Why did KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul bench Ahn Hyun-min for Korean Series Game 5?

Lee said Ahn was slumping at the plate and had defensive problems. Ahn had gone 1-for-12 with four strikeouts after homering in the opener, and his misjudged flyball in Game 4 allowed three runs to score.

Who replaced Ahn Hyun-min in the KT Wiz outfield for Game 5, and where was he placed in the lineup?

Jang Jin-hyuk was set to start in right field and bat second. Lee said Jang was swinging the bat better, and he had homered in Saturday’s Game 4.

Which pitchers were available to relieve Davis Daniel for the KT Wiz in Korean Series Game 5?

Ko Young-pyo and So Hyeong-jun were available in relief. Ko had started Game 2 and was in line to start Game 6 if the series continued that far; Lee hoped Daniel could pitch at least six innings to limit their workload.

Wiz manager benches slumping slugger in do-or-die Korean Series game

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Summary

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul benched Ahn Hyun-min for Game 5 of the Korean Series on Sunday in Daegu, with the team facing elimination against the Samsung Lions. The Wiz trailed 3-1 after losing three straight games following their series-opening win. Lee said Ahn’s hitting slump and defensive problems prompted the change, with Jang Jin-hyuk starting in right field and batting second. Davis Daniel was set to start, while Ko Young-pyo and So Hyeong-jun were available in relief.

Key Facts

Ahn, the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization Rookie of the Year, homered in the 8-7 series-opening win and then went 1-for-12 with four strikeouts.
Ahn played right field in Game 4 because regular right fielder Choi Won-jun had a hand injury.
A misjudged flyball by Ahn with the bases loaded allowed all three runners to score during the Lions’ six-run inning in Game 4, though the play was not officially scored as an error.
Jang Jin-hyuk homered in Game 4 and was named the Game 5 starter in right field.
Lee hoped Davis Daniel would pitch at least six innings and said the team wanted to limit its use of Ko Young-pyo and So Hyeong-jun.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 8, 2026 1:59 pm KST

KT Wiz slugger Ahn Hyun-min, left, runs during a game against Samsung Lions during a KBO Postseason series of 2026 game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul benched his slumping slugger Ahn Hyun-min at the start of his team's first elimination game of the Korean Series on Sunday.

The Wiz are trailing the Samsung Lions 3-1 in the best-of-seven championship round, and a loss in Game 5, set for Sunday afternoon at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu, will end the Wiz's season.

The Wiz won the series opener Tuesday but have since lost three straight games.

Ahn, the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Rookie of the Year, homered in that first game, an 8-7 Wiz victory, but has since gone 1-for-12 with four strikeouts.

Ahn, normally a designated hitter, was forced to play in right field in Saturday's Game 4, with the regular right fielder Choi Won-jun dealing with a hand injury. Ahn misjudged the flight of the flyball hit by Kim Do-hwan with the bases loaded, and the misplay, which was not officially scored as an error, allowed all three runners to score as part of the Lions' six-run inning.

Jang Jin-hyuk, who homered in Saturday's game, will start in right field and bat second Sunday.

"Ahn Hyun-min is slumping at the plate, and his defense has been a problem," Lee said in his pregame media availability. "Jin-hyuk is swinging the bat better. We wanted to strengthen our outfield defense and go with the hot hand at the plate."

Lee noted that Ahn's defensive issues are nothing new but added: "In postseason play, one defensive miscue can turn the tide of an entire game. We wanted Hyun-min to make up for his defense with his bat, but he has not done much in that area, either."

Lee said two of his starting pitchers, Ko Young-pyo and So Hyeong-jun, will be available to pitch in relief Sunday, with Davis Daniel starting.

Ko, who started Game 2 last Wednesday, was in line to start Game 6 on Tuesday if the series goes that far.

"Ideally, we will win today's game without having to use Ko Young-pyo or So Hyeong-jun so much," Lee said. "Hopefully, Daniel will give us at least six innings, and we will stick to our regular bullpen usage plan."

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