KBO Futures League () or Korea Baseball Futures League is South Korea's second level of baseball, below the KBO League. It serves as a farm league with the purpose to develop professional players on-demand to play in the KBO League. The league consists of two divisions — the Southern League and the Northern League. These leagues are governed by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The league plays an 80-game season.
History The KBO League was founded in 1982, with the second-tier league being founded in 1990.Fast, Alex. "So You Want To Get Into The KBO: The Pitcher List staff brings you the definitive guide to the KBO," Pitcher List (May 2020). The initial roster of seven teams in the 1990 season was: Binggrae Eagles Haitai Tigers Lotte Giants LG Twins Ssangbangwool Raiders Samsung Lions Pacific Dolphins
The Ssangbangwool Raiders played the initial season in the Futures League; the team moved up to the KBO League in 1991 (although it left behind its minor-league team as well). The Raiders franchise was dissolved after the 1999 season.
The SK Wyverns added a minor-league franchise in 2001, playing their home games at SK Dream Park in the Nam District of Incheon.
Two unaffiliated teams joined the minor leagues in 2005: the Korean Police Baseball Team, operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the Sangmu Phoenix, part of the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps. Many KBO League players serving compulsory military service opted to play for the Police and Sangmu teams, usually for a term of two seasons.KIM HYO-KYUNG, PARK SO-YOUNG. "Military service looms over KBO," Korea JoongAng Daily (April 16, 2019).
The Hyundai Unicorns (formerly the Pacific Dolphins) — both the KBO League team and the second-tier team — were dissolved after the 2007 season.
The minor league's name was changed to the "Futures League" in 2008. That same year the Hwaseong Heroes joined the league.
In 2012, two teams based in Goyang joined the Futures League: the Goyang Dinos and the Goyang Wonders. (The Wonders' games were considered unofficially "friendly" contests.)Nam Hyun-woo. "Independent baseball club disbanded," The Korea Times (2014-09-11). Now with 11 teams, the Futures League divided into two divisions: the Northern League and the Southern League. A "Freedom Division" was also created for the Dinos and the Wonders. The Dinos only played the one season in the Futures League before being elevated to the KBO League — as the NC Dinos — prior to the 2013 season.
Also in 2012, the third-level squad of Nippon Professional Baseball's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, began playing 12 games a year against Futures League teams.
The Suwon KT Wiz started out in 2013 as a Futures League team and played with Goyang Wonders in the Freedom Division; after two seasons the Wiz were elevated to the KBO (as the KT Wiz) in 2015. (The Goyang Wonders, meanwhile, were dissolved after the 2014 season.)
In 2015, the Futures League reorganized into three divisions: the Red League (Goyang Dinos, Hanwha Eagles, Hwaseong Heroes, SK Wyverns), the Blue League (Doosan Bears, LG Twins, Police, Suwon KT Wiz), and the Yellow League (Kia Tigers, Lotte Giants, Samsung Lions, Sangmu Phoenix)."PARTICIPATING FRANCHISES IN THE KBO FUTURES LEAGUE," Baseball in Korea (January 19, 2014). The 2015 Blue League champion was the Police Baseball Team; the Red League champion was the Goyang Dinos; and the Yellow League champion was the Sangmu Phoenix.
The league returned to the Northern and Southern League divisions in 2016.
The Sangmu Phoenix were champions of the Southern League in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019; the Police baseball team was the champion of the Northern League in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Police team was disbanded after the 2019 Futures League season.Kim Hyo-Kyung. "Woop-woop! That's the sound of da Police Team disbanding," Korea JoongAng Daily (July 5, 2019).
Teams
Current Most of the Korean minor league teams carry the same name, and use the same uniforms, as their parent team.
Southern League TeamCityStadiumKT WizIksanIksan StadiumHanwha EaglesSeosanSeosan Baseball Training CenterKIA TigersHampyeongKia Challengers FieldSamsung LionsGyeongsanSamsung Lions BallparkLotte GiantsGimhaeSangdong Baseball StadiumUlsanUlsan Munsu Baseball Stadium
Northern League TeamCityStadiumGoyang HeroesGoyangGoyang National Baseball Training StadiumNC DinosChangwonMasan Baseball StadiumSSG LandersIncheonSK Futures ParkDoosan BearsIcheonBears ParkLG TwinsIcheonLG Champion's ParkSangmu PhoenixMungyeongSangmu Baseball Stadium
Non-regular team Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Former teams TeamYearsSsangbangwool Raiders1990–1999Hyundai Unicorns1990–2007Goyang Wonders2012–2014Police2005–2019
KBO Fall League In 2022, the KBO started the KBO Futures Education League (later renamed to the Ulsan-KBO Fall League), an off-season fall showcase league that competes solely in the month of October. Similar in structure and purpose to Major League Baseball's Arizona Fall League, it features developmental KBO players, players newly draft eligible, players from South Korea's independent baseball leagues, and teams from outside of South Korea.
Teams TeamCity/HomeYears activeKT WizIksan2022Hanwha EaglesSeosan2022Sangmu PhoenixMungyeong2023KIA TigersHampyeong2023Samsung LionsGyeongsan2022Lotte GiantsGimhae2022–presentGoyang HeroesGoyang2024–presentNC DinosChangwon2022–presentLG TwinsIcheon2022–presentFukuoka SoftBank HawksFukuoka, Japan2022–presentIndependent All-StarsGyeonggi2024–presentJiangsu Huge HorsesJiangsu, China2024–presentCuba national baseball teamCuba2024–presentTeam LMBMexico2024–presentMelbourne AcesMelbourne, Australia2025–present
See also Eastern League and Western League, similar minor leagues in Japan Baseball in South Korea Korea Baseball Organization KBO League All-Star Futures Game
References
External links Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) - Official Website