Who will be the legacy of Cho Sang-woo, Son Ah-seop, and Kim Sung-wook…2026 Rookie Draft Hosted

Sep 09, 2025

From left, KIA Tigers Cho Sang-woo, Hanwha Eagles Son Ah-seop, SSG Landers Kim Sung-wook. Sports Chosun DB

KBO will hold the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft at Lotte Hotel World Crystal Ballroom in Seoul at 2 p.m. on the 17th.

The 2026 KBO Rookie Draft will be carried out in a full draft method. The nomination will be made from round 1 to round 11, followed by Kiwoom-NC-Hanwha-Lotte-SSG-KT-Doosan-LG-Samsung-KIA, which is the reverse order of the team's ranking in 2024.

In accordance with the KBO rules, there were three cases in which the 2026 rookie designation rights were traded with players, a total of four transfers of designation rights.

On December 19 last year, KIA handed over the first and fourth round designation rights in 2026 when it received pitcher Cho Sang-woo from Kiwoom. On June 7, SSG received outfielder Kim Sung-wook from NC and gave him the right to be nominated in the fourth round in 2026. On July 31, Hanwha received outfielder Son Ah-seop from NC and transferred the right to be nominated in the third round in 2026.

NC has the third and fourth round nominations received from Hanwha and SSG, respectively, and Kiwoom has the first and fourth round nominations received from KIA.

Therefore, if all clubs exercise all nomination rights, Kiwoom and NC will appoint 13 players, Hanwha and SSG 10 players, KIA 9 players, and other clubs 11 players will wear KBO league team uniforms.

This year's rookie draft picks total 1,261 people, including 930 high school graduates, 261 college graduates, 51 early draft applicants, and 19 other players, including overseas flax and professionals. Players from the KBO Next-Level Training Camp, which has been held every year since 2022 to foster amateur prospects intensively, will also participate in the draft. Fifteen people were selected in the 2025 rookie draft, especially three in the first round.

The 2025 KBO Draft held at Lotte Hotel World Seoul on the 11th, with players nominated for each club posing with KBO President Koo Young-yeon. Jamsil = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.09.11/

Players who participated in the 2025 KBO draft and draft held at Lotte Hotel World Seoul on the 11th are waiting for the start of the event. Jamsil = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.09.11/

Baseball fans can also watch the scene. Tickets will be offered to a total of 100 baseball fans (50 draws, 2 tickets per person) through a lottery and can be applied through the KBO website from 12 p.m. to 23:59 p.m. on the 9th. Tickets can be received after self-identification at the information desk in front of the crystal ballroom on the 3rd floor from 12 p.m. on the day of the event. Details related to the application for admission tickets can be found on the KBO website and official SNS account.

Meanwhile, 'Kbo Live', which is broadcast every week on the KBO's official YouTube channel for the new practice of Fan First, presents 'live commentary' that delivers the draft more interesting and in-depth. The best experts in high school baseball in Korea will appear on the panel to analyze each team's strategies and choices in real-time with baseball fans.

The 2026 KBO Rookie Draft will be broadcast live on cable sports channels MBC Sports Plus (produced), SBS Sports, SPOTV, and SPOTV2 and wired/wireless platform TVING, while KBSN SPOTS will record and broadcast live the Asian Soft Tennis Championships.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.