2020 KBO League season

{{Infobox sports season

| title = 2020 KBO League

| league = KBO League

| sport = Baseball

| logo = 2020 KBO League.png

| pixels =

| caption =

| duration = May 5 – October 31

| no_of_games = 144 per team

| no_of_teams = 10

| attendance = 328,317

| TV = KBS, MBC, SBS, SPOTV, ESPN

| season = Regular Season

| season_champs = NC Dinos

| MVP = Mel Rojas Jr. (KT Wiz)

| MVP_link = KBO League Most Valuable Player Award

| playoffs = Postseason

| playoffs_link =

| conf1 = Wild Card

| conf1_champ = LG Twins

| conf1_runner-up = Kiwoom Heroes

| conf2 = Semi-playoffs

| conf2_champ = Doosan Bears

| conf2_runner-up = LG Twins

| conf3 = Playoffs

| conf3_champ = Doosan Bears

| conf3_runner-up = KT Wiz

| finals = Korean Series

| finals_link = 2020 Korean Series

| finals_champ = NC Dinos

| finals_runner-up = Doosan Bears

| finals_MVP = Yang Eui-ji (NC Dinos)

| finals_MVP_link =Korean Series Most Valuable Player Award

| seasonslist = List of KBO League seasons

| seasonslistnames = KBO League

| prevseason_link = 2019 KBO League season

| prevseason_year = 2019

| nextseason_link = 2021 KBO League season

| nextseason_year = 2021

}}{{KBOseason|year=2020|prev year season link=2019 KBO League season}}

The 2020 KBO League season, also known by naming rights sponsorship as 2020 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League ({{Korean|hangul = 2020 신한은행 SOL KBO 리그}}), was the 39th season in the history of the KBO League.

Season schedule

The 2020 KBO League season schedule was released in December 2019. Opening Day was originally scheduled on 28 March 2020.{{cite news |title=Baseball league announces 2020 regular season schedule |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114224208/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20191216007100315 |accessdate=12 March 2020 |work=The Korea Herald |agency=Yonhap News Agency |archivedate=14 January 2020 |date=16 December 2019 |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20191216007100315}} [http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20191216000870 Alt URL] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, the Korea Baseball Organization announced in March 2020 that all ten exhibition games would be cancelled, and the start of the season would be delayed until April.{{cite news |title=(LEAD) Pro baseball league postpones start of regular season over coronavirus |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200310005251315?input=tw |accessdate=12 March 2020 |work=Yonhap News Agency |date=10 March 2020}}{{cite news |title=The Latest: South Korean baseball season postponed |url=https://wtmj.com/national/2020/03/12/the-latest-south-korean-baseball-season-postponed/ |accessdate=12 March 2020 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=WTMJ-TV |date=12 March 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801234800/https://wtmj.com/national/2020/03/12/the-latest-south-korean-baseball-season-postponed/ |url-status=dead }}

The Kia Tigers, a KBO League team that had arrived in the United States on 30 January 2020 to hold a portion of its spring training activities, remained in their early spring training venue, Terry Park Ballfield in Fort Myers, Florida (United States) through March.{{cite news |last1=Barie |first1=Sean |title=Korean baseball team makes Terry Park home for spring training |url=https://www.nbc-2.com/story/41757389/korean-baseball-team-makes-terry-park-home-for-spring-training |accessdate=12 March 2020 |publisher=WBBH-TV |date=20 February 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Dorsey |first1=David |title=Coronavirus prolongs South Korean baseball team's spring training stay in Fort Myers |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/03/04/coronavirus-florida-south-korean-baseball-team-kia-tigers-fort-myers/4951021002/ |accessdate=12 March 2020 |work=Fort Myers News-Press |date=4 March 2020}} Preseason KBO League games began on 21 April. The regular season began on 5 May.{{cite news |title=Baseball quietly returns to South Korea as games begin without fans |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29074958/baseball-quietly-returns-south-korea-games-begin-fans |accessdate=22 April 2020 |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=20 April 2020}}

An Chi-hong was the only free agent to move to the Lotte Giants.

Starting with the 2020 season, if a tie exists for the No. 1 seed, and automatic trip to the Korean Series, then the tiebreaker (head to head record) will not be implemented; instead, a one game playoff system will be used to determine the automatic bye.

Standings

6 \| Kia Tigers\|\| 144 \|\| 73 \|\| 71 \|\| 0 \|\| .507 \|\| 13.0 \|\| rowspan="5" \| Did not qualify
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" width="60%" style="text-align:center;" \|+ Regular season standings{{cite web \|title=Team Standings \|url=http://eng.koreabaseball.com/Standings/TeamStandings.aspx \|website=KoreaBaseball.com \|accessdate=30 October 2020}} !scope="col" width="5%"\| Rank ! Team	P	W	L	D	Pct.	GB	Postseason
style="background-color:#ccffcc;" !1 \| NC Dinos	144	83	55	6	.601	—	Korean Series
style="background-color:#ccccff;" ! 2 \| KT Wiz	144	81	62	1	.566	4.5	Playoff
style="background-color:#BBF3FF;" ! 3 \|Doosan Bears	144	79	61	4	.564	5.0	Semi-playoff
style="background-color:#ffffcc;" ! 4 \| LG Twins	144	79	61	4	.564	5.0	rowspan="2" \| Wild Card
style="background-color:#ffffcc;" ! 5 \| Kiwoom Heroes	144	80	63	1	.559	5.5
7 \| Lotte Giants\|\| 144 \|\| 71 \|\| 72 \|\| 1 \|\| .497 \|\| 14.5
8 \| Samsung Lions\|\| 144 \|\| 64 \|\| 75 \|\| 5 \|\| .460 \|\| 19.5
9 \| SK Wyverns\|\| 144 \|\| 51 \|\| 92 \|\| 1 \|\| .357 \|\| 34.5
10 \|Hanwha Eagles\|\| 144\|\| 46 \|\| 95 \|\| 3 \|\| .326 \|\| 38.5

Postseason

{{5TeamBracket-KBO

| RD1 = Wild Card

| RD2 = Semi-playoff

| RD3 = Playoff

| RD4 = Korean Series

| RD1-team1=LG Twins

| RD1-score1= 2

| RD1-team2=Kiwoom Heroes

| RD1-score2= 0

| RD2-team1=Doosan Bears

| RD2-score1= 2

| RD2-seed2= 4

| RD2-team2= LG Twins

| RD2-score2= 0

| RD3-team1=KT Wiz

| RD3-score1= 1

| RD3-seed2= 3

| RD3-team2= Doosan Bears

| RD3-score2= 3

| RD4-team1= NC Dinos

| RD4-score1= 4

| RD4-seed2= 3

| RD4-team2= Doosan Bears

| RD4-score2= 2

}}

=Wild Card=

The series started with a 1–0 advantage for the fourth-placed team.

=Korean Series=

{{Baseball playoff summary

| summary =

| winner = NC Dinos

| leader = NC Dinos

| score = 4–2

| date1 = November 17

| score1 = Doosan Bears – 3, NC Dinos – 5

| loc1 = Gocheok Sky Dome

| att1 = 8,200

| time1 = 3:21

| ref1 = {{cite news |author=Yoo Jee-ho |date= 2020-11-17 |title= Baseball postseason crowd to be reduced under tighter social distancing rules |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20201117003951315|publisher=Yonhap News Agency |access-date=2020-11-22}}

| date2 = November 18

| score2 = Doosan Bears – 5, NC Dinos – 4

| loc2= Gocheok Sky Dome

| att2 = 8,200

| time2 = 3:38

| ref2 = {{cite news |author=Kim Gyeong-yoon |date= 2020-11-18 |title= 프로야구 한국시리즈 2차전 매진…누적 관중 7만9천112명 |url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20201118122200007|language=korean |publisher=Yonhap News Agency |access-date=2020-11-22}}

| date3 = November 20

| score3 = NC Dinos – 6, Doosan Bears – 7

| loc3 = Gocheok Sky Dome

| att3 = 5,100

| time3 = 4:24

| ref3 = {{cite news |author=Lee Jae-sang |date= 2020-11-20 |title= 3차전 5100석 매진…한국시리즈 27경기 연속 |url=https://www.news1.kr/articles/?4125491|language=korean |publisher=News1 |access-date=2020-11-22}}

| date4 = November 21

| score4 = NC Dinos – 3, Doosan Bears – 0

| loc4 = Gocheok Sky Dome

| att4 = 5,100

| time4 = 3:28

| ref4 = {{cite news |author=Moon Sang-hyeok |date= 2020-11-21 |title=송명기 무실점, 양의지 결승타…NC, 4차전 3:0 승리 |url=http://news.jtbc.joins.com/article/article.aspx?news_id=NB11980165|language=korean |publisher=JTBC |access-date=2020-11-22}}

| date5 = November 23

| score5 = Doosan Bears – 0, NC Dinos – 5

| loc5 = Gocheok Sky Dome

| att5 = 5,100

| time5 = 3:01

| ref5 = {{cite news |author=Kim Tae-woon |date= 2020-11-23 |title=구창모, 7이닝 무실점…NC, 첫 우승까지 '1승' |url=https://imnews.imbc.com/replay/2020/nwdesk/article/5984900_32524.html|language=korean |publisher=Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=2020-11-24}}

| date6 = November 24

| score6 = Doosan Bears – 2, NC Dinos – 4

| loc6 = Gocheok Sky Dome

| att6 = 1,670

| time6 = 3:34

| ref6 = {{cite news |author=Jang Hyun-goo |date= 2020-11-24 |title='공룡군단' NC, 창단 9년 만에 첫 KS 우승…주장 양의지 MVP|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20201124176152007?input=1179m|language=korean |publisher=Yonhap News Agency |access-date=2020-11-24}}

}}

League leaders

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" \|+ Batting leaders{{Cite web \|url=http://eng.koreabaseball.com/Stats/BattingLeaders.aspx \|title=Batting Leaders \|publisher=KBO}} !Stat !Player !Team !Total
scope="row" style="text-align:center;"\| Batting Average \| Choi Hyung-woo \|\| Kia Tigers \|\| .354
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Home runs \|Mel Rojas Jr. \|\| KT Wiz \|\| 47
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \|Runs Batted In \|Mel Rojas Jr. \|\| KT Wiz \|\| 135
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Runs \| Mel Rojas Jr. \|\| KT Wiz \|\| 116
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Hits \| José Fernández\|\|Doosan Bears\|\| 199
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Stolen Bases \| Sim Woo-jun \|\| KT Wiz \|\| 35
scope="row" style="text-align:center;"\| On-base percentage \| Park Suk-min \|\| NC Dinos \|\| .436
scope="row" style="text-align:center;"\| Slugging percentage \| Mel Rojas Jr. \|\| KT Wiz \|\| .680

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+ Batting leaders{{Cite web |url=http://eng.koreabaseball.com/Stats/BattingLeaders.aspx |title=Batting Leaders |publisher=KBO}}

!Stat

!Player

!Team

!Total

scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Batting Average

| Choi Hyung-woo || Kia Tigers || .354

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Home runs

|Mel Rojas Jr. || KT Wiz || 47

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |Runs Batted In

|Mel Rojas Jr. || KT Wiz || 135

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Runs

| Mel Rojas Jr. || KT Wiz || 116

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Hits

| José Fernández||Doosan Bears|| 199

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Stolen Bases

| Sim Woo-jun || KT Wiz || 35

scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| On-base percentage

| Park Suk-min || NC Dinos || .436

scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Slugging percentage

| Mel Rojas Jr. || KT Wiz || .680

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" \|+ Pitching leaders{{cite web\|url=http://eng.koreabaseball.com/Stats/PitchingLeaders.aspx\|title=Pitching Leaders\|publisher=KBO}} !Stat !Player !Team !Total
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Earned run average \| Eric Jokisch \|\| Kiwoom Heroes \|\| 2.14
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Wins \| Raúl Alcántara \|\| Doosan Bears \|\| 20
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Saves \| Cho Sang-woo \|\| Kiwoom Heroes \|\| 33
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| Holds \| Ju Kwon \|\| KT Wiz \|\| 31
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \|Innings pitched \| Odrisamer Despaigne \|\| KT Wiz \|\| 207.2
scope="row" style="text-align:center;"\| Strikeouts \| Dan Straily \|\| Lotte Giants \|\| 205
scope="row" style="text-align:center;" \| WHIP \| Dan Straily \|\| Lotte Giants \|\| 1.02

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+ Pitching leaders{{cite web|url=http://eng.koreabaseball.com/Stats/PitchingLeaders.aspx|title=Pitching Leaders|publisher=KBO}}

!Stat

!Player

!Team

!Total

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Earned run average

| Eric Jokisch || Kiwoom Heroes || 2.14

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Wins

| Raúl Alcántara || Doosan Bears || 20

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Saves

| Cho Sang-woo || Kiwoom Heroes || 33

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Holds

| Ju Kwon || KT Wiz || 31

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |Innings pitched

| Odrisamer Despaigne || KT Wiz || 207.2

scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Strikeouts

| Dan Straily || Lotte Giants || 205

scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | WHIP

| Dan Straily || Lotte Giants || 1.02

Foreign hitters

= Foreign hitters =

Team	Player	Batting Average	Home Runs	RBI	Notes
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
Doosan Bears	José Miguel Fernández	.340	21	105	KBO hits leader; Golden Glove Award
rowspan=2 \| Hanwha Eagles	Jared Hoying	.194	4	14	Released by the team
Brandon Barnes	.265	9	42	Signed to replace Jared Hoying
Kia Tigers	Preston Tucker	.306	32	113
rowspan=2 \| Kiwoom Heroes	Taylor Motter	.114	1	3	Released by the team
Addison Russell	.254	2	31	Signed to replace Taylor Motter
KT Wiz	Mel Rojas Jr.	.349	47	135	KBO League Most Valuable Player Award; HR and RBI leader; Golden Glove Award
LG Twins	Roberto Ramos	.278	38	86
Lotte Giants	Dixon Machado	.280	12	67
NC Dinos	Aaron Altherr	.271	31	108
rowspan=2 \| Samsung Lions	Tyler Saladino	.280	6	27	Waived due to injury
Daniel Palka	.209	8	23	Signed to replace Tyler Saladino
SK Wyverns	Jamie Romak	.282	32	91

References

Category:KBO League seasons

KBO League season

Korea Baseball Organization League, 2020