The 2026 KBO League season has kicked off with a bang, but for the Samsung Lions, the opening series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park ended with more frustration than celebration. The Lotte Giants, hungry for a fresh start, swept the two-game series, leaving Samsung searching for answers after a 6-2 defeat on March 29. It’s the first time since 2020 that Lotte has opened the season with back-to-back wins, and they did it in style—blasting a total of seven home runs over the two games, including four in the series finale.
The atmosphere at the stadium was electric. For the fourth consecutive year, Samsung’s home opener sold out, with 24,000 fans filling the stands and hoping to witness a strong start. Yet, despite the sea of blue and the chorus of cheers, the Lions couldn’t muster the offensive firepower needed to match Lotte’s explosive bats. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team known for its slugging prowess.
Let’s rewind to the first game on March 28. Lotte set the tone early, as Yoon Dong-hee launched a two-run homer in the first inning off Samsung starter Ariel Jurado. The Giants extended their lead in the fourth with a combination of extra-base hits and a sacrifice fly. Samsung, meanwhile, struggled to solve Lotte’s pitching, managing just a single hit through four innings. Rodriguez, Lotte’s starter, was in command, and Reyes added a two-run shot in the seventh to make it 5-0. Though Samsung rallied late, scoring once in the eighth and three times in the ninth, the effort wasn’t enough. Lotte walked away with a 6-3 victory, and Choi Hyung-woo etched his name in the record books by becoming the oldest player in KBO history to record a base hit at 42 years and three months.
Hoping for redemption in the second game, Samsung turned to Choi Won-tae, a pitcher coming off a strong postseason and expected to anchor the rotation alongside Jurado. Choi delivered a solid outing, throwing 83 pitches over six innings and allowing just two runs. He mixed his fastball with a sharp changeup and cutter, keeping Lotte’s hitters off balance for most of the afternoon. But even a quality start wasn’t enough. "Choi Won-tae’s command was impressive, but the offense couldn’t support him," noted a local analyst.
Lotte, on the other hand, continued to flex their muscles at the plate. Son Ho-young and No Jin-hyuk each took Choi deep for solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings, giving Lotte a 2-0 lead. It was the first time since August 2024 that the Giants hit four or more home runs in a single game. Their power surge has been nothing short of eye-catching—if you’re a Lotte fan, you’ve got to be grinning from ear to ear.
Samsung’s only real spark came in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded, a hit-by-pitch to Lee Jae-hyun forced in a run. But that was all they could muster against Lotte’s new foreign pitcher Jeremy Beasley, who was making his KBO debut. Beasley worked five innings, giving up just two hits and one run, striking out five batters, and walking three. Not a bad way to introduce yourself to Korean baseball! "Beasley looked calm and composed, and he delivered when it mattered most," said a Giants coach after the game.
But if the early innings were tense, the seventh inning brought fireworks—just not the kind Samsung fans wanted. Lotte capitalized on a shaky bullpen. Miyaji Yura, who relieved Choi Won-tae, allowed a hit and a walk before being replaced by rookie Bae Chan-seung. On the very first pitch, Victor Reyes smashed a 110-meter, three-run homer over the left-field wall. The next batter, Son Ho-young, didn’t wait long either—he sent a 151 km/h fastball soaring 130 meters for a back-to-back solo shot. Suddenly, the score was 6-1, and the home crowd’s energy deflated in a heartbeat.
Samsung tried to respond in the bottom of the seventh. Ryu Ji-hyuk and Kim Ji-chan hit back-to-back doubles to bring in a run, but that was as close as the Lions would get. The rest of the lineup, especially the heart of the order, continued to struggle. Kim Young-woong went 0-for-9 with five strikeouts over the two games, while Kang Min-ho was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. The lack of production from the middle of the order was glaring, and the team’s power bats—usually a point of pride—were silent. Not a single home run for Samsung in the opening series, while Lotte’s bats were booming. "Our hitters need to find their rhythm quickly. We can’t let this early slump define our season," said a Samsung team official.
Adding to Samsung’s woes are injuries to key starting pitchers Matt Manning and Won Tae-in, with the latter expected back by mid-April. The rotation has been patched together, and while Jurado and Choi have performed admirably, the rest of the staff will need to step up. The bullpen, too, showed some cracks, especially in high-leverage situations. The Lions turned three double plays in the second game, a testament to their defensive focus, but it couldn’t compensate for the lack of offense.
Across the league, the opening weekend was packed with excitement. Hanwha Eagles thumped Kiwoom Heroes 10-4, with Kang Baek-ho driving in five runs. KT Wiz edged LG Twins 6-5, thanks in part to Hur Kyoung-min’s three-hit, three-RBI performance. SSG Landers outslugged KIA Tigers 11-6, led by Ko Myung-jun’s two-homer day. Doosan Bears staged a dramatic comeback to defeat NC Dinos 9-6, avenging a shutout loss from the previous day. The KBO’s opening day attendance hit 105,878 across five stadiums, the third highest in league history. Clearly, baseball fever is alive and well in Korea!
For Samsung, the focus now shifts to the upcoming series against the Doosan Bears, starting Tuesday. The pressure is on to snap the two-game skid and reignite their offense. Daegu MBC will broadcast the first two games of the series live on radio, so fans won’t miss a pitch as the Lions look to get back on track.
Lotte, meanwhile, heads home riding a wave of confidence. With their power bats firing and their new arms delivering, the Giants have sent an early message—they’re not here to play second fiddle this year. The season is young, and there’s a lot of baseball left, but if these opening games are any indication, the race for the KBO crown is going to be thrilling.
As the dust settles on opening weekend, one thing is clear: the KBO League is off to a roaring start, and fans everywhere are in for one wild ride.