KT Wiz Clinch KBO Regular-Season Title With 9-0 Rout

KT Wiz clinched the 2026 KBO regular-season championship on Monday with a 9-0 victory over the Lotte Giants at Suwon KT Wiz Park, securing a direct place in the Korean Series for the first time since their 2021 title season.

The result lifted KT to 86-49-5 and put the club beyond the reach of second-place Samsung. With the Lions losing 7-5 to the Doosan Bears, KT finished the day 4.5 games clear and could no longer be caught even if it lost its remaining four games.

Seven-run first inning ends the suspense

KT turned a potential pressure game into a celebration almost immediately. Choi Won-jun opened the bottom of the first with a double, and Sam Hilliard drove in the first run with a shot over the right fielder.

Kim Sang-su followed with a two-run double, Han Seung-taek added an infield RBI single, and Jang Jun-won delivered the decisive blow: a three-run home run off Kim Jin-wook that made it 7-0 before the inning was over.

Jang homered again in the sixth for his second of the game and seventh of the season. Ahn Hyeon-min completed the scoring with his 14th home run in the seventh.

Logan Allen strikes out 14

Logan Allen matched the offense with one of his strongest outings of the season. The left-hander worked eight scoreless innings, allowed seven hits and struck out 14 while improving to 7-5.

Moon Yong-ik closed the ninth to complete the shutout and start the title celebration in Suwon.

The championship is KT’s first regular-season crown in five years. The Wiz joined the KBO as its 10th club in 2015, won both the regular season and Korean Series in 2021, and will now return directly to the best-of-seven championship series with a chance to claim the second Korean Series title in franchise history.

For KT, the clincher completed a pennant race that remained unsettled into the final week. The Wiz did not merely wait for help: they ended it with seven runs in the first inning, three home runs and a 14-strikeout shutout performance from their starter.