KIA Lean on Naile and Oller
Third-place KIA Tigers plan to send their one-two punch, James Naile and Adam Oller, to the mound for Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-five semi-playoff against the LG Twins, starting Oct. 17 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. In best-of-five semi-playoffs, teams that won the first two games reached the playoffs seven times out of nine (77.8%). Naile is 4-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 11 career starts against LG, while Oller has logged quality starts in seven of his eight outings against them, going 3-3 with a 2.39 ERA. The two workhorses ranked first and second in the league in innings this year with 183 and 178. Because No. 3 and No. 4 starters Keisho Shirakawa and Yang Hyeon-jong tend to pitch fewer innings, KIA’s key task is to save the bullpen when its top two starters take the ball.
Source: Sports Donga
LG’s New Lefty Setup Duo
After clearing the Wild Card round, the LG Twins head into the semi-playoff against the KIA Tigers with left-handers John Kennedy and Lee Woo-chan as their new late-inning pair. Closer Son Ju-young was left off the Wild Card roster after being diagnosed with a herniated cervical disc, and his status for the semi-playoff is uncertain. With Kim Jin-sung and Song Seung-ki also sidelined, LG’s bullpen is stretched thin. Against Doosan on Oct. 14, however, Kennedy entered with runners on second and third and nobody out in the seventh and threw a scoreless inning, while Lee struck out two straight batters in the eighth and recorded two scoreless outs in the 4-1 win, touching 149 km/h with his fastball. With KIA featuring power-hitting lefties such as Na Sung-bum, Harold Castro and Park Jae-hyun, the two southpaws will be even more important.
Source: Sports Donga
KT Begin Korean Series Prep
Regular-season champion KT Wiz opened training for the best-of-seven Korean Series on Oct. 15 at Suwon KT Wiz Park. After two days off following their Oct. 12 season finale, players went through batting, fielding and catch drills. Through Oct. 26, KT will repeat a two-days-on, one-day-off cycle, then step up the intensity from Oct. 27 with practice games against Sangmu and the under-23 national team, training through Nov. 1, the day before Game 1. Manager Lee Kang-chul said, “It feels different from 2021, when we won our first combined title. I think we all have a bit more composure now.” KT clinched the 2021 title at the neutral Gocheok Sky Dome because of COVID-19, and finished runner-up to LG in Suwon in 2023. Captain Jang Sung-woo said, “People don’t remember second place. This time we have clear motivation,” vowing to win at home.
Source: Sports Donga
Samsung’s Koo Ja-wook Resumes Training
Samsung Lions captain Koo Ja-wook, whose regular season was cut short by a hamstring injury, began light training on Oct. 15. The club said a follow-up exam including an MRI showed the bleeding and swelling in his left hamstring have subsided, and that he can now ride a bike and jog lightly. Koo got hurt running the bases against Hanwha in Daegu on Sept. 30 and was removed from the roster on Oct. 6. He won the batting and on-base titles this year, hitting .371 with 15 home runs, 102 RBIs and a .458 OBP in 114 games, and Samsung went 3-6 in nine October games without him. Because doctors advised limiting full baserunning and fielding for now, the club will keep monitoring him before the playoffs open in Daegu on Oct. 25. He took light tee work on the first day of playoff prep, and Samsung will hold intrasquad games on Oct. 19 and 22.
Source: Sports Donga
Kiwoom Send 30 Prospects to Fall League
The Kiwoom Heroes are sending 30 young players to the 2026 Ulsan-KBO Fall League, which opened on Oct. 15. The event is held at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium and Hyundai Dream Ballpark in Gijang, and mainly features players who have been in the Futures League or who have some first-team experience but still need development. Kiwoom’s squad is led by Futures manager Oh Yoon, with hitting coach Park Byung-ho and pitching coach Jung Chan-heon also on the staff. On the mound, the standout is Jung Hyun-woo, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, and outfielders with first-team experience such as Park Ju-hong, Park Su-jong and Ju Seong-won will also play. Opponents include domestic teams such as Lotte, LG, NC, KIA and the Ulsan Whales, plus teams from China, Australia and Japan. Players not in the Fall League began wrap-up training in Goyang on Oct. 15.
Source: Ilgan Sports