'They rested longer than the All-Stars': With a de facto third season opening, who emerges as the winner of Samsung→KT→'Season 3'?

*This content was translated by AI.

This marks a de facto third season opening.

The 2026 KBO League is scheduled to resume on the 11th after completing its heatwave cancellation period. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) had already canceled 10 games across five stadiums nationwide on the 5th–6 due to extreme heat, and then canceled all 15 games over three days last weekend (the 7th–9).

As a result, all 10 teams faced an unplanned extended break. Including the five games that could not be played from the 1st–4 due to heat before all games were canceled, both KIA Tigers and NC Dinos missed eight games over as long as ten days, while other teams missed five to six games over six to eight days. They rested longer than the All-Star break, which lasted from the 10th to 15 (six days).

If we consider the first half of the regular season up to the All-Star Game as 'Season 1 (March 28–July 9)' and the period after that up to the heatwave cancellations as 'Season 2 (July 16–August 4)', it is no exaggeration to say that 'Season 3' has now begun.

Given that the league standings shifted dramatically around the All-Star break, this 'heatwave break' could also become a major variable for the remainder of the season.

In the first half, Samsung Lions and LG Twins led the race for first and second place with only a 0.5-game difference. However, after the start of the second half in 'Season 2', the situation changed significantly.

KT Wiz, which had been in third place, surged to first place with a record of 12 wins, one tie, and one loss in 14 games, boasting an impressive winning percentage of 0.923. The strong performances of Doosan Bears and Kiwoom Heroes were also notable. Doosan posted a 0.667 winning percentage, while Kiwoom recorded 0.563, placing them second and third in winning percentage during this period. In contrast, LG Twins, which had been in second place in the first half, fell to third after struggling with three wins, one tie, and twelve losses in 16 games, resulting in a poor 0.200 winning percentage.

For everyone, this 'heatwave break' could act as either medicine or poison. For struggling players, it may provide a sweet opportunity to rebound through rest; conversely, for teams on an upward trajectory, it could become a setback that halts their momentum.

Additionally, all 30 games canceled due to heat this season have surpassed the 25th games previously canceled due to rain (including ground conditions). Therefore, even after completing all scheduled games through September 6, there will still be 45 unassigned games remaining, bringing the total number of games left to 100. With each team needing to play an average of 20 additional games, a grueling schedule is expected for the remaining fixtures after September 8.

Furthermore, with the variable of national team players leaving their clubs for two weeks for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (baseball scheduled from the 21st–27), the race for standings this season is projected to become even more unpredictable and chaotic.

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*This content was translated by AI.