“Lose, and Kwak Been and Choi Min-seok will be waiting in hell”: KIA-LG showdown for third place... An epic final with the home run and wins crowns both on the line

[Financial News] Has there ever been a 144th game more brutal—or more dramatic—in the history of the KBO League?
This is more than just the regular-season finale that closes out a season. The road to the postseason splits into heaven and hell, and a single game will decide not only the home run and wins titles that have been fiercely contested all season, but potentially the regular-season MVP race as well. An epic death match, more nerve-racking than most Game 7s in the postseason, is set to unfold in Gwangju.
The Kia Tigers and LG Twins will play the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season finale at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 12th at 6:30 p.m.
The shoulders of the two announced starters, the “great pitcher” Yang Hyeon-jong (Kia) and the “homegrown ace” Im Chan-kyu (LG), bear the weight of three enormous stakes.
The first and cruelest of these is the fight to reclaim third place—and the prospect of being sent to Wild Card hell. After Kia lost to Lotte the day before, unexpectedly giving up a grand slam, the gap between the two teams narrowed to just half a game. The possibilities are simple: a tie or a win puts Kia in third; LG can finish third only if it wins.

The winner earns a direct berth in the semi-playoffs, which begin on the 17th, and gets a welcome stretch of time to regroup.
But the real horror awaits the team that falls to fourth. The fourth-place finisher gets just one day off before facing fifth-place Doosan Bears in the Wild Card Series, which starts on the 14th. Doosan is waiting with a formidable one-two punch fully loaded: national-team ace Kwak Been for Game 1 and Choi Min-seok, second in wins, for Game 2.
Having to face Doosan’s fearsome Game 1 and Game 2 starters in succession with a depleted pitching staff is tantamount to walking straight into the “hell of postseason baseball.” That is precisely why both teams must stake everything on securing third place today.

The second stake is the home run crown, which could shake up the regular-season MVP race. Kia’s “baseball genius,” Kim Do-young, has held firmly onto first place in home runs all season with a commanding pace. But Sam Hilliard (KT), who has unleashed tremendous power down the stretch, finally launched his 44th homer in yesterday’s game, drawing level with Kim to tie for first place.
If Hilliard, already assured of finishing first in RBIs with 139, also takes the home run crown outright, it would inevitably deal a serious blow to Kim Do-young’s MVP coronation. Losing a title on the final day after holding the throne all season would be a painful blow for any player. To help his team hold onto third and keep his own MVP hopes alive, Kim’s bat has to send one over the wall today, no matter what.

The third and final stake is LG starter Im Chan-kyu’s bid to become the outright wins leader for the first time in his career. Im currently has 15 wins, tied with Go Young-pyo (KT) for the league lead. The key point is that Go has finished all his remaining starts. In other words, if Im shuts down Kia’s lineup today and earns the win, he will reach 16 wins for the season and claim the outright wins title for the first time since his debut. It sets the stage for the greatest moment of Im’s baseball career: rescuing his team from the mire, sending it straight to the semi-playoffs in third place, and claiming an individual title as well.
Kia’s starter tasked with stopping him is the veteran Yang Hyeon-jong, whose 198 wins are the most among active players. Beyond any individual title, he carries the heavy burden of doing everything he can on home turf to keep his team from slipping to fourth.
Im Chan-kyu’s right arm has the 16-win crown and his team’s third-place finish riding on it; Kim Do-young’s bat has the home run crown and MVP honors at stake; and Yang Hyeon-jong’s shoulder carries the Kia Tigers’ hopes of advancing straight to the semi-playoffs.
As the 144-game marathon reaches its finish, the loser will be dragged into the terrifying Wild Card hell where Kwak Been and Choi Min-seok await. First pitch in what could be the most nerve-racking finale in KBO League history is just moments away.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter