First-ever postseason showdown set! KT dons 'winning percentage 0.870' King Jeongjo uniforms to chase first unified championship in five years! Manager Lee Kang-cheol: "Samsung is no pushover, but we will play our baseball"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The 'King Jeongjo uniform,' which has yielded an impressive 20 wins in 25 games, is set to make its appearance in the Korea Series. The KT Wiz, aiming for their first unified championship in five years, will face the Samsung Lions in a historic first autumn baseball matchup, carrying the good fortune of a 0.870 winning percentage.

On the 1st, KT revealed Manager Lee Kang-cheol's (60) declaration of intent for the Korea Series, stating, "To mark the 2026~2027 Suwon Year of Visits, we will wear the King Jeongjo uniform in all games of this Korea Series."

The special uniform is designed with King Jeongjo, a symbol of Suwon, as its motif. It carries the meaning of sharing the Korea Series with the citizens of Suwon. Most notably, the record achieved while wearing the King Jeongjo uniform draws attention. Since first donning the King Jeongjo uniform on September 8, KT has recorded 20 wins, 2 ties, and 3 losses in 25 games. Excluding ties, their winning percentage reaches an impressive 0.870.

This coincides with the period when KT rode a terrifying late-season surge to claim the regular season championship. KT finished first this year with a record of 90 wins, 5 ties, and 49 losses (winning percentage 0.647). This marks their first first-place finish in the regular season since 2021, a span of five years, and is only the second time in franchise history that they have topped the regular season standings.

The path was not smooth until the mid-season. They faced a crisis from April to June, and in September, key players were called up for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games national team. However, they reorganized their lineup in the second half to turn things around, finishing the regular season with a franchise-record 10-game winning streak by winning all of their final 10 games.

In particular, similar to 2021, they engaged in a fierce battle for the lead against Samsung. Samsung secured second place in the regular season with a record of 83 wins, 3 ties, and 58 losses (winning percentage 0.589). Interestingly, the two teams have never faced each other in the postseason before. Since KT entered the first division in 2015, the only seasons in which both teams advanced to autumn baseball were 2021 and 2024.

The closest they came was in 2021. At that time, the two teams played a decisive game for the regular season title, with KT defeating Samsung 1-0 to clinch their first-ever regular season championship. KT advanced directly to the Korea Series, while Samsung lost to the Doosan Bears in the playoffs. Consequently, a Korea Series matchup between the two teams did not materialize.

Five years later, this year, the two teams finally meet in the Korea Series. In terms of head-to-head regular season records, Samsung actually held the advantage. Samsung recorded 9 wins and 7 losses against KT. However, on the final day of the regular season, the 12th of last month, KT defeated Samsung 4-2 in an away game in Daegu to complete a 10-game winning streak.

Samsung secured their spot in the Korea Series after a tight playoff series against KIA that went all the way to Game 5. KIA had advanced from the wild card round by sweeping LG in three straight games and won Game 1 of the playoffs, but Samsung took Games 2 and 3 consecutively to turn the series around. After losing Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2, they secured a decisive 6-1 victory in the final Game 5.

In particular, Ariel Hurdado's (30) outstanding pitching shone in Game 5. Hurdado shut down the KIA lineup with 7 innings pitched, 5 hits allowed, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 1 run allowed (unearned). He became the winning pitcher in Game 5, following his win in Game 2 of the playoffs, leading the team to the Korea Series.

On the offensive side, Kim Ji-chan (25) performed brilliantly with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. He contributed to building a 4-0 lead with a two-run RBI hit in the bottom of the 2nd inning and hit an RBI triple in the bottom of the 6th inning. Park Seung-gyu (26) also added power with 2 hits in 3 at-bats and 2 RBIs. The two players combined for 5 RBIs, dismantling the KIA pitching staff.

Samsung will step onto the Korea Series stage for the first time in two years since 2024. However, ahead of the Korea Series, the absence of closer Kim Jae-yoon due to injury and the physical condition of Go Ja-wook, who has returned from a hamstring injury, remain variables.

KT has also continued preparations to minimize their nearly three-week break from live games. In a practice game against Sangmu on the 27th of last month, starter Daniel Davis (30) pitched brilliantly with 5 scoreless innings, no hits, and 10 strikeouts, while Sam Hilliard (32) drove in 3 runs with 3 hits, including a lead-off two-run home run, leading to a 7-0 shutout victory. They subsequently focused on sharpening their competitive edge by winning two consecutive practice games against the South Korea U-23 national baseball team, who are on the verge of participating in the World Baseball Classic.

Immediately after the playoffs ended, Manager Lee Kang-cheol evaluated, "Samsung demonstrated a stable pitching and batting lineup in the playoffs to advance to the Korea Series." He added, "They are no easy opponent, but it is important to play our baseball just as we did during the regular season."

He further stated his resolve: "Ahead of the Korea Series, we have supplemented our weaknesses and improved our condition through in-house training and practice games. With the pride of being the regular season's number one team, Team KT will bring the joy of a unified championship to all fans."

Game 1 of the 2026 Korea Series (best-of-seven) between KT and Samsung will be held on the 3rd at Suwon KT Wiz Park. KT will wear the King Jeongjo uniform in all games of this series.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original