The second half of the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season is here.
Five of the league’s 10 teams will battle for a spot in this year’s postseason, with the Hanwha Eagles sitting comfortably in first place. Is there enough time for the bottom five teams to make a late-season push?
It’s time to check in on more of the latest news from the top professional baseball league in South Korea, the KBO.
Wiz Add Pitcher With MLB Experience – On Sunday, the KT Wiz announced that they signed right-handed pitcher Patrick Murphy. In a corresponding move, the Wiz released Venezuela native and seven-year KBO veteran pitcher William Cuevas.
Murphy, a former Major Leaguer from 2020-22 with the Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals, will earn $227,000 during his time with the Wiz. The Texas Rangers released Murphy from his minor league contract with the organization last week, and he posted a 3.57 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock.
The Blue Jays selected the 30-year-old in the third round of the 2013 MLB Draft, and he spent last year in Japan with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Nanum All-Stars Emerge Victorious in Daejeon – This past Saturday, the Nanum All-Stars defeated the Dream All-Stars 8-6 in the 2025 KBO All-Star Game at Daejeon Baseball Dream Park, the Eagles’ newly opened home stadium.
LG Twins catcher Park Dong-won received 27 of the 28 media votes to win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. Park smashed a two-run home run in the second inning and finished the contest with three hits and three RBIs.
According to a report from Korea JoonAng Daily, Saturday’s game was the fourth consecutive sellout for a KBO All-Star Game, and the 24th in league history.
Team Nanum’s starting pitcher, Cody Ponce, ran out to the mound in a Darth Vader costume.
폰세 다스베이더 가면 벗을 때 진짜 멋잇었어 나한텐이게늑대의유혹우산씬이야 pic.twitter.com/GSNrh8xFVN
— 렌지 (@rangebehind) July 12, 2025
Heroes Make Drastic Changes – The last-place Kiwoom Heroes are ready for a change.
On Monday, the club announced that it had fired manager Hong Won-ki, bench coach Kim Chang-hyun, and general manager Ko Hyung-wook. Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency reports that minor league head coach Seol Jong-jin will serve as the Heroes’ interim manager.
The Heroes hope to avoid a third consecutive 10th-place finish in the KBO standings. They won 58 games in 2024 but have just 27 wins through their first 91 games of 2025, a .307 winning percentage.
KBO Standings as of Wednesday, July 16
1. Hanwha Eagles (52-33-2)
2. LG Twins (48-38-2)
3. Lotte Giants (47-39-3)
4. Kia Tigers (45-40-3)
5. KT Wiz (45-41-3)
6. SSG Landers (43-41-3)
7. NC Dinos (40-40-5)
8. Samsung Lions (43-44-1)
9. Doosan Bears (36-49-3)
10. Kiwoom Heroes (27-61-3)
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: Patrick Murphy warms up during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
