Kiwoom's legacy of losing ignites calls for MLB-style draft lottery in the KBO

Calls are growing within the KBO to introduce a draft lottery similar to MLB's, amid concerns that the current draft order encourages teams to remain at the bottom to secure top prospects.

In MLB's American League Central division in 2018, all but the Cleveland Guardians finished with a record below .500. The Chicago White Sox had a 62-100 record, and the Kansas City Royals had a 58-104 record, both losing more than 100 games. Much of the discussion at the time centered on tanking, in which teams sacrifice short-term success to secure higher draft picks and acquire elite prospects.

MLB has several mechanisms intended to promote competitive balance, including a luxury tax on teams with payrolls above a certain threshold and limits on international signing bonuses. Combined with tanking, those mechanisms have allowed some clubs to cut payroll by trading away high-salaried players and rebuilding around prospects. With no relegation system, unlike in soccer, there is little immediate competitive penalty for finishing near the bottom.

But poor performance eventually drives fans away from stadiums, reducing ticket sales. The MLB players' union pushed back, introducing a draft lottery in 2022 through a collective bargaining agreement with the MLB. Previously, draft order was determined strictly by reverse standings, with the worst team receiving the first overall pick.

Under the new system, the 16 non-playoff teams are assigned lottery odds based on their records to determine the top draft selections. Last year, the Washington Nationals, who had the fourth-best odds at 10.2 percent, won the first overall pick.

In Korea, the Korean Basketball League and V-League both use the draft lottery system. In those leagues, even the top-ranked team has at least a very small chance of receiving the first overall pick.

Baseball, however, still follows reverse standings. The last-place team receives the first pick, the ninth-place team the second pick and so on.

Some within the KBO are now arguing that the league should also adopt a lottery system.

"When the regional first-round draft system was in place, talented prospects were distributed more evenly among clubs," a source from a KBO club who requested anonymity said, referring to the former system that allowed clubs to select one player from their home region before the regular draft.

"Now that the system has been abolished, it has become important for the club to get the first overall pick. The purpose of the draft is to reduce competitive imbalance, but if the same team finishes last every year, doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

The source was referring to the Kiwoom Heroes. Kiwoom has finished last for three consecutive seasons since the regional first-round draft was abolished in 2023, and has gotten the first overall pick each year.

Kiwoom selected Jung Hyun-woo in 2024 and Park Jun-hyun in 2025. This year, it is expected to select Ha Hyun-seung of Busan High School, widely regarded as the top high school prospect in this year's draft.

Unlike most KBO clubs, Kiwoom does not have a large parent conglomerate and operates largely on its own revenues. As a result, the club has developed a reputation for miserliness.

The club received posting fees when players such as Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Hye-seong and Song Sung-mun moved to the major leagues, but did not use that money to sign established players. The KBO also decided to introduce a minimum team payroll beginning in 2027, a move widely viewed as a response to Kiwoom's spending practices.

Kiwoom's total team payroll for 2026 — based on its top 29 salaried players excluding foreign players and rookies — is about 4.2 billion won ($2.7 million). This is roughly half the league's average of 8.3 billion won.

Many in Korean baseball argue that rebuilding carries relatively little value in the KBO. Most clubs prioritize immediate results over long-term efficiency because they are under pressure from both parent companies and fans. That has fueled resistance to the idea that Kiwoom, operating under different financial circumstances from the other nine clubs, can acquire young talent through repeated last-place finishes without making comparable investments.

As Kiwoom remains at the bottom of the standings this season, calls for a draft lottery have resurfaced.

"In some ways, Kiwoom operates more like an MLB team, and I even envy that," another club source said. "But even MLB introduced a lottery to discourage tanking. I think it's time for us to adopt one as well."

The KBO, however, has not held formal discussions about changing the draft system.

Some league officials also question whether a lottery would be effective, arguing that it would not eliminate tanking altogether.

"We've discussed it internally, and opinions were split," a senior source from another club said. "The basic premise of giving lower-ranked teams an advantage cannot be abandoned."

Another club source said the issue lies not with the draft itself.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with the draft system," the source said. "If Kiwoom is the problem, then it would be better to address it through other measures."

A baseball commentator also argued that players would need to take the lead if meaningful reform is to happen.

"Ultimately, if this issue is going to be resolved, the players will have to step forward, just as the players' association did in MLB," the commentator said. "This is a disadvantage for players. In MLB, once the players' union took action, the clubs had little choice but to follow."

BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]