"We will give it our all in the remaining three games as well": KT Wiz Manager Lee Kang-cheol declares all-out effort, but why is he forecasting maximum intensity after securing first place in the regular season? [Suwon on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Kang-cheol (60), manager of the KT Wiz, declared an all-out effort despite having already secured first place in the 2026 KBO League regular season.

Ahead of the home game against the Samsung Lions at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 7th, Lee stated, "We will continue to field our best lineup. Today (the 7th), So Hyoung-jun is one example, and Go Yeong-pyo is another; the players have personal records at stake."

KT clinched first place in the regular season for the second time in franchise history and the first in five years after a 9-0 shutout victory over the Lotte Giants in a home game on the 5th. Samsung, unfortunately, secured second place and settled for a direct berth to the playoffs. As a result, the final three head-to-head matchups of the season between the two teams lost some tension, but the starting lineups were close to full-strength efforts.

On this day, KT constructed its batting order with Choi Won-jun (designated hitter), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Ahn Hyun-min (right fielder), Sam Hilliard (center fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Ryu Hyun-in (second baseman), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Jo Dae-hyeon (catcher), and Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). The starting pitcher was So Hyoung-jun.

In response, Samsung set its lineup with Kim Hyun-jun (center fielder), Kim Seong-yoon (right fielder), Park Seung-gyu (left fielder), Lewin Diaz (first baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman), Lee Jae-hyeon (shortstop), Kim Yeong-woong (third baseman), and Kim Do-hwan (catcher). The starting pitcher was Won Tae-in.

It could be called a preview of the Korea Series, as both teams fielded their best lineups excluding the catcher. Manager Lee cited his players' individual titles as the reason for this approach.

The title drawing the most attention is the home run championship and MVP award that Sam Hilliard (32) is challenging for. Joining KT this season, Hilliard is competing for the MVP in his first KBO League season with a batting average of 0.304 (167 hits in 550 at-bats), 41 home runs, 130 RBIs, 112 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 139 games. He also posted an on-base percentage of 0.371, a slugging percentage of 0.580, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.951.

His competitors are Kim Do-young (23) of the KIA Tigers and Austin Dean (33), the foreign hitter for the LG Twins, who also occupy the top three spots in the home run category. As of before the game on the 7th, Hilliard leads in RBIs and is tied for second in home runs and runs scored, placing titles in three categories within reach. Furthermore, his consistent performance since May, after an adjustment period, helped lead his team KT to first place, giving him a favorable position in MVP voting as well.

Manager Lee, who has been actively promoting Hilliard's MVP candidacy since the second half of the season, expressed disappointment even after the previous day's (the 6th) game. KT had extended its winning streak to seven games with a 10-1 blowout victory over the last-place Kiwoom Heroes. Hilliard performed well with two hits and two RBIs in five at-bats, plus one walk, but did not add a home run. Meanwhile, Kim Do-young and Austin each hit home runs during that same period, throwing the races for the RBI championship and home run championship into uncertainty.

Manager Lee said, "I don't know about the home run title, but Hilliard was leading by four RBIs, and then Austin hit a three-run homer. He couldn't hit one yesterday either," revealing his frustration.

Hilliard is not the only one with a title at stake. Choi Won-jun (29), considered KT's best acquisition this year, is in a fierce race for the most hits against Victor Reyes of the Lotte Giants. On the previous day, both Choi and Reyes recorded multi-hit games, reaching 201 hits each and jointly crossing the 200th-hit milestone. It is the first time in KBO League history that two players have reached 200 hits in a single season, achieved this year by Choi and Reyes.

Among pitchers, domestic ace Go Yeong-pyo (35) is challenging for his career-first wins championship, while young ace So Hyoung-jun (25), who follows in his footsteps, is aiming for his fourth 10-win season. Go has a record of 14 wins and 7 losses with an ERA of 3.38 in 28 games, striking out 178 batters over 167⅔ innings. He is currently tied for first in wins with Im Chan-gyu (34) of the LG Twins. With Im also scheduled to start against the Doosan Bears on this day, Go is likely to pitch in the game against Samsung in Daegu on the 11th.

So Hyoung-jun has a record of 8 wins and 3 losses with an ERA of 3.37 in 21 games this year, striking out 93 batters over 120⅓ innings. Although he delivered a quality start (at least six innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs) against the KIA Tigers in Gwangju on the 1st, he failed to secure the win, making his pursuit of 10 wins seem like a pipe dream. However, hope has emerged as the remaining schedule for the second round allows him to pitch in the final game as well.

Manager Lee emphasized, "We must fight with all our might right now. (Kim) Hyun-soo also gave an interview; the players' individual titles are at stake. We must do everything we can to help them secure those titles. We will create every opportunity possible." He added, "Didn't I experience something like that when I was a player? I pitched close to 220 innings in 1992, but ultimately failed to achieve it."

Manager Lee also hopes his players can fulfill the dream he could not achieve during his playing days. Although Lee is a legend who ranks fifth on the KBO all-time wins list, including 10 consecutive seasons with double-digit wins, he has never won the wins championship. His closest attempt was in 1992, when he finished with 18 wins and 9 losses, falling short of former coach Song Jin-woo (then of the Binggrae Eagles), who recorded 19 wins and 8 losses.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original