Korean Baseball began their season last week. upload.wikimedia.org
Oh man, I didn't realize how much I missed Saturday baseball naps until I caught my first one of 2020. In May.
It's not because the KBO is boring, I just like my naps. In fact, week one was everything you could ask for to start off a baseball season (maybe with the exception of the 4:30 am start times, but beggars can't be choosers). We got late inning rallies and extra innings. We got walk offs and Grand Slams (which, in Korean, are referred to as "Grand Slams"). We got Boog Sciambi pointing out random knick-knacks in the background of his office to an un-amused Jessica Mendoza and if you watched via Twitch, you got those sweet sweet Korean commercials. If you like runs, the KBO's got runs. After 27 games, each match is averaging almost 11 runs per game.
I haven't even mentioned the bat flips. It's an art over there.
Week one is in the books, and I'm breaking down the entire league! Mainly because it's only ten teams.
1. Lotte Giants (5-0)
It's pronounced "loh-tay," by the way. However you say it, you're looking at an undefeated team that's averaging 7.2 runs per game. That's a pretty decent start considering that they finished last season with league-worst record of 48-93. There's still a lot of baseball to play, but at the moment they're one of only two remaining undefeated teams. Shortstop Dixon Machado stood out by batting .389 for the week to go with 3 homers and 8 RBIs, while former MLB pitcher Dan Straily has been brilliant with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings.
2. Kiwoom Heroes (5-1)
The Heroes began the season ranked at the top of ESPN's preseason power rankings and have lived up to the hype through one week of play. Aside from a wild 8th inning meltdown against the Kia Tigers, the Heroes have jumped out to a solid start for the season. Outfielder Lee Jung-Hoo has been on a tear, with a .421 batting average and 6 RBIs.
3. NC Dinos (4-1)
The Dinos may be number three in this week's power rankings, but they will forever be number one in the mascot power rankings. They swept the Lions in the beginning of the week, but split the rain-shortened series with the Twins. The Dinos have four everyday players currently batting over .300. Shortstop No Jin-Hyuk has been their standout at the plate so far with 2 home runs, 6 RBIs and a .333 batting average.
4. Doosan Bears (3-2)
The defending champs started the season off with a thud, dropping game one to the Twins 8-2. The first week has been a mixed bag of prolific offense and blowout losses. They capped the week off with a wild 11-inning 13-12 walk off victory. Pitching looks like a concern through the first week, but they be able to might make up for it at the plate. Designated hitter Jose Miguel Fernandez has an unreal .591 batting average through 22 plate appearances, followed by shortstop Kim Jae-Ho who's batting .421 so far.
5. LG Twins (2-3)
It's still early, but the Twins have some pitching kinks that need to be ironed out. After holding the Bears to only 2 runs in their season opening victory, LG has surrendered 5 or more runs in every game since. They capped the week off by handing the Dinos their first loss of the season thanks to a massive 7-run rally in the 8th. First baseman Roberto Ramos has paced the Twins with 2 home runs and a .450 batting average.
6. Samsung Lions (2-4)
After getting swept by the Dinos to start the season, the Lions recovered and won the following series against the Kia Tigers. Their pitching seems to be pretty decent, but they're not getting any help from their bats. Designated hitter Kim Dong-Yeop is one of the lone bright spots, batting .320 with 2 homers.
7. Hanwha Eagles (2-4)
After shutting out the SK Wyverns in their season opener, the Eagles have failed to hold their opposition to less than 4 runs per game. They were projected to be the worst team this season, and by all indications they are on their way.
8. Kia Tigers (2-4)
The Kia Tigers weren't good last year (62-80), and don't look to be much different this year after week one. Astros fans may recognize Kyle Tucker's older brother Preston roaming the outfield and crushing it at the plate (.476 BA, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs). There isn't much offense beyond Tucker though, and the pitching hasn't shown up for them either. They did finish the week with a pretty solid 12-3 win against the Lions, but that was a day after being dropped 14-2.
9. KT Wiz (1-4)
Oof. After being swept by the undefeated Giants, the Wiz suffered a heartbreaking 12-13 loss to the Doosan Bears to close out the week. They have the youngest pitching staff in the league, which can be identified by the opposition averaging 7.8 runs/game.
10. SK Wyverns (1-4)
Offense seems to come a long pretty easy in the KBO, unless you're a Wyvern apparently. SK is the only team so far to have been shut out more than once. Don't expect much to turn around.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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