KT Wiz’s Stellar May: Can They Secure the 2026 Korean Series Title?

Daniel Kim 2026.05.12 Views

[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Jin-seong] “I hadn’t even thought about it in April…”

The KT Wiz have been the steadiest team at accumulating wins this season. In May they’ve been solid: 2–1 against the KIA Tigers, 1–1 versus the Lotte Giants, and 1–1–1 against the Kiwoom Heroes. Over their last 10 games they’re 5–1–4, essentially holding steady. At this stage, the club boasts one of the deepest pitching and hitting rosters in the league.

KT just welcomed Oh Yoon-seok back and expects Heo Kyung-min to return soon. Still, An Hyun-min and Ryu Hyun-in remain sidelined. Manager Lee Kang-chul told reporters before the May 10 game at Gocheok that An tore his hamstring and won’t return in May. Ironically, Lee said that the team’s depth has become even more apparent because of those absences.

Right now the five starters — Matt Sauer, Caleb Bosshill, Go Young-pyo, So Hyeong-jun and Oh Won-seok — are set. Amid a league-wide bullpen scramble, KT has a dependable option in Park Young-hyun. The relief corps also includes Han Seung-hyuk, Jeon Yong-ju, Kim Min-su, Son Dong-hyun and Woo Gyu-min. KT manages its pitching staff with more calculation than almost any other club in the league.

Manager Lee says the additions of Kim Hyun-soo and Choi Won-jun have had a bigger impact than expected. The top of the order — Kim Min-hyeok, Jang Sung-woo and Sam Hilliard — is locked in. Kim Sang-soo has heated up lately and emerged as a sturdy No. 6. If Heo Kyung-min rejoins for the May 12–14 series in Suwon against the SSG Landers, the lower part of the lineup will get even stronger.

The LG Twins have more injury issues and haven’t been as dominant. The Samsung Lions have strung together seven straight wins but remain more streaky than KT or LG. If injured players return in May and An Hyun-min hits his stride in June, KT could realistically chase a title for the first time since 2021.

Players feel the momentum, too. Veteran sidearm reliever Woo Gyu-min, 40, who came up with the LG Twins and Samsung Lions, said before the May 10 game at Gocheok: “I’ve been thinking about it a bit. I didn’t think about this at all in April, but my performance has definitely improved in May. I’m starting to have some happy dilemmas, but we’ll see how it goes. I won’t get ahead of myself or count chickens — I’ll try to maintain this.”

He didn’t explicitly say “win the regular season” or “go straight to the Korean Series,” but those ambitions are starting to surface. “We’ve definitely improved,” Woo said. “The hitters were reinforced with good players. Won-jun and Hyun-soo have given a clear boost offensively, and that’s helping our team.”

“Compared with last year,” he added, “we get the extra runs when we need them, and when our pitchers give up runs we respond quickly. In that sense we’ve gotten noticeably stronger. I think that’s part of why we’re in first place.”

This season Woo has appeared in 11 games, recorded one hold and posted a 5.40 ERA — not eye-catching numbers. Still, in the May 9 game against Kiwoom he threw two-thirds of an inning in extra innings, striking out one and allowing no runs. “I eat well, rest well, and train when I need to. The manager and coaches give me a lot of consideration, so I try to give my best on the mound and deliver results,” he said. “With the team running first, this kind of atmosphere comes naturally.”