Ku Ja-wook, Kim Do-yeong heat up batting title race
The hottest race in the second half of the 2026 KBO season is unfolding in the batting stats. Through August 24, Samsung Lions’ Ku Ja-wook leads the league with a .355 batting average, while KIA Tigers’ Kim Do-yeong sits alone atop the home run leaderboard with 38. Ku has never won a batting title since his 2015 debut and is chasing his first this year. Kim has tied his own single-season best of 38 home runs, set in 2024, and needs just two more homers to break the KBO’s all-time youngest-player record for 40 home runs, currently held by coach Lee Seung-yeop. With both of their teams likely bound for the postseason, the MVP race is expected to stay fierce through the season’s final stretch.
Source: Sports Donga
Kiwoom’s ‘150km/h trio’ powers the rotation
The Kiwoom Heroes are building their rotation around the ‘150km/h trio’ of An Woo-jin, Jeon Jun-pyo, and Park Jun-hyun. After finishing last season with the league’s worst starters’ ERA, Kiwoom is banking on the trio’s velocity for a turnaround. An Woo-jin, back this year after his public service discharge, has gone 3-6 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 games and threw his first quality-start-plus in 1,163 days against KIA on the 22nd. Jeon Jun-pyo, who moved from the bullpen to the rotation in the second half, has posted a 2.10 ERA over his last five outings. Rookie Park Jun-hyun has struck out 71 batters, showing promise despite a rough record. Kiwoom hopes the trio can help the team escape three straight last-place finishes.
Source: Sports Donga
Kang Baek-ho donates ₩35 million in gear to Yushin High
Hanwha Eagles’ Kang Baek-ho shared some warmth with the next generation of players. On the 24th, Kang donated about ₩35 million worth of baseball equipment to Yushin High School’s baseball team, a school he didn’t even attend. The gift grew out of his weekly visits to the school every Monday as part of his military-exemption community service. “Watching the players train hard, I wanted to help in whatever way I could,” Kang said of his motivation. “I hope this eases the burden of gear costs a little so they can focus more on their training.” Yushin coach Hong Seok-mu also expressed deep gratitude for Kang’s sincerity.
Source: OSEN
Lee Young-ha notches first 20-save season, but still dreams of starting
Doosan Bears closer Lee Young-ha recorded his 20th save of the season on the 23rd against Lotte, throwing a hitless, scoreless inning with three strikeouts. It’s the first 20-save campaign of his career, but Lee was candid that a part of him still longs to start. “I’m doing well here, but there’s still a part of me that isn’t quite filled,” he said. “When (Choi) Min-seok and (Kwak) Bin get their 10th win up front, I feel envious.” He’s raised the idea of moving to the rotation with the coaching staff several times, though he says manager Kim Won-hyung just brushes it off as a joke. Still, Lee affirmed he’s giving his all in his current role as closer.
Source: OSEN
Lotte’s Son Seong-bin wins CGV Scene-Stealer Award
Lotte Giants catcher Son Seong-bin was named July’s winner of the “Monthly CGV Scene-Stealer Award,” jointly established by the KBO and CGV. The award recognized a scramble back to second base on a pickoff throw during an August 4 game at KT, a twisting dive that earned him the nickname “Whirlwind Potato.” Son received 4,383 of 10,848 total votes (40.4%), edging out KIA’s Kim Ho-ryeong, SSG’s Choi Jeong, and KT’s An Chi-yeong. The KBO and CGV presented Son with a ₩1 million prize and a CGV Cine de Chef movie-and-dining package before the August 21 game against Doosan at Jamsil.
Source: OSEN
KT’s Logan Allen anchors first-place run as ‘title closer’
KT Wiz import pitcher Logan Allen has become the biggest reason the team is holding onto first place. On the 23rd against SSG in Incheon, Allen threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks to pick up the win, pushing KT to 65-41-3 and a one-game lead over second-place Samsung. Allen, who failed to re-sign with NC last year after a rough season, joined KT as an injury replacement for Caleb Boushley before earning a full contract by cutting weight and adding velocity. Since his first start, KT has gone 23-14-2, the league’s best record over that span, and Allen’s season ERA has dropped to 2.91.
Source: OSEN
Carrasco weathers errors for his second win of the season
LG Twins import pitcher Carlos Carrasco stayed composed through a shaky, error-filled stretch to preserve a team win. Carrasco earned the victory on the 23rd against Hanwha, allowing three runs (two earned) over six innings. LG had raced out to an 8-0 lead on three-run homers from Moon Jeong-bin and Song Chan-ui, but a string of infield errors in the third let Hanwha climb back to 8-3, echoing the team’s collapse from a 9-0 lead into an 11-15 loss two days earlier. Carrasco struck out No Si-hwan to douse the rally. “Everyone’s human, so mistakes happen,” he said afterward. “What matters is that we didn’t rattle and pulled together to get through it,” the kind of poise expected from a 112-game MLB winner. LG went on to win 12-3, reclaiming third place.
Source: OSEN