‘408 saves’ At the age of 42, he surpassed the Japanese legend and set a new record… The king of fastballs is back, and being the save king in his 40s is not a dream either.

Seunghwan Oh is Seunghwan Oh.

Samsung Lions closing pitcher Seung-Hwan Oh took the mound in the bottom of the 9th inning in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League game against Kiwoom Heroes held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 26th and pitched one inning without allowing a run, preserving the team’s 3-0 victory.

Oh Seung-hwan, who earned 8 saves this season, now has 408 saves in KBO history. This is a new record for most saves in a single league in Asia. The previous record was 407 saves, held by Hitoki Iwase of the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese professional baseball team. Now, no player has recorded more saves than Oh Seung-hwan in the Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese leagues.

Samsung players showered Oh Seung-hwan with water and congratulated him on his great record.

Seung-hwan Oh is a living legend of KBO beyond Samsung. After joining Samsung as the 5th pick in the second round in 2005, he only played for Samsung from 2014 to 2019, except for the period when he played in Japan and the United States.

Oh Seung-hwan, who made a brilliant debut with the Rookie of the Year Award in the 2005 season, recording 10 wins, 1 loss, 16 saves, 11 holds, and an ERA of 1.18 in 61 games, recorded 4 wins, 3 losses, 47 saves, and an ERA of 1.59 in 63 games in the 2006 season, helping Samsung win the championship for the second straight time. led. The 47 saves are still the most in a single season in KBO League history.

In the 2007 season, he recorded 60 games, 4 wins, 4 losses, 40 saves, and an ERA of 1.40. In the 2008 season, he recorded 57 games, 1 win, 1 loss, 39 saves, and an ERA of 1.40. He overwhelmed the opponent’s batting lineup with his fastball.

He performed poorly in 2009 and 2010 with an ERA of around 4 points, but bounced back in 2011. He led Samsung to its first championship in 5 years with 1 win in 54 games, 47 saves, and an ERA of 0.63. He recorded 50 games, 2 wins, 1 loss, 37 saves, and an ERA of 1.94 in the 2012 season, and 4 wins, 1 loss, 28 saves, and an ERA of 1.74 in the 2013 season, serving as the finisher for Samsung’s three-game losing streak.

Oh Seung-hwan, who played in Japan and the United States from 2014 to 2019 and returned in 2020, recorded 3 wins, 2 losses, 18 saves, and 2 holds in 45 games in the 2020 season, with an ERA of 2.64. In the 2021 season, he became the league’s oldest save king with 64 games, 2 losses, 44 saves, and an ERA of 2.03. He recorded 6 wins, 2 losses, 31 saves, and 2 holds in 57 games in the 2022 season, and 4 wins, 5 losses, 30 saves, 2 holds, and an ERA of 3.45 in 58 games in the 2023 season.

In particular, last year, he reached 500 saves in Korea, the United States and Japan combined, and in the last home game of the regular season, he reached 400 saves for the first time in the KBO League. It is no exaggeration to say that he holds all records related to saves in the KBO league. Seunghwan Oh has an outstanding record of 42 wins, 26 losses, 408 saves, 17 holds, and an ERA of 2.05 in the KBO League.

There were times when he was sluggish last season, but he returned to the Oh Seung-hwan we knew this season. He has 1 win, 2 losses, 8 saves, and an ERA of 1.80 in 14 games. In particular, he made 7 saves in 9 games in April and had an ERA of 0. Even in the game on the 26th, he overpowered the opposing batter with his highest speed of 146 km. Samsung is doing well these days thanks to Oh Seung-hwan’s good performance.

It’s still early in the season, but if the current trend continues, it’s not unreasonable for him to have an ERA of 1 point for the first time in 11 years and a save title for the first time in 3 years. Kim Tae-hoon, Choi Ha-neul, Lim Chang-min, and Kim Jae-yoon in front are alleviating the burden, and Oh Seung-hwan, who only has to appear in the 9th inning, is also gaining strength. Seung-Hwan Oh is the oldest save king of all time at the age of 39 years, 2 months, and 28 days in 2021. Now, three years later, he may be rewriting another record.

Samsung is cruising after overcoming eight straight losses at the beginning of the season. After recording 2 wins, 1 draw, and 8 losses, they are on a frightening pace of 14 wins and 4 losses. After overcoming last season’s struggles, Oh Seung-hwan is ready to protect Samsung’s back door once again.

Lee Jeong-won, MK Sports reporter