And a pitcher released from the first division has posted 2 wins, 0 losses, 6 holds, 5 saves, and an ERA of 1.57 in the second division... KBO Monday Night Baseball today (8th) kicks off.

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2026 Medihill KBO Futures League Monday Night Baseball game will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the 8th at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium.

The match between KIA and Ulsan taking place today will be broadcast live on tvN SPORTS and TVING.

Home team Ulsan has recorded 31 wins, 20 losses, and 1 tie in 52 games, sitting in second place in the Southern League with a winning percentage of 0.608. The team has been on a steady run since its inaugural season, becoming the first in the Southern League to surpass 30 wins.

Visiting team KIA stands third in the Southern League with 26 wins and 25 losses in 51 games, boasting a winning percentage of 0.510. The team is on an impressive run, having won eight consecutive games from May 23 to June 6. Although Ulsan holds a 7-2 advantage in head-to-head matchups this season, KIA turned the tide with a victory in the game on the 6th.

Ulsan's strength lies on the mound. While the team's batting average sits at 0.247, the lowest in the Southern League, its ERA of 4.28 ranks third overall in the Futures League and second in the Southern League. The starting rotation is particularly strong. Led by starter Naga, pitchers Park Sung-woong and Kobayashi are holding the line. Naga, in particular, has been the ace, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.77 ERA in 11 games, leading the Southern League in ERA.

Park Sung-woong and Kobayashi also hold the third and fourth spots in the Southern League with ERAs of 4.21 and 4.31, respectively. In the bullpen, 43-year-old veteran Go Hyo-jun continues to hold his ground. Last year, Go appeared in 45 games for Doosan, recording 2 wins, 1 loss, 9 holds, and a 6.86 ERA before being released. This season, he has pitched in 26 Futures League games, posting 2 wins, 0 losses, 6 holds, 5 saves, and a 1.57 ERA, demonstrating the poise of a seasoned veteran.

KIA's strength comes from its bats. With a team batting average of 0.266, the team ranks third in the Southern League. Batters capable of competing with first-division players have stepped up. Infielder Eom Jun-hyun, selected in the 85th pick of the ninth round of the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft, has been on fire in his last 10 games, hitting 0.429 (12 hits in 28 at-bats).

In addition, Hwang Dae-in, who has 397 career games, 40 home runs, and 199 RBIs in the KBO League, resumed his Futures League play starting from the June 3 game against Lotte in Hampyeong, currently hitting 0.300 (3 hits in 10 at-bats) as he sharpens his skills. Outfielder Han Seung-yeon, who made his emotional first-division debut this season, returned to the Futures League on the 1st to regroup. He has been performing well recently, hitting 0.389 (7 hits in 18 at-bats) over his last four games, including a home run in the the 4th game against Lotte. Infielder Lee Ho-yeon and catcher Ju Hyo-sang are also vying for a call-up opportunity.

In this Monday Night Baseball matchup, the ace Naga will take the mound for Ulsan. Naga has pitched 68⅓ innings this season, leading the Futures League in innings pitched, and will aim to overpower KIA. The matchup history is also favorable. In two appearances against KIA this season, Naga posted a 1-0 record with a 1.29 ERA. On March 28 at Ulsan, he earned the win with seven innings allowing two runs. On April 27 at Ulsan, he again pitched seven scoreless innings, and the team secured victories in both games.

KIA counters with left-handed pitcher Choi Yu-chan. A graduate of Hwimun Middle School and Asan BC, Choi Yu-chan joined KIA as the 80th overall pick in the eighth round of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. He has recorded 1 win, 3 losses, and a 6.46 ERA in 10 Futures League games this season. Although he began the season in the bullpen, he has been steadily receiving starting pitcher training since his first start on April 26 during an away game against Ulsan. Against Ulsan, he appeared in one game, pitching four innings and allowing five runs (four earned runs).

Starting this year, changes have been made to the Futures League game schedule. All games are now scheduled on Mondays, with Tuesdays designated as fixed rest days. Game start times are set for 1 p.m. However, weekday games in Masan (excluding public holidays) will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays only, and Ulsan Stadium will start games at 6:30 p.m. on all days except weekends and public holidays.

Broadcast coverage of the Futures League has also expanded. Out of 726 total games, approximately 120 will be broadcast live on tvN SPORTS, and about 40 on KBSN SPORTS. All Futures League games aired on TV will also be available for streaming on the OTT platform TVING.

This season, Monday Baseball has been broadcast 14 times as of June 7. The game with the highest viewership and audience count was the Hanwha-NC matchup on May 11, which achieved a viewership rating of 0.260% and a combined cable and TVING audience of 66,380 viewers.

The KIA-Ulsan game on April 27 also recorded strong numbers, with a viewership rating of 0.170% and a combined audience of 47,494 viewers. The most recent broadcast, the June 1 game between Sangmu and LG, drew a combined audience of 39,764 viewers despite being scheduled for 11 a.m. on a weekday.

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*This content was translated by AI.