KBO News: Austin Dean Returns for Surging Twins; Heroes Sign Captain to Long-Term Extension

A new first-place team recently emerged in the Korea Baseball Organization, but the lead lasted only a short time.

After winning seven straight games, including Tuesday’s 4-2 victory against the Doosan Bears, the LG Twins moved one game ahead of the Hanwha Eagles. This was in part due to a critical Twins slugger returned from the injured list for their series opener against the Bears. However, the Eagles retook the lead based off of win percentage, making for a highly competitive KBO race.

It’s time to check in on more of the latest news from the top professional baseball league in South Korea, the KBO.

Twenty-Home Run Slugger Returns for Twins: The Twins activated first baseman Austin Dean off the injured list on Tuesday. The 31-year-old, who played in Major League Baseball from 2018 to 2022 with the Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, last appeared in a game on July 1.

Before Dean’s injury to his left side, he hit 20 home runs with 55 RBIs and maintained a .913 OPS in 75 games. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored as the Twins’ designated hitter in their seventh consecutive win on Tuesday.

After spending most of 2022 with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, Dean signed a one-year deal with the Twins for the 2023 season. He signed one-year contracts to remain with the KBO club each of the last two offseasons.

Heroes Lock Up Captain for Foreseeable Future: On Monday, the Kiwoom Heroes announced they signed third baseman and captain Song Sung-mun to a six-year contract extension. The 28-year-old hit .297/.377/.483 with 16 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts during his first 104 games of the 2025 season.

According to Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency, Song raised the eyebrows of MLB scouts last season, and he could have signed a Major League contract at season’s end. Still, he will turn 35 by the end of his new deal, making a move to the United States unlikely.

“This contract represents a massive investment from the club’s perspective, and that’s indicative of the level of our trust and expectations in the player,” Heroes CEO Wie Jae-min said in the club’s announcement, according to Yoo. “To realize our mid- and long-term plans, signing Song Sung-min to an extension was a must.”

Eagles Acquire Hits Leader in Trade with Dinos: Last Thursday, the Eagles acquired outfielder Son Ah-seop from the NC Dinos in exchange for a third-round pick in next year’s KBO draft and 300 million won ($215,000).

Son, 37, is the league’s all-time hits leader with 2,583 career hits. He played the previous three and a half seasons with the Dinos before last week’s trade to the Eagles. Son made his KBO debut in 2007 with the Lotte Giants, where he spent the first 14 years of his career. He notched 14 consecutive seasons with at least 129 hits from 2010 to 2023.

“It was not an easy call to send away Son Ah-seop, who has been a key part of our team,” Dinos general manager Lim Sun-nam told Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency. “But we wanted to ensure our competitiveness for the future, and this move will help lay the foundation for our retooling and sustainable growth.”

KBO Standings as of Wednesday, August 6

Hanwha Eagles (60-39-3)
LG Twins (62-41-2)
Lotte Giants (58-45-3)
SSG Landers (51-48-4)
Kia Tigers (49-48-4)
KT Wiz (51-51-4)
NC Dinos (46-48-6)
Samsung Lions (49-53-1)
Doosan Bears (43-56-5)
Kiwoom Heroes (31-71-4)

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, such as the All-Star Game and Golden Glove awards.

WBN KBO: /news/category/south-korea