'Hanwha Park Jun-young vs Ulsan Naga, KT Kim Jeong-won vs Sangmu Song Young-jin' Today (17th), the 2026 KBO Futures League 'Monday Baseball' is held

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2026 Mediheal KBO Futures League 'Monday Night Baseball' will take place on the 17th at 7 p.m. in Iksan and Ulsan.

In Iksan, Sangmu and KT face off, while in Ulsan, Hanwha and Ulsan clash.

The Iksan Sangmu-KT game will be broadcast live on KBS N SPORTS and TVING, and the Ulsan Hanwha-Ulsan game will be broadcast live on tvN SPORTS and TVING.

▶ Sangmu vs KT

In Iksan, fifth-place Nambu League team KT faces first-place Bukbu League team Sangmu. Home team KT has recorded 35 wins, 46 losses, and 1 tie in 82 games this season with a winning percentage of 0.432. Won Jeong-tim (SVP) has recorded 48 wins and 29 losses in 77 games with a winning percentage of 0.623.

KT's starting pitcher for today is Song Young-jin, who will take the mound. Kim Jeong-won of KT has appeared in 22 games this season, posting 2 wins, 2 losses, 2 holds, and an ERA of 1.90 while delivering strong performances. Kim Jeong-won, who joined KT in 2023, showed potential by playing in first-division games from his debut season and has gained experience by appearing as a relief pitcher in five first-division games this season.

Sangmu's Song Young-jin, who will face off against him, also possesses substantial practical experience. After joining SSG in 2023, Song immediately stepped onto the first-division stage and built his presence by alternating between starting and relief roles. He even secured five wins during the 2024 season. Now serving in the military with Sangmu since this year, Song has recorded 2 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 6.79 in 14 games while continuing to hone his skills.

The clash between KT's well-structured lineup and Sangmu's batting line, which ranks third in the Futures League with a .285 team batting average, is also worth noting.

KT has been anchored by Yoo Jun-gyu, who returned to the Futures League after recovering from an injury in May and immediately began hitting powerfully. In six games in July, he recorded nine hits, four RBIs, and a .391 batting average, boosting team morale, while Kim Min-seok and Kang Min-seong are adding firepower with strong hitting form.

Sangmu relies on power hitting. Park Han-kyul, who leads the Bukbu League in home runs (17), and Jang Jae-young, who ranks third (11), are both contributing significantly to the lineup. Kim Sung-woo is also active, recording 73 hits, four home runs, and a .335 batting average in 67 games.

▶ Hanwha vs Ulsan

In Ulsan, first-place Nambu League team Ulsan faces second-place Bukbu League team Hanwha. This is the fifth matchup between the two teams this season, both of which are maintaining high standings in their respective leagues. So far, Ulsan leads the head-to-head record with three wins and one loss.

Visiting team Hanwha will start Park Jun-young (No. 68). Park Jun-young, who joined as a development player in 2026 and has been active between the first division and Futures League stages, has posted stable results this season with four wins, one loss, and an ERA of 3.00 in nine Futures League games. On April 18 (Saturday) against Ulsan, he delivered a scoreless performance over five innings with two hits allowed and four strikeouts to secure a win. The key point to watch is whether he can maintain the upper hand against Ulsan's lineup again today.

Home team Ulsan counters with Naga Taisei. Appearing in 17 games this season, Naga has recorded seven wins, two losses, and an ERA of 2.54, serving as a solid pillar for Ulsan's mound. He proved his overwhelming pitching ability by posting an ERA of 1.05 over 25 and two-thirds innings in four games in June. Building on the good memory of earning a win with seven innings pitched and four earned runs allowed in his starting appearance against Hanwha on April 19, he is set to once again aim to shut down Hanwha's lineup.

Team strength is also evenly matched. Home team Ulsan has recorded 47 wins, 29 losses, and one tie in 77 games this season with a winning percentage of 0.618. In their recent ten games, they have posted eight wins and two losses, maintaining a solid upward trend. In the lineup, Hol is leading the charge. Hol has recorded 73 hits, including 23 doubles and 60 RBIs, ranking first in both doubles and RBIs in the Nambu League, showcasing his presence.

Hanwha has recorded 50 wins and 36 losses in 86 games with a winning percentage of 0.581, though their recent ten-game record stands at three wins and seven losses. Hanwha's strength lies in its well-structured lineup. Lee Do-hoon, batting .324, leads the Bukbu League with 26 stolen bases, displaying quick-footed activity, while Yoo Min takes on the role of a problem-solver with a .306 batting average and 55 RBIs. Lee Ji-seong and Jeong Min-gyu have each hit ten home runs, tying for fourth place in the Bukbu League in home runs, and Lee Ji-seong has also secured fifth place in RBIs in the Bukbu League with 45 RBIs, adding strength to the lineup.

Meanwhile, this season's 'Monday Night Baseball' has held 23 games through the 3rd, recording a total of 604,930 viewers across TV and wireless platforms combined. Among these, the highest-rated game was the May 11 Hanwha-NC matchup, which achieved a viewership rating of 0.260% and attracted 66,380 viewers on both wired and wireless platforms.

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*This content was translated by AI.