Seoul: LG Twins slugger Austin Dean moved into a tie for the home run lead in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Wednesday by hitting two home runs, though his attention remains firmly on winning the Korean Series.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the American first baseman is more focused on securing his third Korean Series ring. Dean's solo home run and a grand slam contributed to the Twins' 8-6 victory over the SSG Landers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. With 19 home runs, Dean now shares the top spot on the home run leaderboard with Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers. More crucially, the win helped keep the Twins in first place with a 38-23-0 record, maintaining a 1 1/2 game lead over the KT Wiz.
"I'm not really searching for titles at the end," Dean told Yonhap News Agency after the game. "It'd be a cool accolade at the end of the year, but it's not a goal of mine right now. My main goal is just to help this team win and to win more championships. You know, I want to fill my left hand with as many rings as possible and then hopefully move on to the next hand. That to me is what is more worth it."
Dean joined the Twins in 2023 and played a pivotal role in their Korean Series victories in 2023 and 2025. The team is expected to be a strong contender for another title this year, with Dean playing a significant role. He has hit four home runs in June alone and has accumulated 105 home runs since 2023, more than any other KBO player.
In Wednesday's game, Dean's solo home run in the first inning reduced the Landers' lead to 2-1. His grand slam in the fifth inning turned a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 lead. The powerful shot left Dean's bat at 170.4 kilometers per hour with a launch angle of 20.7 degrees, surprising even Dean that it cleared the spacious Jamsil field.
"I was just looking at something that I knew I could drive to the outfield," Dean said. "In that situation, you're trying to play team ball, just hit the ball in the outfield, get the run in. My whole goal this year has just been to hit the ball hard, and I feel like I did that right there."
Dean also showcased his defensive skills, executing a 3-6 double play in the seventh inning while the Twins held a 7-5 lead. Dean, who takes pride in his defense, fielded a grounder from Jeon Eui-san, stepped on the bag for the first out, and threw accurately to shortstop Oh Ji-hwan to complete the play.
"You don't get those too often, huh?" Dean remarked, grinning. "The play here, sometimes a lot of guys will stop in the middle and (the lead runner) kept going. It's been a while since I've gotten to throw an actual fireball to Ji-hwan. I was happy I was able to make that play."