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With walks aplenty, KBO games taking longer despite pace-of-play rules

Published: 07 Apr. 2026, 14:06

This April 1 photo shows the scoreboard during a KBO regular-season game between the home team LG Twins and the Kia Tigers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. [YONHAP]

With the first full week of play in the books, new rules designed to speed up the game in Korean baseball haven't had their desired effects.

After 40 contests into the season played through Sunday, the average game time in the KBO for a nine-inning affair came to three hours and 12 minutes, 10 minutes longer than last season.

Counting extra-inning games, the average game time is 3:14, up from 3:05 in 2025.

The Samsung Lions were the only team averaging under three hours per game, at 2:50. The Hanwha Eagles have been taking the longest to finish nine-inning games at 3:30.

The KBO has been implementing new rules in recent years to help reduce the game time. The pitch clock was put in place last year, for instance. Since 2025, ties have been declared after 11 innings, not 12.

KT Wiz starter So Hyeong-jun pitches against the LG Twins during the clubs' KBO regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 29. [YONHAP]

These changes paid immediate dividends last year, as the average game time dropped to its lowest in the 21st century.

For 2026, the KBO shaved two seconds off the pitch clock — 18 seconds with no one on base and 23 seconds with runners aboard. The league also gave first- and second-base umpires wireless devices to speed up video reviews.

However, a leaguewide walks epidemic has gotten in the way of these rule changes.

Teams have issued 382 free passes through 40 games, an average of about 9.6 per game. After 39 games a year ago, the total was 294, or about 7.5 per game.

LG Twins starter Yonny Chirinos pitches against the KT Wiz during the clubs' KBO regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28. [YONHAP]

At this point a season ago, the league ERA came to 4.35, with only one club having an ERA over 5.00. This year, the leaguewide ERA is 5.20, and seven clubs have an ERA of 5.00 or worse.

The Eagles have gone from averaging the second-fewest walks last season with 3.1 per game to leading the KBO in that category with 6.4 per game.

Individually, some high-end starters haven't lived up to their expectations in the early going — forcing their teams to dip into the bullpen early and resulting in multiple pitching changes, which in turn have slowed down games.

Yonny Chirinos, who started on each of the past two Opening Days for the LG Twins, has been shelled for 10 runs on 15 hits in only six innings over his first two outings.

Homegrown pitchers So Hyeong-jun of the KT Wiz and Gwak Been of the Doosan Bears have not yet found their form after returning from the World Baseball Classic. So has surrendered nine runs on 16 hits, including two home runs, in nine innings. Gwak has been roughed up for 10 runs on 12 hits in 8 2/3 innings, while serving up two homers and six walks.

Among new faces, Elvin Rodriguez of the Lotte Giants has walked a league-worst 10 batters while striking out four in 11 innings. Wilkel Hernandez of the Eagles has seven walks against six strikeouts in 10 innings. New KT Wiz starter Matt Sauer has handed out seven free passes and struck out only four in 11 innings.

Yonhap