KBO League Predictions for Saturday, August 27

All 10 KBO League teams have played over 100 games, and the league’s likely playoff contenders are shaping up.

The first-placed SSG Landers (73-2-33), the second-placed LG Twins (64-1-40), the third-placed Kiwoom Heroes (61-2-48) and the fourth-placed KT Wiz (59-2-47) look to be in pole position to play postseason baseball.

The SSG Landers are aiming for the first start-to-finish win in the 40-year KBO history, having led since the first game of the season.

The key player for SSG Landers is infielder Choi Joo-hwan. He's going through a tough season right now, but he is overcoming his slump by hitting a batting average of 0.529 during the last six games.

The Lotte Giants’ key player is Jeon Jun-woo with a batting average of 0.325. His power hitting leaves a little to be desired, with nine home runs and 58 RBIs (runs batted in), but his ability to get on base opens up opportunities for his teammates.

In such a crucial game for the SSG Landers’ chances of securing the division title, they will have to limit Jeon’s ability to get on base and set up scoring opportunities for others, which will be key to their chances of success.

Finishing third or fourth has major postseason connotations so the Kiwoom Heroes will not want to slip up. If they drop into fourth place it opens the door for the KT Wiz to move above them, meaning the Heroes will face a nerve-shredding semi-final playoff match with the team in fifth spot.

Lee Jung-hoo is the Heroes’ key player, he is second in OPS (on-base plus slugging) with 0.959, batting average with 0.330, and most hits with 139, and he's expected to be among the MVP candidates this season.

The key LG Twins player is Moon Sung-ju, who boasts an individual batting average of 0.350. His bat was busy with a multi-hit game last weekend and his average ranks among the best in the league.

In such a key game for the Kiwoom Heroes’ chances of picking up a third-placed finish, they could have hoped for easier opponents than the LG Twins, who currently have a record of 64 wins, one draw, 40 losses, and a win rate of 0.615, which puts them comfortably in second spot.

This matchup could have major implications for the postseason shakeup with the LG Twins having the only realistic chance of preventing the SSG Landers from winning the title and the Kiwoom Heroes looking to fend off the KT Wiz and pick up the coveted third spot.

Last season’s champions KT Wiz struggled at the start of this campaign but have somewhat recovered and currently sit fourth in the table with their sights set on third place ahead of the playoffs.

The KT Wiz’s key player is Bae Je-seong, a right-handed ace who became the first KT selection to win 10 games for two consecutive years. He was taken out of the rotation after a disappointing June and July (21 starts, nine wins, six losses, and an ERA of 6.27), but he will re-join as a starter soon, so an improved performance from him could be the key to the KT's rebound. 

If he can reach the heights he has previously scaled, the KT Wiz could chase down the Kiwoom Heroes in third position and save themselves from the playoff semi-final.

Their opponents here, the NC Dinos, will have their eye on the fifth spot as their 46-3-55 record keeps them in with a faint possibility of reaching the postseason, they will have to begin winning games like this in a hurry to do that.