Remember a few weeks ago when the LG Twins were the best team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO)?
A lot has changed since then, and there’s a battle for first place in the 2025 standings.
Catch up with the latest news from the top professional baseball league in South Korea.
Eagles Collect Nine Straight Wins – After a 10-6 win against the Samsung Lions on Wednesday, the Hanwha Eagles have won nine straight games.
The Eagles’ winning streak has them one game ahead of the Twins for first place in the KBO standings. Former Major League Baseball starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin allowed one earned run on four hits, striking out six in five innings, on Wednesday against the Lions.
The Eagles have won 20 of their last 23 games after starting 5-10 in their first 15 games.
Former KBO Star Makes MLB Debut – Second baseman and shortstop Kim Hye-seong made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.
The four-time KBO Golden Glove Award winner with the Kiwoom Heroes stole a base on Sunday against the Braves and added another on Monday against the Miami Marlins. Also on Monday, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI, collecting his first MLB hit, a leadoff single in the top of the fifth against Sandy Alcantara.
In international competition, Kim represented South Korea at the 2020 Summer Olympics, the 2022 Asian Games, and the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
World Baseball Network’s Alex Ortiz identified the Dodgers’ rookie, who began the 2025 season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, as a nominee to be the starting second baseman for South Korea in early lineup predictions for the 2026 WBC. South Korea’s offense led the 2023 WBC with a .967 OPS, and Kim went 1-for-2 with three RBIs in the tournament.
Tigers’ Choi Hyoung-woo Hits 400th Career Home Run – The KBO’s all-time leader in RBIs with 1,668, Choi Hyoung-woo, hit the 400th home run of his 20-year career on Monday in the Kia Tigers’ 3-1 win against the Heroes.
Choi began his KBO career with the Lions in 2002, but was cut from the team after the 2005 season. He eventually re-joined the organization in 2008. During Choi’s time away from the Lions, he joined the Metropolitan Police team in the KBO Futures League while fulfilling his mandatory military service.
“For someone to be cut and then to sign again after completing their military service and coming up in their age-23 or -24 season and then having that kind of the longevity that he’s had? It is very unusual,” Yoo Jee-ho of the Yonhap News Agency told MLB.com in November 2023. “To be honest, I don’t know if you’re gonna see another career path like this in this day and age. If you’re not drafted out of high school in a high round, chances are you’re probably not going to get the chance to win the regular job at the KBO level. So yeah, it’s a very unusual career path.”
KBO Standings as of Wednesday, May 7
Where to Watch – Fans can stream the 2025 KBO season on the SOOP service. The KBO’s official YouTube page also posts game highlights and clips of other events, like the All-Star Game and Golden Glove awards.
