0.001 difference in 3rd place fight...KIA·LG ranking, eyes focused on the final game in Gwangju on the 12th
4th place LG has 1 more win than 3rd place KIA. The 3rd place competition with a 0.001 winning percentage difference could go until the final game in Gwangju on the 12th, or it could end before that.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Three-line summary
- KIA is in 3rd place with 76 wins 62 losses 2 ties and a 0.551 winning percentage, LG is in 4th place with 77 wins 63 losses 1 tie and 0.550.
- The two teams will play their regular season final game in Gwangju on October 12th. It could essentially be the 3rd place deciding game.
- 3rd place goes directly to the semi-playoff, and 4th place plays from the wild card deciding series starting on October 14th.
If you place the 3rd and 4th place boxes in the KBO standings side by side, the numbers look misaligned. 4th place LG has 77 wins while 3rd place KIA has 76 wins. The lower box has one more win. But the order is KIA on top. YonhapnewsAccording to the October 7th game conclusion record reported by, the game difference between the two teams is 0, and the winning percentage difference is 0.001is (as of 2026.10.08 15:00).
These two teams will meet head-to-head in Gwangju on October 12th. It is the final game of the regular season for both teams. Depending on the results of the previous games, there is an observation that this matchup could essentially become the 3rd place deciding game. However, there is also a possibility that the ranking could be decided before going to Gwangju.
KIA·LG ranking 0.001 difference, why 77-win LG is in 4th place
The answer lies in the win-loss ratio. Winning percentage is calculated by dividing wins by 'wins+losses' excluding draws. Since KIA has 76 wins 62 losses 2 ties, 76÷138, becomes 0.551. LG has 77 wins 63 losses 1 tie, which is 77÷140, 0.550. KIA has 1 fewer win than LG but also 1 fewer loss. This ratio difference created the 0.001.
2026 KBO top 5 teams ranking (as of October 7th game conclusion, KBO official daily team ranking)
| Ranking | Team | Wins-Losses-Ties | Winning percentage | Games played | Remaining games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KT | 88-49-5 | 0.642 | 142 | 2 |
| 2 | Samsung | 83-55-3 | 0.601 | 141 | 3 |
| 3 | KIA | 76-62-2 | 0.551 | 140 | 4 |
| 4 | LG | 77-63-1 | 0.550 | 141 | 3 |
| 5 | Doosan | 73-65-5 | 0.529 | 143 | 1 |
I calculated by assuming they would win or lose all remaining games. 2nd place Samsung would have a 0.589 winning percentage even if they lose all 3 games. Even if KIA wins all 4 games, it would be 0.563 and wouldn't reach Samsung. 5th place Doosan would have 0.532 even if they win the last 1 game. If LG loses all 3 games, it would be 0.538; if KIA loses all 4 games, it would be 0.535, both higher than Doosan. Looking at only the top 5 teams' records, the two teams are in a situation to split 3rd and 4th place.
Remaining 4 games·3 games, the scenarios until going to Gwangju
The number of remaining games is different first. KIA has played 140 games, LG has played 141 games. Since each team's regular season is 144 games, KIA has 4 games remaining and LG has 3 games remaining. If calculated, until the Gwangju matchup, KIA will play 3 more games and LG will play 2 more games. The opposing teams are not included in this verification material.
The key to the scenarios is 'whether they go to Gwangju'. eToday's scenario analysis pointed out that the ranking could be decided before the final game. To condense it into one line, it's like this: The team with 1 more win is in 4th place, and this order could be decided in Gwangju or it could be decided before that.
Semi-PO direct advancement vs wild card, two days between the 12th and 14th
3rd and 4th place have different starting lines. 3rd place goes directly to the semi-playoff and 4th place plays from the wild card deciding series. KBO announcementAccording to, the 2026 postseason October 14th opens with the 1st game of the wild card deciding series. The deciding series is a maximum of 2 games. A 4th place team reaches the semi-playoff with just 1 win or 1 tie.
Looking at it on the calendar, the burden is more apparent. The Gwangju final game is on the 12th, and the wild card 1st game is on the 14th. A team finishing in 4th place plays their final season game and two days later goes right into the first game of fall baseball. During the same period, the 3rd place team rests while waiting for the wild card result. Even with a 1-win advantage for 4th place, there is a difference in rest and resource consumption.
Even if the two teams end with the same winning percentage, no separate ranking deciding game to determine 3rd place is held under the KBO game management system. The schedule can change due to rain, etc., and whether changes occur can be confirmed on the KBO official game schedule.
Related official websites
- KBO official daily team ranking — you can check the winning percentage·game difference
- KBO official game schedule·results — you can see KIA·LG remaining game opponents and whether schedule changes have occurred
- KBO official game management system — you can see the ranking determination method and postseason system
Featured image · archival photo · not a field photo of the current game in the article · photo=Wikimedia Commons(Pioneerhj), CC BY-SA 3.0
Resources good to view together
· 7th round rookie Park Jong-hyuk, first promoted to major league...joins KIA Tigers 4th place fight
· "It's going to be a ton of fun"...former KIA manager met with 21-year-old Ha-dong shortstop
· "A pitcher needed to block long for 3-4 innings"...KIA 4th place, Kim Gyu-sung salary 90 million won
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