The KT Wiz clinched the 2026 Korea Baseball Organization pennant with an 89-49-5 record, earning a bye into the best-of-seven Korean Series path while Samsung, Kia, LG, and Doosan sorted the lower bracket this week.

KT's nine-game winning streak to close the regular season gave Suwon its first top seed since the franchise rebranded from the Nexen Heroes. Samsung finished seven games back at 83-57, locking in the second seed and home-field advantage in the playoff round that starts October 25.

Wild card opens at Jamsil

Attention on Tuesday shifted to Seoul, where fourth-place LG hosted fifth-place Doosan in wild-card game one. LG starter Carlos Carrasco faced Doosan ace Kwak Bin in the final autumn games at Jamsil Stadium before the city tears the park down for a domed replacement.

Under KBO rules LG advances with a win or tie in game one, while Doosan must win twice. The Twins dominated the season series 11-4-1 but limped into October after failing to steal third place on the final regular-season day.

Bracket math

The wild-card winner meets third-seeded Kia in a semi-playoff series set to open October 17. Kia's 78-63 record looked vulnerable on paper, but the Tigers rested starters early knowing they had a cushion over LG.

KT will not play until the Korean Series bracket resolves, giving manager Lee Kang-cheol extra time to reset a rotation led by Ko Young-pyo and a bullpen that led the league in strikeouts. Samsung, meanwhile, eyes its first finals trip since 2021 if it survives whichever team emerges from Kia and the Jamsil survivor.

Fans and farewells

Ticket queues at Jamsil reflected the stadium's sentimental value: vendors sold commemorative seats while Doosan fans chanted for an upset. Win or lose, the wild card marks the end of an era for two clubs that shared a home since 1982. KT supporters, meanwhile, debate travel plans for a potential November series in Suwon or Daegu depending on opponents.

Pitching depth and rest

Ko Young-pyo's late-season form convinced scouts that KT can carry only three starters deep into November, prompting the front office to keep bullpen arms on short rest during the bye. Samsung mirrors that calculus with ace Won Tae-in, who threw a complete game on the final weekend to deny KT a celebratory sweep in Daegu.

Foreign players on every contender except Kia add another variable: import limits mean managers cannot stack rotations the way MLB clubs do. Carrasco's cameo for LG shows how a single veteran can swing a short series, while KT relies on homegrown bats like Anthony Alford and Koo Ja-wook, who led the league in average.

Attendance and revenue

KT averaged more than twenty thousand fans in Suwon during the streak, boosting concession revenue that helps pay imports on other rosters. Pennant merchandise sold out online within hours, a marketing win the club hopes carries into November.