KBO postseason starts Oct. 19 with just two guaranteed weekend games

The playoffs for the 2023 KBO season will begin on Oct. 19 with the Wildcard Series, with the Korean Series potentially ending as late as Nov. 15.

The KBO announced Friday that the Wildcard Series will kick off on Oct. 19 with a second game, if needed, the following day on Oct. 20. The Wildcard series features the fifth- and forth-place finishers from the KBO regular season, with the fourth-place team entering the series with a one-game advantage. Only a win in the first game will keep the fifth-place team alive.

The winner of that series will advance to face the third-place finisher on the first round of the playoffs starting on Oct. 22. That five-game series will start at home for the third-place finisher on Oct. 22 and 23, before moving to the home of the Wildcard winner on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. A fifth game, if needed, will be played back at the third-place finisher's stadium on Oct. 28.

The winner of the first round of playoffs advances to the second round where they face the regular season runner-up — now guaranteed to be the KT Wiz. Also a five-game series, the second round of playoffs will start with two games at Suwon KT Wiz Park on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, moving to the first round winner's stadium on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3. If a fifth game is needed it will be back in Suwon on Nov. 5.

The winner of the playoff rounds will advance to face regular season winners the LG Twins in the Korean Series. A seven-game series, the Korean Series will start at LG's Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, moving to the winner of the playoffs' stadium on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 and then back to Jamsil for the final three games if needed.

If the Doosan Bears, currently in fifth place as of press time, make it to the Korean Series, the entire thing will be played at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, with the teams alternating who plays at home according to the existing schedule.

Due to the schedule, as few as two games could be played on weekends — the start of the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, Oct. 22, and the fourth game of the Korean Series on Saturday, Nov. 11. Two more games — the fifth game of the first round of the playoffs on Saturday, Oct. 28, and the fifth game of the second round on Sunday, Nov. 5 — could also be held on weekends if the playoff series run to five games.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]