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| Photo=KBO Emblem |
[ESPN] The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) released the roster for the 2026 KBO League on February 10. The ten teams have registered a total of 621 players, marking an increase of 24 from the 597 players registered in 2025.
SSG leads the pack with the highest number of registered players at 67. Hanwha follows closely with 64, while LG and KIA each have 63. Lotte rounds out the top five with 62 players. Samsung and KT both registered 61 players, while NC, Doosan, and Kiwoom have the fewest with 60 each. This season marks a milestone as all ten teams have surpassed the 60-player mark for the first time in league history.
Following a decision made during the first board meeting on January 27, the roster limit was expanded from 65 to 68 players. SSG capitalized on this change, becoming the first team to exceed the previous limit by registering 67 players.
Pitchers continue to dominate the rosters, accounting for more than half of all players with 317 registrations. LG and KIA lead in this category, each boasting 36 pitchers. On the other end, Hanwha, SSG, Samsung, NC, and Kiwoom have registered 30 pitchers each, the lowest among all teams.
The remaining positions are distributed as follows: 138 infielders (22.2%), 116 outfielders (18.7%), and 50 catchers (8.1%). These figures closely mirror last year’s distribution (2025: pitchers – 50.1%, infielders – 22.6%, outfielders – 18.4%, catchers – 8.9%).
The 2026 season will see 52 rookies joining the league, up from 48 in 2025. Pitchers make up the majority of the rookie class with 28 (53.9%), followed by 14 infielders, 8 outfielders, and 2 catchers. Among the teams, Kiwoom has been the most aggressive in recruiting new talent, bringing in 7 rookies.
The coaching ranks have also expanded, with 335 staff members registered across the league, including managers. This represents an increase of 28 from last year’s 307. KIA leads the way with the largest coaching staff, registering 50 members.
The KBO is set to release a comprehensive salary analysis once the player compensation data has been fully compiled.
[ESPN Staff Writer sports@espn.com]
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