Korean baseball, returning from the World Baseball Classic (WBC) with both joy and regret, kicks off the 2026 KBO League season on March 28, with each of the 10 teams set to play 144 games. Eight of the 10 managers named first place as their target for the new season. Manager Kim Tae-hyung set his goal at fourth, while Manager Seol Jong-jin aimed for fifth.
LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-yup, whose team won the integrated championship last year, said at the "2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League Media Day" held at Lotte Hotel World in Songpa-gu, Seoul on March 26, "We set our goal as back-to-back titles starting in November right after winning the championship and have been preparing since." When all attendees were asked to indicate their target ranking with their fingers, Youm held up one finger. He achieved two championships in his first three-year term and signed the largest managerial contract in KBO history with LG late last year — a three-year deal worth up to 3 billion won ($2.2 million).
The biggest storyline of this season is which team can challenge the LG Twins, the defending champions who are pursuing their franchise's first back-to-back integrated titles. The Twins appear to have no weaknesses. They are widely considered the strongest team in terms of starting lineup composition and pitching-hitting balance. All five starting pitchers are capable of winning 10 games, and the gap between the first-team and fringe players is narrow. The departure of last year's Korean Series MVP Kim Hyun-soo (to kt wiz) is a concern, but Lee Jae-won, who returned from military service, is expected to fill the void. Lee proved his potential by hitting four home runs in preseason games. Above all, Moon Bo-kyung remains in superb form after exploding for a .538 batting average, two home runs and 11 RBIs in four WBC group-stage games. Left-handed starter Son Ju-young, who was diagnosed with elbow inflammation during the WBC, has also returned, leaving no gaps in the roster.
Samsung, which advanced to the playoffs last year, is most frequently mentioned as the top challenger to LG. Although the mound has temporary holes — homegrown ace Won Tae-in missed the opening roster due to injury and a newly signed foreign pitcher was also sidelined — the lineup is formidable enough to compensate. Last year's home run king Lewin Díaz and newly added Choi Hyung-woo anchor the batting order. How well the team weathers the early stretch of the season is expected to be the key factor.
The managers' season declarations also drew attention at the media day. Lee Kang-chul of kt wiz, whose team failed to reach the postseason last year, said, "I will approach this with the mindset of being reborn and restore our honor." Kim Kyung-moon of Hanwha Eagles said, "It was painful to finish second last season despite playing well," adding, "This year we will deliver exciting baseball with explosive offense and meet our fans' expectations." Lee Sung-yong of SSG Landers said, "We defied experts' predictions and finished third in the regular season last year. We will surprise people once again." Lee Bum-ho of KIA Tigers said, "We experienced both glory and heartbreak over the past two years. This year, I will put everything behind us and deliver strong results." Kim Tae-hyung of Lotte Giants said, "I've been through everything imaginable, but that's that. The players have toughened up considerably. We will deliver good results." Seol Jong-jin of Kiwoom Heroes, who finished last in the previous season, declared, "This year, we will absolutely escape the bottom of the standings."
The KBO League opens simultaneously at five ballparks nationwide at 2 p.m. on March 28. Of the opening-day starting pitchers announced, nine are foreign players and one is a Korean pitcher.
