The Samsung Lions beat the KIA Tigers 6-1 in the deciding Game 5 of the playoffs on November 1, advancing to the Korean Series for the first time in two years. Starting November 3, they will face regular-season champions kt wiz in a best-of-seven series for the title.
In this year’s regular season, kt finished first at 90 wins, 49 losses and five ties, while Samsung placed second at 83 wins, 58 losses and three ties. But Samsung led their head-to-head series 9-7, putting the regular-season standings and their direct matchups at odds.
Historically, the Korean Series record also strongly favors the team that finishes first in the regular season. Viewed alongside this year’s head-to-head results, that record helps clarify what is at stake in this matchup.
Regular-season champions have won 85.7% of titles
From 1989 through 2025, excluding 1999 and 2000, when the league used a two-division system, teams that advanced directly to the Korean Series after finishing first in the regular season won 30 of 35 titles, or 85.7%.
Teams that advance directly to the Korean Series benefit from avoiding the playoffs and having ample time to prepare. More importantly, they have posted the best record over a long regular season, a key reason behind their success.
Still, a first-place regular-season finish has not always led to a title. The Haitai Tigers, who finished second in 1989, the third-place Lotte Giants in 1992 and the third-place Doosan Bears in 2001 each beat higher-ranked teams to win the championship.
The run of 10 straight titles by regular-season champions from 2005 through 2014 ended in 2015, when the third-place Doosan Bears beat the Samsung Lions. In 2018, the second-place SK Wyverns defeated Doosan to produce another exception.
From 2021 through 2025, regular-season champions again won five straight titles. In the same tally, second-place teams won twice and third-place teams three times, underscoring the significance of kt’s first-place finish this year.
kt leads in the standings; Samsung leads head-to-head
kt finished first in the overall regular-season standings, eight games ahead of Samsung. But Samsung won nine of their 16 meetings to kt’s seven, showing a different balance of strength in their direct matchups.
From 2015, when kt joined the top-tier league, through 2026, kt holds a 98-win, four-tie, 90-loss regular-season record against Samsung. But Samsung won more of their meetings this year, adding intrigue to their Korean Series matchup.
The teams also met in the 2021 game to decide first place in the regular season. Behind a strong outing from William Cuevas, kt beat Samsung 1-0 to secure the top spot, then swept Doosan 4-0 in the Korean Series to claim the franchise’s first combined regular-season and Korean Series championship.
This year, kt advanced directly to the Korean Series by finishing first in the regular season, while Samsung played all five games of its playoff series against KIA. That makes the condition of a well-rested kt and a Samsung team that has maintained its game sharpness through competition key variables.
Win Game 1: 73.8%; win the first two: 90.9%
The first team to win four games takes the Korean Series title, but historical results show a strong link between the outcome of the early games and the eventual champion.
Through 2025, teams that won Game 1 of the Korean Series went on to claim the title 31 times in 42 series, a rate of 73.8%.
Teams that won both Games 1 and 2 claimed the title in 20 of 22 instances, a rate of 90.9%. All 12 teams that won the first three games also went on to become champions.
Conversely, only the 2007 SK Wyverns and the 2013 Samsung Lions have won the title after losing the first two games. No team has come back to win the series after losing the first three.
In 2013, Samsung fell behind Doosan three games to one before winning Games 5, 6 and 7 to take the title. It remains the only team in Korean Series history to overcome a 3-1 deficit.
Korean Series begins November 3 in Suwon
Samsung is seeking its ninth title overall and its first in 12 years, since 2014. kt is aiming for its second title, five years after winning its first championship in 2021.
The 2026 Korean Series opens with Game 1 at Suwon kt Wiz Park at 6:30 p.m. on November 3. Game 2 will also be played in Suwon on November 4, followed by Games 3–5 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park from November 6 to 8. If the series continues, Games 6 and 7 will be held in Suwon on November 10 and 11.
Regular-season leader kt has the edge in the teams’ historical win-loss record, but Samsung came out ahead in their meetings this year. The Korean Series will show how the long-term strength reflected in the regular-season standings matches up against performance against a particular opponent in a short series.
With the results of the first two games likely to reshape both teams’ approach to the rest of the series and the pressure they face, Games 1 and 2 in Suwon, beginning November 3, are expected to be the first turning point in the title race.
