After a hard-fought regular season and a thrilling first three rounds of the postseason, the Korean Series has arrived with the two top teams in the Kia Tigers and Samsung Lions set to square off in a best-of-seven series to decide the top team in the KBO. Here is everything you need to know about the 2024 Korean Series.
How They Got Here:
The well-rested Kia Tigers enter the Korean Series after easily claiming the top overall seed with an 87-55 record. After barely missing the playoffs in 2023, the Tigers burst out of the gate with a 21-10 record and never looked back. They are powered by an offense that led the KBO by scoring nearly six runs per game, while their starting rotation topped the league with a 4.10 ERA. Though they were hampered by injuries at the end of the season, the 20-day layoff has allowed them to get back to full strength as they look to claim their first KBO title since 2017 and continue their perfect record in Korean Series play.
The Samsung Lions, meanwhile, come into this series after topping the LG Twins in the second round. The Lions breezed to easy wins in the first two games before trading 1-0 decisions in games three and four. The four-game victory marked the Lions’ first postseason series victory since 2015, when they dropped the Korean Series to the Doosan Bears. Though they finished just sixth in runs per game, the Lions led the KBO with 194 home runs, while both their starters and relievers finished in the top three in ERA.
Hitters to Watch:
One of the major storylines in this series is the health of Koo. The Lions superstar was one of the best players in the KBO during the regular season, batting .343 with 33 home runs and 115 RBI, and looked well on his way to dominating in the postseason as well. Koo went 3-for-4 with a home run in the opener against the Twins, but after collecting a hit in his first plate appearance of Game Two, he was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. Koo missed the rest of the series after traveling to Japan for more treatment, and while he has stated that he will play in the Korean Series, it remains to be seen how much this injury will affect him
The former Miami Marlins first baseman joined the club in August and provided some thump down the stretch with a .282 average and seven home runs. He took his game to another level once the postseason began, going a combined 5-for-6 with three home runs in the first two games of the second round. Like many of his teammates, Diaz cooled off by going 0-for-8 over the final two games and will need to rediscover his swing if the Lions hope to upset the Tigers.
Despite turning 39-year-old in August, Kang remained arguably the most valuable catcher in the league. He hit .302 with 19 home runs and helped manage a pitching staff that led the KBO in runs allowed per game. Both of those skills were on display in the series against the Twins, as he helped Lions pitching allow just ten runs in the four games while blasting the decisive home run to break a scoreless tie in the Game Four clincher.
In his first full season in the KBO, the 21-year-old Kim proved he belonged and then some by hitting 28 home runs and driving in 79 runs. He also showed he wasn’t afraid of the big moment by hitting a home run in each of the first two games against the Twins.
The 35-year-old Kim rebounded from an injury-plagued 2023 season to play 117 games and bat a career-high .302 in 2024. Though mostly a role player during the course of his KBO career, Kim was inserted into the three-hole for Game Two against the Twins and showed surprising power by going 3-for-4 with two home runs.
The widely-considered frontrunner for the KBO’s MVP award, the 21-year-old Kim dominated in all facets of the game in 2024. He came just two homers short of a historic 40-homer/40-stolen-base season while placing third in the league with a .347 average. Kim also set a KBO record with 143 runs scored, a reflection of the Tigers deep supporting cast around him. The third-year superstar will look to cap off an unforgettable season with his first-ever KBO championship.
The former Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect turned in a career-best season in his third campaign in the KBO. Brito posted a .310 average with 26 home runs and 97 RBI, providing the lefty thump that perfectly complimented the right-handed Kim. His left-handed bat will be crucial against a Lions team that features two of the right-handed starting pitchers in the game in Denyi Reyes and Won Tae-in.
The Tigers’ veteran leader, Koo is looking to put the finishing touches on a remarkable season that saw him become the KBO’s all-time RBI leader. Since returning to the KBO from the military in the 2008 season, Koo has been the model of consistency, hitting over 20 home runs 11 times and topping 100 RBI 8 times. After down seasons in both 2022 and 2023, the 40-year-old proved he still had something left in the tank by posting his highest home run (20) and RBI (109) totals since 2020. A key member of the Lions four-straight championships from 2011-2014, Koo will now look to take down his former team and bring home his second championship as a member of the Tigers.
Another veteran star turning back the clock, the 35-year-old Na played a key role in the Tigers’ league-leading offense. Though his numbers weren’t as explosive as during his prime with the NC Dinos, Na homered 21 times and drove in 80 while posting a .291 average. Like Choi, Na also brings with him some postseason experience, as he was a critical member of the Dinos’ 2020 championship team.
While he doesn’t possess the same amount of power as some of his teammates, Sun continues to be one of the best hitters in the Tigers’ lineup due to his elite bat-to-ball skills. The 35-year-old veteran struck out just 39 times in 466 plate appearances, helping him post a .329 batting average that ranked eighth in the KBO. A member of the Tigers since 2008, Sun is looking to add a third title to his trophy case and further cement himself as one of the best players in franchise history.
Pitchers To Watch:
The 27-year-old Reyes impressed during his first season in the KBO, posting an 11-4 record with a 3.81 ERA. That performance earned him the Game One start in the playoff opener against the Twins, and he earned the win by allowing just one earned run over 6 1/3 innings. As good as that start was, Reyes was even better in his Game Four outing, shutting out the Twins for seven innings en route to a 1-0 victory. The two-start domination earned him the series MVP award and earned his Lions a date with the Tigers. The big question now is when Reyes will be available to pitch again, as he would not be available until Game Three if he got his usual four days of rest.
Since joining the Lions rotation as a 19-year-old in 2019, Won has posted better and better numbers every season, culminating in a league-leading 15 wins in 2024. The 24-year-old picked up right where he left off in his postseason debut against the Twins, earning yet another win with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. With Reyes unavailable after pitching on Saturday, Won will look to get the Lions off on the right foot when he takes the ball in Game One.
One clear advantage the Tigers have is in the back of the bullpen. While Juan Hai-young is one of the best closers in the KBO, the Lions removed veteran Oh Seong-when from the closer’s role after he posted an ERA near five. Replacing him was former KT Wiz closer Kim Ja-yoon, but he posted a mediocre 4.09 ERA that was his highest since 2018. His Game Four outing against the Twins, however, may be a sign of better things to come, as he needed just six pitches to retire the side in order and close out the 1-0 victory. If Kim can get truly comfortable in the closer’s role, it could help shift the tides in the Lions’ favor.
Both Kia Tigers and KBO fans alike got some great news when manager Lee Bum-ho announced that Naile would be healthy enough to take the ball in the Korean Series opener. The right-hander had his regular season cut short on August 24 when a Matt Davidson line drive struck him in the face and resulted in a fractured jaw. The remarkable recovery will allow Naile to build on what has already been a fantastic season, as he led the KBO with a 2.53 ERA to go along with a sparkling 12-5 record. His return will undoubtedly give the Tigers an emotional boost and stabilize what has been a shaky Tigers rotation in his absence.
While Naile was the unquestioned ace of the staff, Yang’s durability proved invaluable in their run to the top overall seed. His 171 1/3 innings pitched ranked sixth in the KBO. His performance was crucial for a staff in which only he and Naile threw more than 104 innings. 2024 marked Yang’s 10th straight season in which he made at least 29 starts and topped 170 innings, a remarkable run of consistency for one of the best pitchers in Tigers history. The 35-year-old will likely take the ball in Game Two in what will be his first postseason start since the 2018 wild-card series.
As if their roster wasn’t already stacked enough, the Tigers also possess the KBO’s best closer. Jung was almost automatic at the end of games, leading the KBO with 31 saves with a terrific 2.49 ERA. The biggest question surrounding the 24-year-old is how much the Tigers will be able to push him. He pitched almost exclusively in one-inning roles during the regular season, as May 8 was the only time he completed two full innings.
As can be expected in a Korean Series matchup featuring the league’s top two teams, the series opener will pit two of the game’s best pitchers against each other, as KBO wins leader Won Tae-in will take on KBO’S ERA leader James Naile. First pitch from Gwangju Kia Champions Field will be Monday at 5:30 a.m. EST.
WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
Photo Credit: Outfielder Koo Ja-Wook #5 of Samsung Lions bats in the top of the ninth inning during the KBO League game between Samsung Lions and Doosan Bears at the Jamsil Stadium on June 17, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)
