"Unbelievable." The "Choi Hyeong-woo Derby" unfolds in the playoffs from his first season after a transfer! Samsung and KIA face an unavoidable head-on collision

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A cruel yet thrilling twist of fate is unfolding. The Samsung Lions and KIA Tigers will clash in the playoffs (PO, best-of-five series) for a spot in the Korea Series. The so-called "Choi Hyeong-woo Derby," realized from his first season after transferring, is heating up the landscape of the postseason.

Samsung, which advanced directly to the playoffs as the second-place team in the regular season, and KIA, which broke through the junior playoffs, have met on a narrow bridge. The matchup between these traditional powerhouse clubs representing the KBO League and the Gyeong-Ho-Nam rivals alone generates significant interest, but another major point of focus in this series is undoubtedly "the closer" Choi Hyeong-woo (43), who donned the blue uniform of the Lions squad ahead of this season.

Choi Hyeong-woo, who solidly anchored KIA's core lineup and dugout until just last 2025 season, made a sudden return to his former team, Samsung, ahead of this season. To Tigers fans, he was the dependable eldest brother "Ttung-beoji" who dedicated himself to leading them to integrated championships in 2017 and 2024. To Lions fans, it was the return of the eternal number four hitter who had led Samsung into its dynasty era.

However, just one season after changing uniforms, he finds himself facing former teammates as enemies at a point where just one more step would lead to the Korea Series.

The key to victory also hinges on "strategic battles tailored for Choi Hyeong-woo." Choi remains a top-tier clutch hitter in the league capable of delivering a decisive blow in critical moments. This season, he recorded solid statistics with a .301 batting average (148 hits in 491 at-bats), 18 home runs, and 106 RBIs across 137 games. His OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) was also a respectable .849, and his batting average with runners in scoring position was stable at .333.

However, he struggled against his former team during the regular season. In 16 games against KIA this season, he managed only a .190 batting average (8 hits in 42 at-bats). While he did add nutritional value with two home runs and 12 RBIs, his batting average was the lowest among his records against all nine teams. This can be seen as evidence that the focused suppression by the KIA bench and battery, who know Choi Hyeong-woo's hitting mechanics and weaknesses better than anyone, proved effective. Of course, Choi also knows intimately the pitching quality and pitch sequencing habits of KIA pitchers with whom he has shared a team and coordinated for a long time.

In particular, the head-on confrontation with KIA ace Yang Hyeon-jong, whose prowess on the autumn stage has been proven countless times, and the matchups between Choi Hyeong-woo and KIA's reliable late-game bullpen are expected to be exciting elements of this series at every moment. Whether Choi's bat will silence his former team, or whether his former team's mound will tightly contain Choi while continuing the roar of the tiger, is highly likely to determine the overall flow of the series.

The "closer with blue blood" and the "tiger squad" stand as enemies on an unavoidable narrow bridge. Who will be the winner of the "Choi Hyeong-woo Derby" unfolding in the autumn battlefield where not an inch of concession is allowed? It is quite intriguing.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original