Manager for KBO champions Twins sets sights on 2nd straight title

LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb, right, shakes hands with the club's CEO, Kim In-seog, during the team's first meeting of the new year at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

No team in South Korean baseball has won consecutive titles since 2016. It's the longest drought without a back-to-back champion in the 44-year history of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Youm Kyoung-youb, manager of the 2025 Korean Series champions LG Twins, voiced his confidence Tuesday that his club can end that streak this year.

"Honestly, we had been building up to win the title in 2026. We were extremely lucky to win it in 2025," Youm told reporters after the team's first meeting of 2026 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "For the 2026 season, our roster setup is perfect. We will be the one to win back-to-back titles."

The Twins also won the Korean Series title in 2023 but didn't even reach the championship round in 2024. They returned to the top in 2025 thanks to a revamped starting rotation fronted by Yonny Chirinos and midseason arrival Anders Tolhurst, plus a lineup full of hitters who consistently put the ball in play and rarely struck out. Their airtight defense also helped.

For 2026, the Twins will bring back their entire rotation from a season ago, and will welcome back Kim Yun-sik and Lee Min-ho, who can both start or pitch in relief, from their mandatory military service.

Captain and veteran outfielder Kim Hyun-soo left for the KT Wiz in free agency, but slugger Lee Jae-won has been discharged from the army and will likely assume a bigger role than in his pre-military days.

"We will use Jae-won mostly as designated hitter but he will also spell our regular outfielders when they need rest," Youm said of the 26-year-old with major power potential.

After leading the Twins to two Korean Series titles in his first three seasons in charge, Youm was rewarded with a three-year extension in November.

"If things go well this year, I feel like we can contend for at least the next five years," Youm said. "This will be Year 1 of that five-year plan."