As the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season progresses, it’s clear that the Hanwha Eagles and LG Twins should be the favorites to hoist the championship trophy.
The ebbs and flows of a baseball season teach us that nothing is guaranteed.
There’s plenty of season left to play, and even the sixth-place Samsung Lions are just 6 1/2 games behind the Eagles. The Lions and Twins will meet for a three-game series, beginning this Friday.
It’s time to check in on more of the latest news from the top professional baseball league in South Korea, the KBO.
Ex-KBO Manager Dies at 77 – Lee Kwang-hwan, a former manager of the Twins and Kiwoom Heroes, passed away Wednesday, aged 77.
Lee led the Twins to a Korean Series title in 1994, defeating the Pacific Dolphins in four games. In total, Lee managed four franchises in 11 seasons in KBO dugouts—his 608 wins as a manager rank 11th all-time in KBO history.
In honor of the former manager’s legacy, teams around the league held a moment of silence before their respective games on Wednesday. Lee threw out the first pitch at the Twins’ Opening Day game this season on March 22.
Former Chicago Cub Struggles at Dome – Former Major League Baseball third baseman Patrick Wisdom is seeing the ball much better at an outside stadium than in an inside environment during his first season in the KBO.
None of Wisdom’s 13 homers have come at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the home of the Kiwoom Heroes. As of last Thursday, Wisdom was 2-for-22 at the Heroes’ home stadium, as relayed by Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency. The Twins’ manager, Lee Bum-ho, believes a lack of domes in MLB may cause Wisdom’s struggles at the dome.
“I think he is having trouble seeing pitches here because he doesn’t have much experience playing at domes over in the U.S.,” Lee told reporters last week, including Yoo, during the Tigers’ series with the Heroes. “He’s been whiffing on pitches just out of the strike zone. But he may get a few hits tonight. We’ve won games when he picked up his teammates and hit big home runs. I am just thankful that he’s been playing great defense at third base.”
Australia’s Lachlan Wells Collects First KBO Win – On Sunday, Heroes left-handed pitcher Lachlan Wells, a veteran of the Australian Baseball League, picked up his first win in the KBO. He allowed two earned runs on five hits and struck out two in five innings. The Heroes defeated the Lions 10-7.
Three weeks ago, the Heroes signed Wells, 28, as a temporary injury replacement for left-hander Kenny Rosenberg. Last season, the KBO implemented a new rule that allows clubs to sign foreign players to fill the roster spot of a player who needs at least six weeks to recover from injury.
Wells reached as high as Double-A Reading in the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2024 after reaching an agreement with the National League club last January, and represented Australia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
KBO Standings as of Wednesday, July 2
1. Hanwha Eagles (46-33-1)
2. LG Twins (45-34-2)
3. Lotte Giants (44-35-3)
4. Kia Tigers (42-36-3)
5. SSG Landers (40-37-3)
6. KT Wiz (41-38-3)
7. Samsung Lions (40-40-1)
8. NC Dinos (36-38-4)
9. Doosan Bears (32-46-3)
10. Kiwoom Heroes (26-55-3)
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.
WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
Photo: Longtime KBO manager Lee Kwang-hwan passed away this week at age 77. Photo via https://en.namu.wiki)
