Young Lions forged in the dark years, Choi Hyoung-woo’s “return of the king,” and Paddack ... A perfect blend of youth and experience lights up Daegu

[Financial News]  From the ruins of a once-glorious dynasty, its descendants, newly rooted after 12 years of hardship, have finally reclaimed the blue throne.
The Samsung Lions, a professional baseball team, routed the kt wiz 12-1 in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO postseason Korean Series (KS, best-of-seven) at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 8th. With a 4-1 series victory, they completed a historic achievement: their ninth championship overall, and their first in 12 years.
It was a perfect upset championship: Samsung finished the regular season in second place and defeated KT, the overwhelming No. 1 team. It was also the first championship celebration in the history of Daegu Samsung Lions Park, the team’s home stadium since it opened in 2016.
The 12 years before returning to the top were a continuous uphill battle. Samsung, which built an all-conquering dynasty with four consecutive combined titles from 2011 to 2014, plunged into a long dark age after finishing ninth—the lowest ranking in club history—for two years in a row in 2016 and 2017. The team also suffered a loss in the 2021 regular-season tiebreaker for first place and the disappointment of finishing runner-up in the 2024 Korean Series.



The chief factors behind ending that long dark age were the growth of young players who had never experienced the dynasty years and the quick, decisive actions of the club’s front office, which came through whenever the team faced a crisis.
Samsung steadfastly developed Lee Jae-hyeon and Kim Young-woong, the standard-bearers of its infield’s generational change, into regular starters. Kim, who emerged as a 28-home-run slugger in 2024, dominated the postseason with a go-ahead RBI hit in Game 4, while rookie Bae Chan-seung, who joined the team in 2025, paved the way to the championship with a save amid the extra-inning battle in Game 2.
The perfect coordination between the coaching staff and front office also propelled the team to the championship. After retaining the proven Ariel Jurado and Lewin Díaz before the season, Samsung’s front office made the bold decision to release new foreign pitcher Manning after he was injured, before he had even made an official appearance. The team then got through the first half with a short-term signing, O'Rourklin, before making a bold move to bring in former major-leaguer Chris Paddack in August.



That move proved decisive in the Korean Series. Over 10 days, Paddack made three starts, throwing 295 pitches over 17 innings and displaying astonishing stamina. In Game 5, he came on after Won Tae-in and earned a four-inning, scoreless save, enjoying the distinction of being tossed into the air by his teammates in celebration.
Above all, the most powerful driving force was a virtuous cycle of strong attendance and investment, underpinned by the team’s ability to sustain itself. Samsung set new attendance records as the most-watched team among the 10 clubs for a second consecutive year, drawing 1.64 million fans last year and 1,717,050 this year, and generating a surge in revenue.
All of that revenue was reinvested in the team. Declaring a win-now approach, Samsung brought back Choi Hyoung-woo, the cleanup hitter from its former dynasty, to anchor the lineup, and firmly established an advanced baseball system on the field by substantially expanding its data-analysis staff and QC coaching staff.
Manager Park Jin-man’s bold declaration, “The goal is 55 losses (a .618 winning percentage),” painted Daegu with a cascade of blue champagne that washed away 12 years of frustration. The Lions, having endured a long dark age, opened a grand new chapter in the “rebuilding of the Samsung dynasty” through the front office’s meticulous investment and the rise of young talent.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter