A major shake-up in the 2026 KBO League standings is on the horizon. Riding a seven-game winning streak, the Samsung Lions are eyeing the top spot, while the Kiwoom Heroes look to rebound against a longtime nemesis after snapping their losing streak.

Samsung will face the LG Twins in a three-game series at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul starting May 12. The Lions have been on a tear, sweeping past Kiwoom and NC Dinos to extend their连胜 streaks. With a 21-1-14 record, they trail the leading KT Wiz (23-1-12) by only 1.5 games. The gap with second-place LG (22-14) is even narrower—just 0.5 games, meaning a single result could flip the order.

Samsung has named Choi Won-tae as their starter for the opening game on May 12, while LG will counter with Lim Chan-kyu. Both native pitchers have shaken off early-season struggles. Choi earned his first win of the season against Kiwoom on May 6, and Lim has logged two wins over his last three starts, each lasting at least six innings. Samsung is expected to deploy a rotation of Choi, ace Won Tae-in (who has rebounded), and super rookie Jang Chan-hee against LG. LG, bolstered by the return of injured pitcher Son Ju-young, aims to reclaim the lead with a more formidable mound.

The two sides previously split their two head-to-head matchups last month, with one game rained out.

Over at Gocheok Sky Dome, an intriguing clash awaits as the last-place Kiwoom Heroes, fresh off ending their losing streak, take on their old nemesis, the Hanwha Eagles. Last season, Kiwoom went just 2-14 against Hanwha, and earlier this season, Hanwha swept a two-game series in Daejeon.

But the dynamic has shifted. Hanwha, which dominated Kiwoom last year behind a formidable one-two punch in its rotation, is now struggling with injuries to its starting pitchers. Foreign duo Wilkel Hernandez and Owen White are nearing returns but their game readiness remains uncertain after extended absences. Meanwhile, Kiwoom will feature Bae Dong-hyun and Ahn Chi-hong, both acquired from Hanwha in this year’s secondary draft. Bae, tied for the league lead with four wins, is eager to strike against his former team. Ahn, fresh off a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth against KT on May 10, looks to continue his hot streak.

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The NC Dinos and Lotte Giants, separated by just 0.5 games at eighth and ninth place respectively, will meet in Busan for a three-game series. NC has struggled recently, going 1-4 in their last five games, including a sweep loss to Samsung. They’ll send ace Riley Thompson to the mound to snap the slump. Thompson, who shared the league lead in wins last season, made his season debut on May 6 against SSG Landers after recovering from an oblique strain, but allowed four runs on three homers over five innings. He’ll aim to bounce back; last season he went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against Lotte. Lotte, looking to climb out of the cellar, will counter with a formidable rotation of Elvin Rodriguez, Jeremy Beasley, and Na Gyun-an.

KT, clinging to first place by a slim margin, will host the fourth-place SSG Landers. After losing several key hitters to injuries, KT gets a boost this week with the return of Heo Kyeong-min and Oh Yoon-seok. Meanwhile, the Doosan Bears and KIA Tigers, tied for fifth place, will face off in Gwangju. With top-tier and bottom-tier teams matched up this week, the KBO standings are poised for major changes after the midweek series concludes.