American aces to face each other in KBO postseason series opener

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason kicks off on Sunday with the Samsung Lions facing off against the Kia Tigers in the first game of the best-of-five second round. The Lions will field their American right-hander Chris Paddack, who will make his debut for the team. The match is set to start at 2 p.m. at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu.

In response, the Tigers will send their own American ace, James Naile, to the mound. The victor of this round will advance to the coveted Korean Series, where the regular-season champions KT Wiz await. The Lions received a bye into the second round due to their impressive 83-58-3 regular season record. Meanwhile, the Tigers, who finished third with a 79-63-2 tally, also earned a bye, having dispatched the 2025 Korean Series champions, the LG Twins, in the first round.

Historically, the team that wins the first game of this best-of-five series has gone on to secure the series 77 percent of the time. In their 35 previous encounters, the Lions have won 27 times. Paddack has been noteworthy this season, going 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 starts. However, he has had trouble against the Tigers, posting a 5.25 ERA and a 0-2 record in their two matchups.

His two back-to-back starts against the Tigers saw him give up a total of six runs on six hits in five innings and three runs, including only one earned run, in seven innings. Among the Tigers' regular lineup, Kim Do-yeong and Kim Tae-gun have each hit a home run off Paddack. Kim Do-yeong, the biggest star of this postseason so far, has donned the series MVP mantle, hitting three home runs, including a grand slam, against the Twins, earning him the MVP award.

Naile has also proven his mettle in high-stakes games, posting a 2.53 ERA in two starts during the Tigers' journey to the Korean Series title over the Lions last year. In their only previous game against the Lions, Naile held them to a run on four hits in seven innings, securing a 5-1 victory in Game 1 of their series. Naile boasts an impressive 3.24 ERA in four regular-season meetings against the Lions this year, striking out 19 while walking just five over 25 innings.

Kim Seong-yoon, a stubborn slap hitter expected to bat second for the Lions, has had the most success against Naile, going 8-for-10 with a walk. Lastly, Lions captain Koo Ja-wook, the regular-season batting champion, managed three hits, including a double, against Naile this season.