Attention is turning to the secret behind the Samsung Lions’ championship, which they claimed for the first time in 12 years. Evaluations suggest that the result was driven by a combination of structural reforms that broke with conventional wisdom, a systematic player development system, and a unified team spirit.
First, the club dismantled its past adherence to insularity. It focused solely on ‘whether it can increase the team’s value’ in gathering resources. A prime example was the recruitment of the general manager. In 2023, Samsung appointed Lee Jong-yeol, who came from the LG Twins, as general manager. Appointing a baseball figure from outside the organization as general manager was a first in the club’s history.
The general manager, with an objective external perspective, diagnosed the team and improved the front office’s structure while investing in positions essential to the team, laying the foundation for the championship. Manager Park Jin-man matched the club’s tailored efficiency investment policy by tactically maximizing the value of the acquired resources.
For instance, he actively utilized the batting mechanics of veteran Choi Hyeong-woo, who returned to his former team, to enhance the destructive power of the lineup. He also demonstrated an operational strategy of using Chris Fiddick, a Major League Baseball alumnus who joined as a replacement foreign pitcher mid-season, as both a starter and a reliever on the autumn baseball stage.
‘Efficient investment’ is confirmed by the numbers. According to documents submitted to the KBO (Korea Baseball Organization) on the 10th, Samsung’s 2026 player salary expenditure was in the range of 9 billion won, ranking fifth among the 10th clubs. This is about 3 billion won less than the top-ranked SSG Landers (in the range of 12 billion won). The club has shed its former image of relying on formidable financial power to sign star players for huge sums.
The second factor cited is a solidly established ‘player development system.’ It involves directly nurturing promising talents. Samsung Lions rapidly grew rookie players into first-division-level resources through a systematic minor league development system and data-based training. The harmony between veterans and rookies became the foundation of the championship.
In fact, in Game 4, which was the turning point of the series, 19-year-old high school graduate rookie Jang Chan-hee took on the heavy burden as the starting pitcher, delivering a stunning performance with one earned run over four innings. Following him, Lee Jae-hee pitched two-thirds of an inning with four strikeouts and no runs allowed, earning the Daily MVP (Most Valuable Player) award. Additionally, bullpen pitcher Lee Seung-min protected the middle innings with all-out relief pitching.
Manager Park Jin-man, who took the helm mid-season in 2022, actively utilized young players whose potential he had recognized during their minor league days.
Above all, ‘one-team spirit’ became the core driving force of the championship. The Samsung Lions roster united this year under the slogan ‘There is no player greater than the team.’ In fact, during the season, outfielder Park Seung-gyu was left with only a double to complete the historic feat of a cycle, but he hesitated no sprinting all-out to third base for the sake of the team’s victory. Park Seung-gyu’s dedication, prioritizing the team over personal records, awakened the resolve of the entire roster.
Captain Koo Ja-wook’s injured heroism, which moved baseball fans, showed the pinnacle of Samsung’s spirit. Injured just before the postseason, Koo led the lineup throughout the Korea Series despite his ailing leg, swinging a fierce bat with a .500 batting average, and embraced both his first career championship ring and the series MVP award. The team’s star not sparing his body instilled the belief that ‘the team comes first’ in the entire roster.
There is no disagreement that this brilliant revival of the Samsung Lions is the fruit of fierce efforts toward change. It has rendered past criticisms—that the club relied solely on the flashy name value of famous players by pouring in massive amounts of money—outdated. This is why fans also wept alongside veteran Kang Min-ho, who shed tears when the championship was confirmed, despite having played catcher with a hairline fracture in his bone and torn muscles with blood pooling for the sake of the team.
An official from the business community said, “A method that does not get trapped by fixed notions but focuses only on essential value while building a systematic system, and adds the mental fortification of members to this, possesses all the elements of a successful management strategy.” He added, “As a result, it is a natural sequence for customer (fan) emotion to follow.”
in INDUSTRY
