One of them is bound to stumble! Harada's "Winning Percentage Title" vs. Ko Yeong-pyo's "Most Wins Title": A brutal head-to-head matchup that remains intriguing even with the standings already set

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

While team standings have all been finalized, the heat on the pitcher's mound is no less intense than that of the postseason. On the 11th, a big match was set between "ace starting pitchers" competing for individual titles in Daegu.

Ariel Harada (30) of the Samsung Lions and Ko Yeong-pyo (35) of the KT Wiz are scheduled to start back-to-back in the matchup held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 11th. Since both KT, which has already clinched the championship, and second-place Samsung have had their final standings confirmed, there will be no changes to team rankings based on the game's result. However, the shoulders of the two starting pitchers carry the significant titles of "Winning Percentage Champion" and "Most Wins Champion," respectively.

Harada takes the mound to fit the last piece of the puzzle for this season's winning percentage title. Harada has appeared in 23 games this season, recording a 9-2 record with an ERA of 3.27, and is currently on the verge of meeting the qualifying requirements. Since 1989, the KBO League has determined the highest winning percentage among pitchers who have achieved "10 or more wins," regardless of whether they meet the innings pitched requirement.

Currently, Doosan Bears' Choi Min-seok leads this category with 14 wins and a .737 winning percentage. However, if Harada secures a win on this day to reach a 10-2 record (.833 winning percentage), he will instantly meet the qualifying requirement of 10 wins, overtaking Choi Min-seok to claim the Winning Percentage Champion title.

Samsung Manager Park Jin-man fully supported Harada's appearance. Speaking to reporters before the game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 9th, Manager Park Jin-man revealed that Harada was designated as the starter for the 11th, stating, "With about two weeks remaining until the playoffs, it is necessary to maintain competitive form," and explaining, "Since (Harada) took a break of about six weeks in between, he is physically in good condition."

In addition, the player's strong determination played a decisive role. Manager Park Jin-man added, "Harada himself has goals regarding his personal statistics, and his will to pitch directly on the mound was also very strong." This indirectly revealed that he is effectively challenging for the Winning Percentage Title.

KT's domestic ace, Ko Yeong-pyo, is also aiming for a historic achievement. Ko Yeong-pyo, who has continued solid pitching with a 14-7 record and an ERA of 3.38 this season, will reach 15 wins for the season if he collects a win on this day. Achieving 15 wins would place him in a tie for first in most wins with LG Twins' Im Chan-gyu (15 wins), allowing them to share the title of Most Wins Champion for the first time in their careers.

KT Manager Lee Kang-cheol also lent his support to his ace's title challenge. Before the game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 6th, Manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "(The situation where one can challenge for a title holder) is not an opportunity that comes often. Since a title is at stake, the team must create opportunities and pay attention to it," adding with a smile, "Depending on the situation, I am even considering whether we should deploy him as a middle reliever just to secure a win," showing full support. Ko Yeong-pyo will make his appearance after an eight-day break following the game against the Lotte Giants on the 3rd.

The head-to-head record between the two pitchers is also intriguing. In KBO regular season history, the two players have faced off as starting pitchers only once. They both started in a game in Pohang on May 15, 2025. At that time, Harada earned the win with a strong performance of six innings, two hits allowed, two strikeouts, and no runs scored, while Ko Yeong-pyo struggled with four innings, six hits allowed, and five runs allowed (four earned), taking the loss. In their second career matchup, realized after about one year and five months, Ko Yeong-pyo aims for revenge and the Most Wins Title, while Harada targets maintaining his advantage in head-to-head records and the Winning Percentage Title.

Separate from the team's postseason preparation, since titles that can mark the peak of their individual careers are at stake, neither pitcher has a reason to hold back. In this narrow-bridge showdown where one must swallow disappointment, fans' eyes turn to Daegu to see who will be the one to wear the final smile of victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original