Challenging Oh Record
In 2013, Yakult Wladimir Balentien challenged Oh Sadaharu 55 HR record from 1964. The Curacao native had hit 31 HR in each of his first two NPB seasons before exploding with 47 by end of August.
Find books about Balentien on Amazon
Road to 55 and Intentional Walks
As Balentien approached 55, pitchers increasingly walked him, sparking debate about protecting Oh record. He tied it on September 11 against Hanshin and broke it on September 15 against Hiroshima.
Reaching 60
Balentien finished with 60 HR, .330 average, and 131 RBI in 131 games. His 1.234 OPS set an NPB season record. He won CL MVP despite Yakult finishing last.
Books about NPB HR records are helpful
Significance
Oh himself congratulated Balentien, saying records are meant to be broken. Murakami hit 56 in 2022 as the first Japanese to surpass Oh, but Balentien 60 remains the NPB single-season record.