▲ KT's Go Young-pyo pitching with intensity
KT Wiz native ace Go Young-pyo and Samsung Lions foreign pitcher Erick Fedde are set to face off as starting pitchers in Game 2 of the 2026 professional baseball Korean Series (best-of-seven).
KT manager Lee Kang-chul and Samsung manager Park Jin-man announced Go and Fedde as their respective starting pitchers for Game 2 after Game 1 of the Korean Series concluded on November 3 at Suwon KT Wiz Park.
Go and Fedde will clash in a high-stakes showdown where neither team can afford to back down.
Underhand pitcher Go Young-pyo is KT's flagship pitcher who needs no introduction.
During this year's regular season, he made 29 appearances, recording 15 wins, 7 losses, and an ERA of 3.28 to lead the wizard squad's starting rotation.
Go gathered his strength by taking a break of more than 20 days after making his final regular-season appearance against Samsung on October 11.
He fully recovered from the fatigue accumulated during the regular season and prepared for Game 2 of the Korean Series by spending ample time analyzing opposing hitters.
Inside the KT camp, expectations are high.
Go showed strong performances against Samsung this season.
He made a total of four appearances against them, posting 3 wins, 1 loss, and a 2.25 ERA.
In his most recent outing against Samsung on October 11, he pitched 5 innings, allowing 4 hits, no walks, with 5 strikeouts and 1 run (unearned), earning the win.
However, a lingering concern is that he showed vulnerability against certain Samsung hitters.
Against Koo Ja-wook, Go gave up 4 hits in 9 at-bats; against Kim Ji-chan, 4 hits in 10 at-bats; and against Choi Hyeong-woo, 3 hits in 11 at-bats, including 1 home run.
On the other hand, he showed dominant form against Lewin Diaz and Ryu Ji-hyuk, holding both hitless in 9 at-bats.
Go also brings plenty of Korean Series experience.
He pitched in 3 games in 2021 and 2 games in 2023.
However, his overall Korean Series stats are not impressive, standing at 5 appearances, 1 loss, 2 holds, and a 4.91 ERA.
Go is aiming for his first-ever Korean Series win.
Right-hander Fedde, who counters Go, put up solid numbers in this season's regular league with 13 appearances, 7 wins, 3 losses, and a 2.95 ERA.
In Game 1 of the playoffs (best-of-five) against the Kia Tigers on October 26, he struggled by allowing 5 runs on 5 hits (including 2 homers), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts over 4.2 innings, but bounced back with a strong outing in Game 4 of the playoffs on October 30, pitching 5.3 innings and giving up just 1 run on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 6 strikeouts.
Although Fedde is taking the mound after 4 days of rest, his physical burden is expected to be minimal as his pitch count in the October 30 game was relatively low at 82 pitches.
He made one appearance against KT in the regular season this year.
On August 29 against KT, he pitched 6 scoreless innings, allowing 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 to claim the win.
That game took place at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, making this his first time pitching on the Suwon mound.
In his single matchup against KT, Fedde surrendered 2 hits in 2 at-bats to Ahn Hyun-min, and 1 hit in 3 at-bats each to Choi Won-joon, Kim Min-hyuk, and Kim Sang-soo.
He successfully shut down Kim Hyun-su and Huh Kyung-min without allowing a hit.
With a small sample size, these records do not carry heavy significance.
Having lost Game 1 of the Korean Series, Samsung is determined to capture Game 2 behind Fedde.
If even Fedde falters, the momentum of the series could rapidly shift toward KT.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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