KIA-LG Clash in Autumn for the First Time in 10 Years… Austin Dean's $1.1 Million Salary vs Home Run King Kim Do-yeong

KIA and LG will meet again on the postseason stage for the first time in 10 years. Game 1 of the Gwangju semi-playoff on the 17th will feature a power showdown between home run king Kim Do-yeong and Austin Dean.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-line summary

Game 1 of the KIA-LG semi-playoff is scheduled for October 17 at 2 p.m. in Gwangju.
Austin Dean's pure salary for the 2026 season is $1.1 million, while $1.7 million is the maximum total including incentives.
Regular-season home run leader Kim Do-yeong (45 homers) and third-place Austin (41 homers) will face each other in the same series.

"I want to carry this momentum into Gwangju as well." That was what LG's Austin Dean (33) said after the wild-card series on the 14th. He hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, and LG beat Doosan 4-1, according to Newsis reported. Awaiting them is KIA, led by regular-season home run king Kim Do-yeong (23).

Semi-Playoff, October 17, Gwangju: An Autumn Reunion After 10 Years

Game 1 of the semi-playoff is scheduled for October 17 at 2 p.m. in Gwangju. The two teams' postseason head-to-head is the first in 10 years, since the 2016 wild-card series, according to Hankyung reported. This is the first time the two teams will meet in a semi-playoff.

The frequently cited "all-time 2 wins, 2 losses" is not a game record. It is reported to mean that in the four previous postseason series, each team won twice. On a game basis, OSEN and Korea Central Daily tallied KIA at 11 wins, 1 tie and 5 losses. However, because the KBO all-time game records have not yet been fully cross-checked, it is too early to treat these as confirmed records.

Austin Dean's contract: $1.7 million; actual salary: $1.1 million

Mania Times listed Austin's 'salary' this year as $1.7 million. However, citing LG's announcement, Xports News and KBO player profiles show his pure salary is $1.1 million. $1.7 million is the maximum total, including a $300,000 signing bonus and up to $300,000 in conditional incentives.

Item	2026 season contract	Previous contract	Change
Salary (USD)	1.1 million	1.2 million	-0.1 million
Incentives (USD)	0.3 million	0.2 million	+0.1 million
Maximum total (USD)	1.7 million	1.7 million	0

The total is the same as the previous contract. What changed is the structure. Salary fell by $100,000, from $1.2 million to $1.1 million, and incentives rose by $100,000, from $200,000 to $300,000. In effect, the fixed pay was reduced and the share tied to performance was increased. This year's actual take-home amount should not be assumed to be $1.7 million.

Austin Dean stats: 41 home runs, third in the league

Rank	Player	Team	Home runs	Gap from 1st (HR)
1	Kim Do-yeong	KIA	45	-
2	Sam Hilliard	KT	44	1
3	Austin Dean	LG	41	4
4	Kang Baek-ho	Hanwha	34	11
5	Na Seong-beom	KIA	31	14

Austin joined LG in 2023 and is in his fourth season. By KBO records, his regular-season career totals are 539 games, 644 hits, 127 home runs and 449 RBIs, with a .320 batting average. From 31 home runs in 2025, he has risen to 41 home runs, an increase of 10 (about 32%).

Second-place Sam Hilliard (32, KT) lost the home run crown to Kim Do-yeong by one homer in the season finale. Home runs hit in the semi-playoffs are not added to the regular-season home run crown tally.

Home run king Kim Do-yeong: 45 homers, salary 250 million won

Kim Do-yeong was born on October 2, 2003, and is 23 years old. In 2024, with a .347 average, 38 home runs and 40 stolen bases, he won the regular-season MVP award (95 of 101 votes), and at 20 years, 10 months and 13 days old, he became the youngest ever to reach 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. In 2025, hamstring injuries (three occurrences) limited him to 30 games.

The impact of the injuries showed up directly in his salary. According to MBC, his salary this year is 250 million won, down 50% from 500 million won the previous year. His two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning of the October 12 season finale was reported as his 45th of the season and his 100th career home run. His salary was cut in half, but his home runs lead the league.

Mudeung Ilbo named how productively KIA's core hitters, including Kim Do-yeong, hit against LG's battery as a key variable in the outcome. "I want to carry this momentum into Gwangju as well." The answer to Austin's words will come in Gwangju at 2 p.m. on the 17th.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are Austin Dean's total contract value and salary?

According to LG's announcement, the maximum total for the 2026 season is $1.7 million. It consists of a $300,000 signing bonus, a $1.1 million salary and $300,000 in incentives. The actual amount of incentives received has not been disclosed.

Q. When and where will Game 1 of the KIA-LG semi-playoff be held?

It is scheduled for October 17, 2026, at 2 p.m. in Gwangju. LG advanced after beating Doosan 4-1 in the wild-card series on the 14th.

Q. Is KIA and LG's "all-time 2 wins, 2 losses" a game record?

No, it is a series-level record. It is reported to mean that in the four previous postseason series, each team won two of them.

Related official sites

KBO official website — Check the semi-playoff schedule and game results
KBO official home run rankings — 2026 regular-season final home run rankings
KBO Austin Dean career stats — Austin Dean's season-by-season and career batting records
MLB Austin Dean official profile — Major League career records

Representative image · Archive photo · Not a photo from the current game in this article · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Pioneerhj), CC BY-SA 3.0