The Korea Baseball Organization has seen two of the top teams dominate the standings, and for now, the other eight franchises have their sights set on at least a top-five finish to qualify for the postseason.
Is it too early to rule out the last-place Kiwoom Heroes or the ninth-place Doosan Bears? Technically, no. After Tuesday’s games, the Bears were just two games behind the fourth-place Samsung Lions. Remember, the last day of the KBO regular season is not until August 31.
Lotte Giants Waive Former Clemson University Standout – After putting left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes on the injured list with a shoulder injury, the Giants placed him on waivers.
Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency reports the Giants said last Thursday that Barnes’ injury would keep him off the mound for the following eight weeks. The 29-year-old, who played three seasons with the Clemson Tigers from 2015-17, joined the Giants in 2022.
Barnes was the Giants’ 2025 Opening Day starting pitcher, but turned in an underwhelming performance this season, with a 5.32 ERA and four home runs allowed in eight starts. He made nine appearances for Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins in 2021.
Dinos Manager Lee Ho-joon Speaks on Former Teammate Choi Jeong – On Tuesday, SSG Landers third baseman Choi Jeong became the first player in KBO history to hit 500 career home runs. He accomplished the feat with a two-run blast in the bottom of the sixth inning in a 6-3 win against the NC Dinos.
Before the game, Lee Ho-joon, the manager of the Dinos, told reporters, including Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency, that his club would not shy away from pitching to Choi.
“We will go after him[Choi]. There’s really nothing to it,” Lee told Yoo before the series opener against the Landers. “We’ll stick to the same game plan. But I only hope he will hit his home run when we have a big lead.”
Lee and Choi were teammates with the SK Wyverns, who became the SSG Landers in 2021, from 2005 to 12.
“I used to think he could be a guy who could hit .300 with maybe 20 home runs a season. And now he’s about to get to 500,” Lee told Yoo. “If I recall correctly, he built his own swing. Players who develop their own swings and mechanics can stay productive for a long time, because they know exactly how to fix problems when they get into slumps.”
Eagles’ 12-Game Winning Streak Snapped – On Tuesday, the Bears broke the Hanwha Eagles’ 12-game winning streak, winning 4-3 in 11 innings.
Before the Eagles’ loss, the club had gone 20-2 in their previous 22 games and fell two wins short of tying the Binggrae Eagles’ (1986-93) franchise record of 14 consecutive wins.
“What matters most is finishing the season strong,” Eagles general manager Son Hyuk told Korea JoonAng Daily. “We’re more worried about possible injuries during games. The manager [Kim Kyung-moon] is doing a great job keeping the players grounded, even during this winning streak.”
KBO Standings as of Wednesday, May 14
1. LG Twins (28-14-0)
2. Hanwha Eagles (27-15-0)
3. Lotte Giants (25-17-2)
4. NC Dinos (18-19-1)
5. Samsung Lions (20-22-1)
6. KT Wiz (19-21-3)
7. SSG Landers (19-21-1)
8. Kia Tigers (18-22-0)
9. Doosan Bears (18-22-2)
10. Kiwoom Heroes (13-32-0)
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.
Photo: Infielder Choi Jeong became the first 500 home run hitter in the KBO this week. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
