Seoul: The preseason in South Korean baseball is set to start this week with the nation caught up in World Baseball Classic (WBC) fever. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) will begin its annual exhibition season at 1 p.m. Thursday with all 10 clubs in action. Teams will play 12 games apiece through March 24. There will be no doubleheaders or extra innings, and rained-out games will not be rescheduled.
According to Yonhap News Agency, many of the league's biggest stars are currently in Miami, where the national team will compete in the quarterfinals of the WBC on Saturday morning in South Korean time. This marks South Korea's first appearance in a knockout round at the WBC since 2009, a development that is expected to boost the KBO's popularity in the upcoming season.
Last year, the KBO achieved a record attendance of 321,763 fans across 42 preseason games, with an average of 7,661 fans per game, setting a new preseason high. The league subsequently established a new regular-season attendance record with over 12.3 million fans, surpassing the previous record of about 10.9 million from 2024.
The KBO announced that all new rules would be enforced during the preseason. Notably, the pitch clock has been reduced by two seconds, requiring pitchers to deliver their pitches within 18 seconds with the bases empty and 23 seconds with runners on base. Additionally, the KBO has modified its ban on infield shifts. If a fielder in an illegal position touches a ball in play, the batting team can choose one of the following options: have the batter take first base, advance a runner by one base, or let the play stand, with the fielder charged with an error.
All weekday games are scheduled to start at 1 p.m., except when teams request evening slots to allow players to acclimate to playing under lights. Some teams will play in alternate home parks or minor league facilities as their main stadiums undergo final renovations before the regular season starts on March 28.
Preseason success does not always predict regular-season performance. According to KBO records, only six clubs have won the Korean Series title after leading in exhibition games.