Hanwha Eagles Advance to Korean Series for First Time in 19 Years

Dominant 11-2 Victory Over Samsung in Game 5 of the Playoffs
Best-of-Seven Korean Series Against LG Begins October 26

On the 24th, in the fifth game of the 2025 KBO League postseason playoffs between the Samsung Lions and the Hanwha Eagles, Cody Ponce is embracing Moon Dongju after their victory. Photo by Yonhap News

The Hanwha Eagles have advanced to the Korean Series (KS) for the first time in 19 years.

On October 24, at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon, Hanwha defeated the Samsung Lions 11-2 in Game 5 of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Playoffs (PO), clinching the series 3-2 and securing their spot in the Korean Series.

Although Hanwha was pushed to the brink after losing Game 4 in a come-from-behind defeat despite leading 4-0, starting pitcher Cody Ponce delivered a strong performance, pitching five innings with five hits allowed, two walks, nine strikeouts, and one unearned run. Ryan Weiss, who took over the mound from the sixth inning, played the role of ace by pitching four innings and allowing just one run to close out the game.

Manager Kim Kyungmoon, as previously announced, relied on two foreign pitchers to run the game, choosing a sure strategy over taking risks in this do-or-die match.

This marks Hanwha's first Korean Series appearance in 19 years, since finishing as runners-up to Samsung in 2006 when Ryu Hyunjin was a rookie. Including their history as the Binggrae Eagles, this is their seventh appearance in the KS, with their only championship win coming in 1999.

Kim Seungyeon, chairman of Hanwha Group, has supported the team as owner since its founding in 1986, continuing to strengthen the roster by acquiring top players even during prolonged periods at the bottom of the standings. He visited the newly opened Hanwha Life Ballpark, the team's new home stadium, five times during the regular season alone this year.

Hanwha is now aiming for their second combined championship in 26 years, the first since 1999. Their opponent in the Korean Series is the LG Twins, who finished first in the regular season. LG returns to the stage two years after their combined championship in 2023. In this year's regular season matchups, LG held a slight edge with eight wins, one draw, and seven losses. The Korean Series will begin on October 26 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium and will be played in a best-of-seven format.

Meanwhile, all 16,750 tickets for the Samsung-Hanwha game were sold out, marking the 32nd consecutive postseason sellout since Game 1 of the 2023 Korean Series. The total attendance for this year's postseason has reached 237,330 over 11 games.