBO home‑run race, reaching his 30th homer of the 2026 season and continuing a strong stretch with three consecutive games of long‑ball power. LG Twins foreign hitter Austin Dean is right on his heels, matching Kim with a 31st home run after homering in back‑to‑back games against the Samsung Lions and Kiwoom Heroes. The race has tightened as both sluggers added multi‑run blasts in recent outings, while KT Wiz’s Sam Hilliard has surged with a high batting average and a string of home runs in the second half of the season. A further variable is the upcoming 2026 Asian Games, for which Kim has been named to the South Korean national team, meaning he may miss two weeks of club play and could affect his late‑season totals. The competition among the league’s top power hitters remains fierce as the regular season heads toward its final weeks.