Professional Baseball Game Sells Out All Stadiums, 25 Home Runs
- The opening series of the 2025 KBO League drew a total of 21,900 spectators across five stadiums over two days.
- The LG Twins, Samsung lions, and SSG Landers each swept their opening series, securing two wins apiece.
- The LG Twins dominated the Lotte Giants, achieving double-digit scores in both games, with scores of 12-2 and 10-2.
KBO League Opening Series Recap: Record Crowds and Early Standouts
Table of Contents
March 23, 2025
The opening series of the 2025 KBO League drew a total of 21,900 spectators across five stadiums over two days. For the first time, the opening series witnessed sellouts in two consecutive games, setting a new attendance record.
The LG Twins, Samsung lions, and SSG Landers each swept their opening series, securing two wins apiece.
The LG Twins dominated the Lotte Giants, achieving double-digit scores in both games, with scores of 12-2 and 10-2. Moon Bo-kyung had a strong performance, totaling 28 hits, including seven home runs, with two of those home runs occurring in the series. Yoni Chirinos,the starting pitcher for the opening game on March 22,showcased a fastball reaching 51 kilometers per hour,pitching six innings and allowing five hits,three walks,and two runs. On March 23, Son Joo-young limited the Lotte lineup to just one hit over seven innings.
Samsung overwhelmed the Kiwoom Heroes’ pitching,racking up 18 hits,including two home runs,on March 22,and 15 hits,including one home run,on March 23. They secured victories of 13-5 and 11-7,respectively. Samsung rookie Bae chan-seung made his professional debut, pitching one inning and recording one strikeout with a fastball reaching 155 kilometers per hour on March 23. Kiwoom rookie infielder Yeo Dong-wook homered against Samsung starter Ariel Furado in his first at-bat on March 22.Yeo Dong-wook is the third player to hit a home run in his first at-bat in an opening debut, following Cho Kyung-hwan (Lotte) in 1998 and Kang Baek-ho (KT) in 2018.
SSG left-handed ace Kim Kwang-hyun earned his first win of the season, allowing two runs in five innings with seven hits and two strikeouts. Jung Joon-jae contributed with four at-bats, two hits, and three RBIs. SSG secured a 6-5 victory with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. SSG’s coach Lee Sung-yong stated, Even in the hard situation of the injuries of the main players, everyone is a winning victory.
Choi was absent from the starting lineup on march 23 due to a hamstring injury sustained during the opening game.
The NC Dinos and Kia Tigers split their series at Kia Champions Field. NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-joon secured his first debut win on March 23. Riley Thompson, the starting pitcher, recorded three strikeouts and allowed three runs. Matt Davidson,last year’s home run king,had three hits in three at-bats,including a home run,while Park Min-woo had three hits in five at-bats with two RBIs. Lee Ho-jun commented, It’s our first win of the ’25 season than my first win. We will run vigorously in the 25th season, taking advantage of the meaning of the first win.
Kia’s starter Yang Hyun-jong pitched five innings, allowing six hits, including one home run, and four runs. kim Do-young, the previous year’s regular league MVP, suffered a hamstring injury during the opening game and is expected to be sidelined for four weeks.
The Hanwha Eagles and KT Wiz played the first extra-innings game of the season on March 23, with the game concluding when Bae Jung-dae hit a single up the middle in the bottom of the 11th inning. This marks the first time this season a game has gone unfinished, as new rules limit games to 11 innings. Hanwha won the previous day’s game 4-3. Hanwha’s fourth batter, Noh Hwan, hit a home run for the second consecutive day.
Across the 10 opening games, there were 25 home runs: nine in Daegu, seven in Jamsil, four in Suwon and Gwangju, and one in Incheon. The first pitch clock violations of the season were recorded three times (Hanwha’s Cody Phone, Kiwoom’s Ha Young-min, and Kim Sun-ki).
KBO League Opening series Recap: Record Crowds and Early standouts
March 23, 2025
KBO League 2025 Opening Series: Key Highlights
The 2025 KBO League season kicked off with a bang, drawing record crowds and showcasing early standout performances. Here’s a extensive recap of the opening series, highlighting key moments and emerging stars.
What were the attendance figures for the 2025 KBO League opening series games?
The opening series of the 2025 KBO League attracted a total of 21,900 spectators across five stadiums over two days. This impressive turnout, combined with sellouts in two consecutive games, set a new attendance record for the opening series.
Which teams had the best start to the season?
Several teams demonstrated impressive performances during the opening series:
- LG Twins: Swept their series, achieving double-digit scores in both games against the Lotte Giants.
- Samsung Lions: Also swept their series, overwhelming the Kiwoom heroes’ pitching.
- SSG Landers: Achieved a sweep, as well.
Which players stood out during the opening series?
Several players delivered noteworthy performances during the opening series:
- Moon Bo-kyung (LG Twins): Had a strong series, totaling 28 hits, including seven home runs. two of those home runs occurred in the series versus the Lotte Giants.
- Bae Chan-seung (Samsung): Made his professional debut, pitching one inning and recording a strikeout with a fastball reaching 155 kilometers per hour.
- Yeo Dong-wook (Kiwoom): Hit a home run in his first at-bat on March 22nd (the third player to hit a home run in their opening debut).
- Kim kwang-hyun (SSG): Earned his first win, allowing two runs in five innings with seven hits and two strikeouts.
- Matt Davidson (NC Dinos): Last year’s home run king, had three hits in three at-bats, including a home run.
What notable injuries occurred during the opening series?
- Kim do-young (Kia Tigers): The previous year’s regular league MVP suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined for four weeks.
- Choi (SSG): Was absent from the starting lineup on March 23 due to a hamstring injury sustained during the opening game.
Game Recaps and Key Moments
LG Twins vs. Lotte Giants
The LG Twins dominated the Lotte Giants, achieving double-digit scores in both games with final scores of 12-2 and 10-2.
yoni Chirinos, the starting pitcher for the opening game on March 22, showcased a fastball reaching 51 kilometers per hour, pitching six innings and allowing five hits, three walks, and two runs. On march 23, Son Joo-young limited the Lotte lineup to just one hit over seven innings.
Samsung Lions vs. Kiwoom Heroes
samsung overwhelmed the Kiwoom Heroes’ pitching, racking up 18 hits, including two home runs, on march 22, and 15 hits, including one home run, on March 23. They secured victories of 13-5 and 11-7, respectively.
SSG Landers vs. [Opponent]
SSG left-handed ace Kim Kwang-hyun earned his first win of the season, allowing two runs in five innings with seven hits and two strikeouts. Jung Joon-jae contributed with four at-bats, two hits, and three RBIs. SSG secured a 6-5 victory with a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
SSG’s coach Lee Sung-yong stated, Even in the hard situation of the injuries of the main players, everyone is a winning victory.
NC Dinos vs. Kia Tigers
The NC Dinos and Kia Tigers split their series at kia Champions Field. NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-joon secured his first debut win on March 23. Riley Thompson, the starting pitcher, recorded three strikeouts and allowed three runs. matt Davidson, last year’s home run king, had three hits in three at-bats, including a home run, while
Kia’s starter Yang Hyun-jong pitched five innings, allowing six hits, including one home run, and four runs.
Hanwha Eagles vs. KT Wiz
The Hanwha Eagles and KT Wiz played the first extra-innings game, which concluded when Bae Jung-dae hit a single up the middle in the bottom of the 11th inning. The new rule limits games to 11 innings.
What rule changes were implemented for the 2025 season?
In the 2025 season, new rules limit games to 11 innings, and pitch clock violations were recorded.
Opening Series Summary Table
| Team | wins | Key Performers | Notable Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| LG Twins | 2 | Moon Bo-kyung, yoni Chirinos, Son Joo-young | Dominated Lotte Giants with double-digit scores |
| Samsung Lions | 2 | Bae Chan-seung, Ariel Furado | Racked up 18 hits on March 22, and 15 hits, including one home run,On March 23 |
| SSG Landers | 2 | Kim Kwang-hyun, Jung Joon-jae | Won the game with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. |
| NC Dinos | 1 | Lee Ho-joon,Riley Thompson,matt Davidson,Park Min-woo | Lee Ho-joon secured his first debut win on March 23 |
| Kia Tigers | 1 | Yang Hyun-jong,Kim Do-young | Kim Do-young suffered a hamstring injury during the opening game and is expected to be sidelined for four weeks. |
| Hanwha Eagles | 1 | Bae Jung-dae | Played first extra innings game of the season. |
| KT Wiz | 1 | Lost the first extra innings game of the season. |