KBO 2026

KBO Postseason Bracket — the Stepladder

The regular season is over. The ladder uses the final regular-season standings (tie rules applied); once postseason games are played, series scores, winners and the next game date come from the results. The 1st-place club waits in the Korean Series.

As of 2026-10-14

Final regular-season seeds

Korea Series (vs 1)

11/2~11/10

KT#1

3Playoff (vs 2)

10/25~10/31

Samsung#2

2Semi-PO (vs 3)

Next game Oct 17

KIA#3LGWild Card round winner

KIA 0–0 LG

1Wild Card (4 vs 5)

LG won — on to the Semi-Playoff

LG#4Doosan#5

LG 2–0 Doosan4th place starts 1–0

Round by round

1.Wild Card (4 vs 5)10/14~10/15Details →
2.Semi-PO (vs 3)10/17~10/23Details →
3.Playoff (vs 2)10/25~10/31Details →
4.Korea Series (vs 1)11/2~11/10Details →

Wild Card round rules

·The 4th and 5th seeds play up to two games, both at the 4th seed's home park.
·The 4th seed starts with a one-win advantage: winning Game 1 sends them through.
·The 5th seed must win both games to advance.
·If Game 2 ends in a tie, the 4th seed advances.

Where each finishing place starts

#1KTStraight to the Korean Series, a best-of-seven.

#2SamsungEnters at the Playoff, a best-of-five.

#3KIAEnters at the Semi-Playoff, a best-of-five.

#4LGHosts the Wild Card round with a one-win advantage.

#5DoosanPlays the Wild Card round on the road and must win twice.

What happens on a tie

A tie for 1st or 5th is not settled head-to-head — a one-game playoff decides it, hosted by the team with the better head-to-head record. A tie among three or more teams skips the playoff and is ranked by wins, then runs scored, then the previous season's finish.

Schedule

Wild Card (4 vs 5) 10/14~10/15
Semi-PO (vs 3) 10/17~10/23
Playoff (vs 2) 10/25~10/31
Korea Series (vs 1) 11/2~11/10

Schedule as announced by the KBO on October 7. First pitch is 18:30 on weekdays and 14:00 on weekends and public holidays (Korea time). A game that cannot be played because of rain or other causes moves to the next day, so actual dates may change.

KBO press release (Korean) ↗

Frequently asked questions

Are all five KBO postseason places settled?

Yes. The regular season is over and KT, Samsung, KIA, LG, Doosan are the five postseason clubs. SSG, Lotte, NC, Hanwha, Kiwoom are eliminated.

How many teams make the KBO postseason?

The top five. The regular-season champion waits in the Korean Series, while the 4th and 5th seeds start in the Wild Card round.

How does the Wild Card round work?

Up to two games at the 4th seed's park. The 4th seed advances by winning once; the 5th seed must win twice. A tie in Game 2 sends the 4th seed through.

How many wins does the 5th seed need to win the Korean Series?

Twelve: two in the Wild Card round, three in the Semi-Playoff, three in the Playoff and four in the Korean Series.

What is the final postseason bracket?

By the final regular-season standings, KT (1st) waits in the Korean Series, and the Wild Card decider is LG (4th) vs Doosan (5th).

What is the postseason schedule?

As announced by the KBO on October 7: Wild Card 10/14~10/15, semi-playoff 10/17~10/23, playoff 10/25~10/31, Korean Series 11/2~11/10. A game that cannot be played because of rain moves to the next day.

Final standings — where each club starts the postseason →Full schedule →

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