NC Dinos Son Asub, 35, is the epitome of consistency. Just look at his career batting average of .322 (2383 hits in 7400 at-bats) in 1948 games, his production of 1.22 hits per game, and his on-base percentage of 0.396. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Changwon Lotte Giants on Sept. 9, he became the first KBO player to hit 150 hits in a single season for eight consecutive years. He surpassed the previous record of LG Twins’ Park Yong-taek (KBSN Sports commentator), who hit 150 or more hits for seven consecutive years.
150 hits in a single season is a difficult feat to accomplish without a tremendous ability to make contact. Son’s streak of 150 hits in consecutive seasons has been going on for eight seasons, but it started in 2012 (158 hits). With the exception of 2015 (141), he has hit 150 or more home runs in 11 of his last 12 seasons. He warmed up his bat with 129 hits in 2010 and 144 hits in 2011 when he first broke out, and now he’s well on his way to becoming a KBO legend. That’s incredible consistency.안전놀이터
Son wasn’t done yet. From 2013 to this year, he reached 200 RBIs in a single season for 11 consecutive years. This is tied with Lee Dae-ho (retired) for the longest streak in KBO history. If he reaches 200 RBIs next season, he will make history again. He first reached the 200-run plateau in 2011 (224 runs), but fell one run short in 2012 (199 runs). Thanks to his self-care and enthusiasm, he has completely dispelled concerns about the aging curve.
Challenges remain. The title of batting champion has eluded him despite his consistent performance. Son is batting .341 (451-for-154) this season (as of Nov. 11), second only to Guillermo Heredia (.342-SSG Landers) in that category. With 501 total at-bats under his belt, he’s had fewer fluctuations in his batting average than Heredia, who has 411.
History has been made. He’s ready to win his first career batting title and lead NC to its first fall ballgame at Changwon NC Park as captain. After winning the 2020 regular season and Korean Series title, NC only played fall baseball at Gocheok Sky Dome due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In many ways, the 2023 season will be a memorable one for Son.