Sangmu beat Ulsan to win Futures title
Sangmu Phoenix beat the Ulsan Whales, the first-year club that took the Futures League by storm, 8-3 in the 2026 Mediheal KBO Futures League Championship at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome on the 28th to complete a combined title. Ulsan struck first on Ha Jae-hoon’s two-run homer to center in the top of the first, but Sangmu tied it 2-2 in the bottom half and took a 5-2 lead in the fourth on Park Ji-hwan’s sacrifice fly and Lee Tae-kyung’s two-run double. Park (two hits, two RBIs) and Lee (two hits, three RBIs) kept adding on as Sangmu pulled away to 8-2. Left-hander Kim Ki-jung, who covered five innings as the second pitcher, was named MVP. Ulsan’s Ha went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in a losing effort.
Source: Money Today
Source: Star News
KT-Samsung: two makeup games loom large
League leaders KT Wiz were 81-49-4 through 134 games as of the 28th, three games ahead of second-place Samsung Lions (78-52-3). Before the 27th game against Doosan at Jamsil, KT manager Lee Kang-chul admitted, “I hope the race is decided before we play the makeup games.” The two clubs could not play their scheduled meetings in Daegu on August 28 and 30 because of field conditions and rain, and those two games will be slotted in after the remaining schedule ends on October 7 (dates to be announced in early October). If the race stays tight to the end, the final standings could be settled in that two-game series in Daegu. Third-place LG (three makeup games) and fourth-place KIA (four), separated by two games, face the same variable.
Source: Sports Donga
Magic numbers lit as KBO resumes on the 29th
With Asian Games national team players returning to their clubs, the KBO League picks up speed again with midweek three-game series starting on the 29th. As of the 28th, first-place KT’s magic number for the regular-season title is 8, while the postseason magic numbers for fourth-place KIA and fifth-place Doosan are 1 and 4. The Hanwha Eagles and Kiwoom Heroes have already been eliminated from postseason contention. Each team has between seven and 11 games left. On the 29th, games are scheduled in Gwangju (KIA vs. KT), Incheon (SSG vs. LG), Jamsil (Doosan vs. NC) and Sajik (Lotte vs. Kiwoom), among others. The Jamsil series between fifth-place Doosan and sixth-place NC is seen as a watershed for the last postseason ticket. Fans planning a late-season KBO trip should keep an eye on the standings.
Source: Sports Kyunghyang
KIA keep one more arm behind closer Lee
Fourth-place KIA Tigers, two games behind third-place LG, have set their late-season bullpen plan. Manager Lee Bum-ho said on the 27th, “For the remaining games we’ll lean on our best relievers, and whenever Lee Eui-lee comes in for the ninth, we’ll always have one more pitcher ready behind him.” In the 26th game against LG, Lee Eui-lee entered in the top of the ninth with a 5-0 lead and was followed by left-hander Kwak Do-gyu, back from injury, who got two outs on just seven pitches. Seven of KIA’s remaining 12 games come against left-handed-heavy lineups: LG (four) and KT (three). KIA host KT for three games in Gwangju starting on the 29th, then visit LG at Jamsil for three games from October 3.
Source: Sports Kyunghyang
Doosan and LG launch ‘Goodbye Jamsil’ pop-up
The Doosan Bears and LG Twins announced on the 28th a joint exhibition and limited-edition merchandise to say farewell to Jamsil Baseball Stadium. After all games, including the postseason, are over, the clubs will collect real dirt and grass from the field to make items such as a “ground glass bottle” – the first time Jamsil’s dirt and turf have ever been turned into merchandise. Doosan will release commemorative jerseys modeled by retired-number legend Park Chul-soon and Kim Taek-yeon, while LG’s lineup includes a seat keyring built from 3D scans of an actual stadium seat. The joint pop-up runs next to the central ticket office from the 29th through October 7 (closed October 2). It opens three hours before first pitch on weekdays and four hours before on weekends and holidays, closing 30 minutes after the game. Jamsil will be demolished after this season, and both clubs will use Jamsil Olympic Stadium as a temporary home from next year.
Source: Sports Donga
Hanwha’s Ryu Hyun-jin ends 2026 with nine wins
Hanwha Eagles veteran Ryu Hyun-jin, 39, wrapped up his season at 9-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 25 games. One win shy of double digits, he was removed from the active roster on the 26th, ending his season early to recover and prepare for next year. In March he wore the national team jersey for the first time in 16 years at the World Baseball Classic, helping Korea reach the quarterfinals before announcing his international retirement. Back with Hanwha, he went 8-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 15 first-half starts, filling the gap left by an injured foreign pitcher. He also became the fastest and oldest KBO pitcher to reach 1,500 strikeouts (April 7 vs. SSG), reached 200 combined KBO-MLB wins (May 24 vs. Doosan) and 2,500 combined strikeouts (July 19 vs. Kiwoom).
Source: Sports Donga