Regular Season Leaders Meet in Championship Round
The KT Wiz and Samsung Lions are scheduled to compete in the opening game of the best-of-seven Korean Series on Tuesday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The matchup features the top two teams from the Korea Baseball Organization regular season. The Wiz finished with a 90-49-5 record, securing the highest standing in the league. The Lions concluded their regular-season campaign eight games behind Suwon, finishing with an 83-58-3 record.
KT earned a direct berth to the Korean Series after its final regular-season game on Oct. 12. Samsung advanced to the finals by defeating the Kia Tigers in five games during the penultimate postseason round.
Pitching Disparities Shape Early Series Outlook
KT enters the championship with a deep starting rotation that posted an earned run average of 3.83 during the regular season. The Wiz have four capable starters available for the series: Ko Young-pyo, So Hyeong-jun, Logan Allen, and Davis Daniel.
In contrast, Samsung utilized only three starters in its previous series against Kia. The Lions face constraints on their pitching staff for the opening games of the Korean Series.
Ariel Jurado is unavailable to start until Game 3 at the earliest. Chris Paddack is expected to start Game 2, but he will be pitching on four days' rest. Choi Won-tae is identified as the only available option for the opener, despite giving up two runs in his last outing.
Historical Franchise Records and Previous Matchups
This series marks the first postseason meeting between the two franchises. During the regular season, Samsung won the head-to-head series with a record of 9-7-0, becoming the only opponent to finish with a winning record against KT this year.
The Lions hold a significant advantage in championship history, having won eight titles. Their most recent victory occurred in 2014. Samsung served as runners-up in 2024 under bench boss Park Jin-man.
KT captured its first Korean Series title in franchise history in 2021 under manager Lee Kang-chul. The Wiz lost to the LG Twins in the 2023 championship series.