He did not only play in the KBO league. He spent a long time in the Japanese pro baseball and Major League Baseball as well. Nevertheless, he broke the record for most saves in a single league. Oh Seung-hwan (42), the “final leader” of the Samsung Lions, made tremendous achievements.메이저놀이터
Oh took the mound as the closing pitcher in the bottom of the ninth inning with a 3-0 lead over the Kiwoom Heroes in the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 26th. He allowed one hit, no outs, and no strikeouts in the first inning to keep his team’s victory intact. Oh added one more save and posted 408 saves overall in the KBO League.
Oh now holds the record for most saves in a single league. The previous record was held by Hitoki Iwase, who played for the Chunichi Dragons. Iwase made 407 saves while playing for the Chunichi Dragons from 1999 to 2019. Unlike Iwase, who played only in Japan, Oh has built a career not only in the KBO league but also in the Japanese professional baseball and Major League Baseball.
A graduate of Kyunggi High School and Dankook University, Oh joined the Lions as the fifth overall pick in the second round of the first round in the 2005 draft. Since his debut season, Oh has been keeping records consecutively. In his third year as a pitcher, he achieved 100 saves in the minimum game and the shortest season, and in 2009 and 2011, he achieved 150 and 200 saves by breaking the minimum game and the youngest record simultaneously. In particular, making 200 saves in 334 games was the world record for the minimum number of games. Before joining the Japanese pro baseball league in 2014, Oh had made 250 saves and 350 saves, becoming the first player in KBO league history.
Oh, who played for the Hanshin Tigers from 2014 to 2015, played as a guardian of victory and moved to the U.S. in 2016 after joining the St. Louis Cardinals in the Major League. He continued his career with the Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies until 2019.
Oh Seung-hwan, who continued to make saves, set an unprecedented milestone of 500 saves in June last year. He also built a total of 400 saves in the KBO League against the Daegu SSG Landers on October 14, the last home game of the 2023 regular season.
Oh Seung-hwan’s 408 saves stand out more than Iwase’s 407 saves because Oh Seung-hwan played in Japan and the United States for six years. Oh Seung-hwan, who already set a 500 save record, said the record for most saves in a single league is more valuable.
After establishing a new history, Oh said, “He is very calm in setting a new record. Still, I am pleased that he set the record for the most saves in Asia in the Korean professional baseball league. Korean baseball has a shorter history than Japan, and I am proud to have this record. It is a record that I have always wanted to have. I want to place significance on the fact that he made the most saves in Asia in a single league.”
It is all the more meaningful because the record was set only by Samsung. “I want to say thank you to the Samsung players for being with me while making 408 saves. I want to thank them,” Oh said.
He also expressed his hope that younger players would play baseball with big goals. “I’m glad that the record of most saves in a single league in Asia has been recorded, and I think younger players can play baseball with such goals,” Oh said.