LG Twins Secure 8th Consecutive KBO Postseason Appearance

A Historic Run for the LG Twins

Securing eight straight playoff berths places the Twins alongside select company in the history of the KBO League. The longest consecutive postseason streak belongs to the Samsung Lions, who reached the playoffs for 12 straight seasons between 1997 and 2008. The Haitai Tigers (now the Kia Tigers) reached the postseason for nine consecutive seasons from 1986 to 1994, while Samsung also achieved nine straight postseason appearances across 1984 and 1986 to 1993, omitting 1985 when no postseason was held due to the unification of the league’s preliminary and final champions. The current stability marks a stark departure from the franchise’s prior struggles. Following a runner-up finish in the 2002 Korean Series, LG missed the postseason for 10 years. While the club returned to the autumn stage in 2013, 2014, and 2016, those appearances lacked long-term consistency, culminating in a sixth-place finish in 2017 and an eighth-place finish in 2018.

Front Office Stability and Management

The turnaround coincides directly with the tenure of Cha Myung-seok, who took over front-office operations following the 2018 season after previously serving as a player and coach for the organization. Upon his appointment, Cha stated that his goal was to build a foundation for a long-term storied club rather than focusing solely on short-term results. In Cha’s first season in 2019, LG finished fourth. The team placed fourth again in 2020, third in 2021, and second in 2022. Under manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, who took charge in 2023, the Twins captured both the regular-season pennant and the Korean Series title in his first year, ending a 29-year championship drought, and followed up with another title in 2025. Reflecting on the collaborative relationship between management and the coaching staff, Manager Yeom credited the front office for providing stability during difficult stretches. A season actually goes through many difficult times, but whenever difficulties arose, the club’s leadership and coaching staff allowed me to run the team based on my own philosophy as a manager, Yeom said during the Golden Glove Awards ceremony after winning the Manager of the Year award, explicitly pointing to Cha.

Roster Adjustments and Foreign Player Moves

The front office faced significant roster hurdles throughout the 2026 campaign, particularly on the pitching mound. Closer Yoo Young-chan missed time following elbow surgery, while foreign starting pitcher Yonny Chirinos struggled with elbow discomfort and inconsistent form. To address the pitching shortage, Cha traveled to the United States in April to evaluate potential foreign starting options and check on the status of Go Woo-suk. With qualified starters difficult to secure amid shifting Major League Baseball rosters, LG expanded its search pool to include bullpen arms. The club signed Yael Rios, a reliever capable of throwing fastballs exceeding 160 kilometers per hour. When that arrangement did not meet expectations, the front office moved quickly to replace him. In July, LG parted ways with Rios and signed Carlos Carrasco, who brought 112 career Major League Baseball victories to the pitching staff. Carrasco subsequently posted a 6-2 record with a strong earned run average across his first nine appearances for the club, helping stabilize a rotation that carried the Twins back to the postseason for the eighth year.