As the 2024 KBO season progresses, here is a look at the top news and notes from the past day in Korea’s highest level of professional baseball.
Playoff Seeds Up in the Air as KBO Enters Final Full Week
We are just over one week away from the conclusion of the KBO regular season on October 1, and the playoff picture is still very much undecided. The only team locked into their current seed is the Kia Tigers, who clinched the KBO’s best record early last week.
기아타이거즈 2024 정규시즌 우승 세레머니 두루치기
주장 : 그동안 고생 많으셨습니다 앞으로 남은경기 부상없이 한국시리즈때 좋은 모습 보여드립시다 알겠습니까!!!
타이거즈 : 아악ㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱ!!!
주장 : 하나 둘 셋 배치기 알았습니까!!!
하나 둘 셋
우이!!!!!!????❤️ 사랑해 타이거즈야!!!!! pic.twitter.com/F2YAfs4Rbs
— 뫂 (@__m00p) September 17, 2024
After the Tigers, the Samsung Lions and LG Twins appear to have the inside track to the top two seeds, but the real drama appears to be for the final two spots. The Doosan Bears, KT Wiz, and SSG Landers are all separated by just three games, and while the Landers are the team on the outside looking in, they have an opportunity to make up ground with four remaining games against the bottom three games in the league. The Wiz, meanwhile, will conclude their season with two games against the last-place Kiwoom Heroes, while the Bears will look to hang on with matchups against the Lotte Giants and NC Dinos.
Kim Do-Yeong Hits 38th Home Run, Closes In on 40-40
MVP candidate Kim Do-yeong added to his resume with his 38th home run of the season on Saturday, helping lead the Kia Tigers past the Samsung Lions 5-3. Kim celebrated the dead-center blast with one of the best bat flips of the season.
홈런 빠던 달다 pic.twitter.com/CPq4RCxzX8
— 쿄야 (@kyado0) September 23, 2024
Kim now sits just two home runs away from a historic 40-40 season, which was last accomplished by Eric Thames in 2015. The 21-year-old will have four games to try and reach that mark before his Kia Tigers enter the postseason as the number-one seed.
Park Byun-ho’s Blast Helps Samsung Lock Up Second Overall Seed
Park Byun-Ho blasted a first-inning, three-run homer to help lead the Samsung Lions to a 9-8 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes on Sunday. The win helped the Lions lock down the number two seed in the KBO playoffs.
Park Bang: Samsung's Park Byung-ho with a 3-run home run vs Kiwoom https://t.co/w6c0OKO29w
— Dan Kurtz (@MyKBO) September 22, 2024
The 37-year-old Park, acquired from the Wiz earlier this year, has had yet another productive season, homering 22 times and posting a solid .782 OPS. Park and the Dinos can rest up and reset their rotation before the postseason begins next week.
KBO Standings as of Tuesday, September 24
- KIA Tigers (85-53-2)
- Samsung Lions (77-63-2)
- LG Twins (74-65-2)
- Doosan Bears (72-68-2)
- KT Wiz (70-70-2)
- SSG Landers (68-70-2)
- Lotte Giants (63-72-4)
- Hanwha Eagles (64-72-2)
- NC Dinos (60-75-2)
- Kiwoom Heroes (58-81-0)
Watch KBO games using the global streaming platform SOOP.
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