Park Seong-han Sets KBO Record: 20 Consecutive Hits - What’s Next for the Rising Star?

[SPOTVNEWS=Daegu, Reporter Kim Tae-woo] Park Seong-han (28, SSG Landers) singled on the first pitch of the game in the top of the first inning against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on April 21, pushing his hitting streak to 19 games. No player in KBO history had recorded hits in 19 straight games starting from Opening Day — Park set a new league milestone.

Through April 21, Park was in the middle of a scorching run that had him mentioned for both the shortstop Gold Glove and the KBO MVP race. Over 19 games he was hitting .486 with 1 home run, 19 RBIs, a .584 on-base percentage, a .686 slugging percentage and a 1.270 OPS. Those numbers at this stage of a season are virtually unheard of in KBO history.

That’s especially remarkable because Park plays shortstop, one of the most physically demanding defensive positions, and he often hits leadoff, giving him a heavy workload. Yet he maintained elite production. Still, Park downplays the streak — he’s simply pleased with a strong start and knows obsessing over the numbers can be harmful.

On April 22 he delivered again, reaching base three times. He started the game with a right‑center single, extending his consecutive‑game hitting streak to 20. Getting a hit in the first at‑bat let him play the rest of the game without forcing himself to think about the streak.

In the fifth inning he added a single to left, marking his 11th multi‑hit game of the season. After 20 games, more than half of his starts have been multi‑hit efforts. He drew a walk in the ninth to finish with three times on base.

A multi‑hit game or a three‑time on‑base day would normally draw headlines, but with his batting average flirting with .500 and his OBP near .600, those performances have started to feel routine. He went 2‑for‑4 and his average held at .486; his OBP barely budged. The sustained excellence is beginning to register.

After 20 games, Park’s .486 batting average is the best Opening Day‑through‑20‑games mark in KBO history. The previous record was .485, set by Yang Joon‑hyuk (then with Samsung) in 1997 (32‑for‑66). The third‑best through 20 games belongs to Fernandez (then with Doosan), who hit .470 (39‑for‑83) to open the 2020 season.

Park is a shortstop who has twice finished a season batting .300, so he has proven hitting ability. He also shows outstanding plate discipline and rarely chases bad pitches. Even so, a .486 average through 20 games is difficult to fully explain with metrics alone. He credits focus, thorough offseason preparation, his current physical condition and, perhaps most importantly, a calm temperament that keeps him from overthinking the numbers.

In the offseason, Park and hitting coach Im Hoon reviewed video of his best swings and compared them to times he struggled. They lowered his center of gravity slightly and he now holds the bat a bit lower, trading a slight uprightness for more stable lower‑body mechanics. Park also missed the early offseason after being hit in the ribs during a national‑team game in November — that extended rest may have helped him hit this stride.

SSG manager Lee Seung‑yong said before the April 22 game he planned to give Park a rest if the hitting streak ended, noting that leadoff shortstop is a demanding combination and the streak could add to fatigue. Park prefers to keep playing rather than sit out, though, and by extending the streak he’s shown little interest in resting. He insists he wants to be viewed as an ordinary player — but after this start, that’s a hard sell.