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Hanwha Eagles Secure First-Half KBO Lead for First Time Since 1992

Their top-ranked pitching staff will face the KBO’s hottest offense in a series that will determine final first-half standings.

Lotte Giants players celebrate their 5-2 victory over the Kia Tigers in their Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 6, 2025. (Yonhap)
Hanwha Eagles players celebrate their 10-1 win over the Kiwoom Heroes in their Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on July 6, 2025, in this photo provided by the Eagles. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kia Tigers shortstop Park Chan-ho (L) is greeted by teammate Patrick Wisdom after turning a double play against the Lotte Giants during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 6, 2025. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • Hanwha posted a 49-33-2 record to finish the first half with a 3½-game lead over the LG Twins and Lotte Giants, clinching the top spot for the first time since 1992.
  • The Eagles rotation leads the league with a 3.35 ERA and 508 strikeouts, highlighted by Ryan Weiss’s six shutout innings and Cody Ponce’s one-run, 11-strikeout outing.
  • Since June 18 the Kia Tigers have gone 10-4-2 for a .714 winning percentage and have led the KBO with 31 home runs, a .279 batting average and a .792 OPS since June 1.
  • A three-game series at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark begins Tuesday, pitting Hanwha’s dominant arms against Kia’s red-hot lineup before the All-Star break.
  • First-half standings will lock in postseason positioning and signal a shift in the league’s competitive balance as teams pause for the All-Star break.