KIA, an undefeated team in the Korea Series, has a record of two wins and nine losses in the preliminary playoffs, with zero appearances in the playoffs! KIA's shocking autumn jinx... Will they repeat the nightmare from 24 years ago against LG?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

KIA Tigers, a prestigious franchise with 12 Korea Series (KS) championships, faces LG Twins at the preliminary playoffs (preliminary PO), a hurdle they have particularly struggled to overcome.

KIA and LG will play Game 1 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason (PS) preliminary PO (best-of-five series) on the 17th at 2 p.m. at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field.

Third-place KIA in the regular season, with a record of 79 wins, two draws, and 63 losses (winning percentage 0.556), and fourth-place LG, with 78 wins, one draw, and 65 losses (winning percentage 0.545), advanced to the postseason. While KIA advanced directly to the preliminary PO, LG secured a ticket to Gwangju by defeating the Doosan Bears 4-1 in Game 1 of the Wild Card (WC) decider on the 14th.

In terms of objective strength and recent momentum, KIA leads LG. The difference was evident from their offensive power. KIA ranked fifth in the league with a team batting average of 0.271, while LG settled for eighth place with 0.264. The gap was particularly large in extra-base hitting. KIA placed second in the league with 174 team home runs, whereas LG was fifth with 136. In team slugging percentage, KIA led the league at 0.435, while LG was fifth at 0.401. On-base plus slugging (OPS) also showed a difference, with KIA at 0.782 and LG at 0.752.

KIA also had relatively better stability on the mound. Until the end of the season, KIA maintained a team ERA in the low 4s, while LG remained in the high 4s. LG struggled to manage its bullpen throughout the season, as injuries and poor performance among key relief pitchers compounded the departure of starting closer Yoo Young-chan.

In particular, recent momentum diverged sharply. KIA recorded seven wins and three losses in their final 10 regular-season games, while LG slowed down with three wins and seven losses. In head-to-head records, KIA led with nine wins and seven losses. LG held the advantage with seven wins and two losses in the first nine meetings, but KIA reversed the situation with a seven-game winning streak. In the final game in Gwangju on the 12th, KIA defeated LG 4-2, powered by Kim Do-young's (23) decisive two-run home run, to secure third place.

KIA advanced directly to the preliminary PO, securing time to organize their starting rotation and bullpen. In contrast, LG came up after playing Game 1 of the WC against Doosan on the 14th. Son Ju-young returned to the preliminary PO roster, but it remains to be seen whether he can pitch normally due to a neck injury. It is also difficult to say that Oh Ji-hwan and Shin Min-jae have fully recovered from their injuries.

However, an interesting twist emerges when examining historical records in the preliminary PO. Including its predecessor Haitai Tigers era, KIA has advanced to the preliminary PO four times but has never reached the next round. Their all-time record is just two wins and nine losses, with a winning percentage of 0.182. It can be called a shocking autumn jinx.

It began in 1994, when Haitai suffered a two-game sweep by the Hanwha Eagles. They were eliminated by Doosan in a two-game sweep in 2004, lost to Hanwha with one win and two losses in 2006, and fell to SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) with one win and three losses in 2011. Although KIA has won the KS 12 times and remained undefeated when they advanced, they left a completely different record in the preliminary PO. Thus, this marks their first appearance in the preliminary PO stage in a whopping 15 years since 2011.

On the other hand, LG was strong in the preliminary PO with an all-time record of 17 wins and 12 losses, a winning percentage of 0.586. Starting with their 2-1 victory over OB Bears (now Doosan) in 1993, they won six series through 1998, 2002, 2014, 2016, and 2024. Even in the most recent 2024, they succeeded in advancing to the PO with a 3-2 win over KT Wiz after a close battle that went to Game 5. At the time, Im Chan-gyu (34) was selected as the preliminary PO Most Valuable Player (MVP) with two wins and an ERA of 1.59, and Son Ju-young (28) also contributed by earning a relief win in Game 3.

It is also a point of interest whether KIA will repeat the nightmare of the preliminary PO against LG from 24 years ago. The two teams faced each other in the 2002 PO. At that time, fourth-place LG in the regular season defeated Hyundai Unicorns with two consecutive wins in the preliminary PO before clashing with second-place KIA in the regular season. After a fierce five-game battle alternating between Gwangju and Jamsil, LG advanced to the KS with three wins and two losses. Park Yong-taek, who was a rookie at the time, claimed the PO MVP with a batting average of 0.350 (seven hits in 20 at-bats), two home runs, and four RBIs.

In this postseason rematch realized for the first time in 24 years, the key will be whether KIA can maintain their regular-season advantage. KIA included starting pitcher James Neal (33), along with Adam Otter (32), Yang Hyeon-jong (38), and Lee Yi-ri (24), in the preliminary PO roster. Neal recorded 13 wins, seven losses, and an ERA of 3.49 this year, while Otter posted 11 wins, 10 losses, and an ERA of 3.13. They also registered key bullpen resources such as Jung Hae-young (25), Jeon Sang-hyun (30), Jo Sang-woo (32), and Kim Bum-soo (31).

LG will also respond with a full-strength effort. They brought back Son Ju-young, the closer with 31 saves who was absent from the WC, to the preliminary PO roster. It remains to be seen whether Son Ju-young, who underwent treatment for herniated discs in the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, can pitch normally. Oh Ji-hwan (36), who suffered a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and Shin Min-jae (30), who felt discomfort in his left hamstring during the WC, were also included on the roster, but their actual participation remains uncertain.

The starting pitchers for Game 1 are Anders Tolhurst (27) for LG and Neal for KIA. Tolhurst struggled against KIA this year, recording one win, three losses, and an ERA of 6.20 in five games. On the other hand, he has experience contributing to LG's unified championship last year with two wins and an ERA of 2.08 in two games during the KS.

Of course, past preliminary PO records do not determine the outcome of this series. KIA has often advanced directly to the KS as the regular-season leader, and the timing of their preliminary PO appearances and the rosters are completely different from now.

However, the divergent histories of the two teams remain interesting. Attention from baseball fans is focused on Gwangju to see whether KIA, which has never won a preliminary PO series, will secure its first series victory in 15 years, or whether LG will revive memories from 24 years ago.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original