KBO Roundup: KT Wiz Remain Atop the Standings, KBO Superstars Leave for Asian Games

In the last week of the Korean Baseball Organization season, the playoff race has continued to heat up, with the final playoff spot coming down to the Doosan Bears and NC Dinos. At one point over the weekend, the Dinos had cut the Bears’ lead for the final spot to just two games.

Over the weekend, the Dinos traveled to Seoul for a makeup two-game series against the Doosan Bears. After a comeback win in Game 1 on Saturday, the Dinos entered Sunday’s game with Doosan’s lead for the fifth and final playoff spot down to just two games. They had cut the Bears’ lead from eight games on Aug. 30 to just two games in a span of 13 days.

After the two teams were scoreless for the first inning and a half, the Bears exploded in the second and third innings. After Doosan loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, third baseman Jae-seok Ahn delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead. No. 9 hitter Soo-bin Jung followed with a two-run double to right field. Shortstop Chan-ho Park followed with an RBI single, and suddenly Doosan had a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Min-suk Kim delivered a two-run home run to right field to make it 6-0 Doosan. The very next hitter, Yunior Severino, hit a solo homer to make it 7-0 and effectively put the game out of reach.

The Dinos cut the deficit to 7-2 in the fourth but never seriously threatened the rest of the game as Doosan came away with a 9-2 win.

In a crucial game, Doosan got the win to increase its lead over the NC Dinos to three games once again.

KBO legend Jae-gyun Hwang receives final farewell

KBO legend Jae-gyun Hwang made his final farewell to the league Sunday. The 39-year-old announced his retirement after last season but received his final farewell with the KT Wiz against the Lotte Giants.

Hwang played for the Giants from 2010 to 2016 before playing one season for the San Francisco Giants in 2017. He returned to the KBO in 2018 and played the next eight seasons for the KT Wiz.

Hwang played 2,200 games before his retirement in 2025. He finished his career with 2,266 hits, 227 home runs and 1,121 RBIs. His 2,266 hits rank eighth in KBO history. From 2012-16, he played a record 618 consecutive games.

Hwang entered Sunday’s game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning and struck out in his final at-bat in the KBO. He played the field in the seventh for one pitch before being lifted for a defensive replacement.

He received hugs from KT Wiz players and a standing ovation from Wiz fans as he officially brought his playing career to a close.

Do-yeong Kim returns from injury with historic performance

Last Wednesday, KIA Tigers superstar Do-yeong Kim suffered a nasal bone fracture after attempting a bunt in the fourth inning against the NC Dinos. After undergoing surgery the next day, Kim was able to return Sunday as the designated hitter for KIA.

Despite missing the previous three days, he returned without missing a beat. Kim went 3-for-4 with a walk and drove in three runs to help lead the Tigers to a pivotal 9-2 win over the Hanwha Eagles.

With his big day offensively, Kim became the youngest player in KBO history with 40 home runs, 100 RBIs and 100 runs in a single season.

KBO stars to join national team for Asian Games

After Sunday’s games, many Korean KBO stars traveled to Seoul on Monday to join the national team in preparation for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

The most notable hitter is Do-yeong Kim, who is one of the biggest names in the tournament. He is joined by Hanwha Eagles star third baseman Si-hwan Roh. Roh has posted an .861 OPS with 27 home runs and 90 RBIs this season. He was named captain of South Korea this week.

KBO ERA and strikeout leader Been Gwak, who has a 2.26 ERA and 186 strikeouts, will lead the pitching staff and is expected to start the opener against Chinese Taipei on Sept. 21.

One of the big storylines in the playoff chase will be whether Doosan can hold onto the final playoff spot over the NC Dinos despite losing key pieces to the Asian Games.

The Bears lead the Dinos by 4.5 games, but the Dinos have five more games left on their remaining schedule. The Bears will lose 2 of their top 3 starting pitchers for the Asian Games. Been Gwak and Min-seok Choi rank first and second in the KBO in ERA. With both gone for more than two weeks, the depth of the Bears’ rotation beyond Wes Benjamin could make for a nerve-wracking final playoff push for Doosan.

KT Wiz maintain lead atop KBO standings

The KT Wiz have continued to lead the KBO and have not lost a game since Sept. 6. On Tuesday, they played the Hanwha Eagles as they looked to maintain a two-game lead over the Samsung Lions.

After taking an early 2-0 lead in the first, the Wiz extended their advantage in the third. Wiz star outfielder Hyun-min Ahn delivered a leadoff home run to the opposite field to make it a 3-0 game.

Seung-taek Han delivered a two-run double later in the inning for a 5-0 lead.

In the fifth, Kyoung-min Heo delivered a two-run homer and the rout was officially on. In the sixth, Sam Hilliard crushed a two-run homer that traveled 445 feet to make it 10-0 Wiz.

Hilliard delivered his second home run of the night in the eighth, another one that traveled 445 feet. That made it a 12-0 Wiz lead. Hilliard ranks third in the KBO with 36 home runs.

After taking a 13-0 lead, the Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth in a game that had been decided long before. The 13-3 win extended the Wiz’s winning streak to seven games and maintained their two-game lead over the Samsung Lions.

The Wiz ended up tying Hanwha 4-4 on Wednesday, but thanks to Doosan’s 3-1 win over the Lions, the Wiz extended their lead to 2.5 games.

The two teams vying for the top spot have only one game remaining against each other. That game will be played on the final night of the regular season, Oct. 7.

Former MLB starter makes KBO debut

Mike Clevinger made his debut Wednesday night for the NC Dinos. A veteran of nine MLB seasons, Clevinger made 164 appearances, including 142 starts. He was recently signed by the Dinos after being unsigned following his release by the Pirates in early August.

He went three innings and allowed two hits and one run while striking out one. The Dinos ultimately lost 9-2 to the LG Twins.

It was a costly loss for the Dinos, with the Bears beating Samsung. NC now trails Doosan by 4.5 games.

The two teams will have one last series against each other beginning Sept. 29 in Seoul.

KBO Draft set for Monday

The KBO Draft is scheduled to be held next Monday, with the Kiwoom Heroes holding the top pick.

The expected No. 1 overall pick is two-way high school player Hyun-seung Ha. The 18-year-old starred for South Korea at the U-18 Asian Championship.

Ha pitched 15 2/3 innings in the tournament, recording 25 strikeouts while allowing just three hits and no runs. He was nearly untouchable in the gold medal game against Japan, throwing a complete-game one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts to clinch the gold medal.

He was named MVP of the tournament.

Standings

KT Wiz 76-46-4

Samsung Lions 75-50-4

LG Twins 72-55-1

KIA Tigers 68-57-2

Doosan Bears 65-60-4

NC Dinos 59-63-2

SSG Landers 56-69-5

Hanwha Eagles 54-69-4

Lotte Giants 53-71-2

Kiwoom Heroes 45-83-3