The Detroit rookie sparked a massive comeback against the White Sox, shattering the single-season home run and hits records for Taiwanese-born players in a historic four-hit performance.
It’s official.
Hao-Yu Lee now owns the MLB record for most home runs in a single season by a player born in Taiwan.
And boy, was his 10th home run ever so magical.
Trailing 8-2 early in Friday night’s game against the division-rival Chicago White Sox, the Tigers looked like they were finally ready to throw in the white towel on the 2026 season.
But just when Detroit looked buried and the final scoop of dirt was about to be put over its casket, a hand popped out of the grave.
Then another.
Then another.
And so on until the Tigers had somehow clawed their way back into the game.
Detroit eventually turned an 8-2 deficit into an 8-6 game, setting the stage for one of the most memorable innings of the season.
With a runner on base in the top of the eighth, Lee stepped back into the batter’s box. His previous hit had helped spark the comeback when he doubled home Max Clark in the sixth inning.
This time, Lee put a charge into a ball that sailed over the outfield wall.
Two runs scored.
Just like that, an 8-2 game was tied at 8-8.
Lee’s 10th home run of the season not only tied the game, but officially moved him past Yu Chang for the most home runs in a single MLB season by a player born in Taiwan.
But the Tigers weren’t finished.
Dillon Dingler followed with the go-ahead single, giving Detroit a 9-8 lead before Riley Greene launched a two-run home run to cap a five-run eighth inning.
Detroit had scored nine unanswered runs.
The Tigers had gone from being down six runs to leading by three.
And they never looked back, securing an 11-8 comeback victory over Chicago.
Lee finished the night with a massive performance, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, three RBIs and his record-setting 10th home run of the season.
The four-hit performance was historic in its own right, setting a single-game MLB record for hits by a Taiwanese player.
It also marked another milestone in Lee’s incredible rookie season.
Earlier this year, Lee broke Chang’s record for most hits in a single MLB season by a player born in Taiwan. Chang recorded 54 hits for Cleveland in 2021, but Lee surpassed that mark in August and has continued adding to it ever since.
The connection between the two players makes the accomplishment even more special.
Five years ago, Chang spoke at a Nike camp in Taiwan that Lee attended. Lee told Chang at the time that he would come see him in five years.
Five years later, Lee is in the Major Leagues — and he is now breaking the records Chang once held.
Chang’s nine home runs in 2021 stood as the Taiwanese MLB single-season record until Lee surpassed him Friday night.
Now, Lee owns both the single-season hits and home run records for Taiwanese-born MLB players.
And he isn’t finished.
Lee is in the middle of his first Major League season and has quickly established himself as an important piece of Detroit’s lineup. His production down the stretch could also play a role in the Tigers’ plans at second base heading into 2027.
For now, though, Lee is making history.
He has already rewritten the Taiwanese MLB record book in his rookie season, and with eight games remaining, there is still time for him to add even more to an already remarkable first year.
And perhaps fittingly, he did it while helping the Tigers pull off one of their most improbable comebacks of the season.
