From KBO newcomers to powerhouse, KT Wiz return to the top

The days of calling the KT Wiz the KBO’s upstart newcomers are over. The Suwon club has grown into a powerhouse in Korean baseball and finished atop the regular-season standings for the second time in franchise history on Monday.

KT routed the Lotte Giants 9-0 at Suwon KT Wiz Park in Gyeonggi. KT officially clinched the regular-season title later that day after the second-place Samsung Lions fell 7-5 to the Doosan Bears in Daegu — regardless of the results of the remaining games. The title also sent KT straight to the Korean Series for the first time since their championship season in 2021.

KT finished their game against Lotte first and waited for the result from Daegu. When Samsung’s loss became official a short while later, manager Lee Kang-chul and his players raced onto their home field to celebrate.

The celebration came in front of a packed house. Monday’s sellout crowd of 18,700 pushed KT’s season attendance past 1 million for the first time in franchise history. The players marked both achievements by waving commemorative flags and dousing one another in champagne.

KT was born in 2013 as the KBO’s 10th and newest franchise. The Wiz spent two years building their roster in the secondary league before joining the top league in 2015, but the established clubs proved a formidable barrier. KT finished at the bottom of the standings in each of their first three seasons and climbed just one spot — No. 9 — in 2018.

Lee’s arrival changed the blueprint. The former pitcher won 152 games in his career and later earned a reputation as a master at developing pitchers as a coach. At KT, he made a deep pitching staff the team’s foundation. Above all, Lee believed reliable starters were indispensable over the course of a 144-game season.

KT initially leaned on foreign starters William Cuevas and Odrisamer Despaigne to carry the rotation. Lee, however, had a longer-term vision. He steadily expanded the roles of Korean pitchers Ko Young-pyo, So Hyeong-jun and Bae Je-seong as he developed a rotation built to last.

KT’s patient rebuild paid off in 2021 with a sweep of the regular-season and Korean Series titles. Five straight postseason appearances followed, but the run ended last year when KT finished sixth. An offense that had long been the club’s weak point proved costly.

The answer was an offseason spending push. KT brought in free agents Choi Won-jun, Kim Hyun-soo and Han Seung-taek, and the returns have been immediate.

Choi has collected 199 hits this season, Kim has added stability at first base and in the heart of the order, and Han has proved a reliable replacement for injured starting catcher Jang Sung-woo.

Sam Hilliard provided the thump KT needed. The new foreign hitter has delivered an MVP-caliber season with 41 home runs and 128 RBIs.

KT also stayed true to its pitching-first identity behind Ko, So and its closer Park Yeong-hyun. That combination put the club in position to begin preparing for the Korean Series well ahead of schedule.

KT’s less-heralded contributors have mattered just as much. Oh Yoon-suk, Jang Jun-won and Lee Jeong-hun, all acquired through trades over the past few years, have provided valuable production on both offense and defense. Whenever injuries struck the regulars, they stepped in and kept KT moving forward.

KT’s planning extended deeper into the roster. Infielder Ryu Hyun-in returned after completing his military service, while Ryu Jun-kyu successfully made the transition to the outfield. Both were part of a long-term blueprint the club had carefully mapped out.

The commitment extended to the top of the organization. Park Yoon-young, who became club owner in March, frequently visited the team and made a point of checking in on the players. That connection between the front office, the clubhouse and the fans helped power KT to the 2026 regular-season title.