“Other teams are scrambling to make replacements” ... but all four of KIA’s imports came through, in an incredible haul that saved the team

[Financial News] The heart of the batting lineup, Choi Hyoung-woo, and the infield’s commander, Park Chan-ho, were gone. Everyone predicted the Tigers would collapse in the 2026 season. But the reality proved to be the opposite. The KIA Tigers finished third in the regular season and confidently secured a direct ticket to the semi-playoffs. Domestic players such as Kim Do-yeong and Na Sung-bum also made major contributions, but the decisive factor that lifted a team tipped to finish last all the way to third was undoubtedly a bumper crop of foreign-player signings.
Adam Oller, James Naile, Harold Castro, and Asian-quota player Keisho Shirakawa: in the KBO League, where a single season’s fortunes can be shaken by the struggles of even one or two foreign players, KIA impressively hit the mark with virtually all four of its picks.

The most impressive achievement was the foreign one-two punch that served as the backbone of the pitching staff. Oller, a $1.2 million investment, made 30 appearances and showed dominant stuff, posting 11 wins, a 3.13 ERA and 180 strikeouts. Naile, the $2 million man, also anchored the rotation with 13 wins and a 3.49 ERA in 31 games, relying on his signature sweeper.
The two pitchers combined for a remarkable 24 wins this season—about 30% of KIA’s 79 regular-season victories. In August, when the battle for the standings grew especially fierce, they logged 26 innings across four appearances and combined for a 4-0 record with a 2.08 ERA, serving as powerful twin engines behind the team’s surge.
At the plate, Castro, who joined the team in place of Patrick Wisdom, emerged as a highly valuable foreign signing. Although there were initially question marks over his power, Castro put up a fearsome line in 99 games: a .327 batting average, 21 home runs, 88 RBIs and a .928 OPS.

As his .367 batting average with runners in scoring position shows, he was especially strong in clutch situations. On the 9th, at a pivotal point in the race for third place against the NC Dinos, he also showed his knack for coming through with a crucial three-run homer. Thanks to Castro’s performance in perfectly filling the void left by Choi Hyoung-woo, KIA was able to produce a powerful offense this season, with 174 team home runs (second in the league), a .435 slugging percentage (first) and a .782 OPS (first).
The final piece of the puzzle was Asian-quota player Keisho Shirakawa, whose signing reflected a bold decision by the dugout. KIA had initially signed shortstop Jarryd Dale in hopes of filling the gap left by Park Chan-ho, but when the plan went awry early in the season, the team made a bold move on May 28: it released Dale and signed pitcher Shirakawa.
Shirakawa had a history of elbow surgery, but the scouting staff, including Kim Jan, the head of team planning, rigorously cross-checked its on-site observations against the data and became confident his stuff had returned. The decision proved a resounding success. With Shirakawa settling into the starting rotation, KIA had more breathing room in managing its pitching staff and was able to withstand the fierce battle for position to the very end.


This season, KIA was one of the few teams to finish without replacing a single one of its three existing foreign players. That was the result of the front office’s ability to thoroughly vet players rather than simply relying on name recognition, combined with the dugout’s flexibility in responding to circumstances.
KIA now faces a new challenge: keeping its own players. With the salaries of standout performers Oller, Naile and Castro all but certain to rise, how the team retains them under the foreign-player salary cap will determine the Tigers’ fortunes next season.
If the players themselves are willing, KIA should have little trouble bringing them all back next season. That is how satisfied the team is with them.
One thing is clear: KIA’s 2026 postseason run—the team achieved the miracle of finishing third despite losing key pieces—would have been impossible without these four foreign players, its “Fantastic Four.”
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter