Prediction: Samsung Lions VS Hanwha Eagles 2025-10-18
Rain, Relentless Rain, and a Rivalry Rekindled: Hanwha vs. Samsung in the 2025 KBO Playoffs
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) playoffs have been drenched in drama—literally. The first game of the Hanwha Eagles vs. Samsung Lions best-of-five series, originally scheduled for October 17, was postponed due to rain, leaving fans to ponder whether the clouds were plotting a cinematic delay for this 18-year rivalry reunion. Now rescheduled for October 18, the game promises high stakes, historic pitching, and a dash of absurdity only Mother Nature could conjure.
Parsing the Odds: Who’s the Favorite?
The numbers scream Hanwha Eagles as the clear favorite. Decimal odds of 1.62 (equivalent to a 61.7% implied probability) across multiple bookmakers suggest bettors and oddsmakers view the Eagles as the team to beat. Samsung, meanwhile, sits at 2.36 (42.4% implied probability), a gap so wide it could fit a Hyundai Sonata. The spread favors Hanwha by 1.5 runs, and totals are locked at 7.0, suggesting a low-scoring pitchers’ duel.
But let’s not let the math bore us. Imagine converting Hanwha’s 252 strikeouts by Cody Ponce into a metaphor: It’s like a vending machine that only spits out strike three. Samsung’s Gerson Garabito? A more modest 78⅓ innings pitched, but with a 0.00 ERA in two regular-season meetings against Hanwha. If baseball had a “phantom menace,” it’d be Garabito’s changeup.
Digesting the News: Rainouts, Rest, and Resurgences
The rainout granted Samsung a golden gift: an extra day of rest. After playing six grueling games from the wild card to the semifinals, this downtime could be the difference between a fresh Kim Young-woong (returning to the lineup after back pain) and a groggy third baseman fumbling grounders. Samsung’s management must be thanking the clouds for this unexpected mercy.
Meanwhile, Hanwha’s Cody Ponce is the real-life version of a video game boss. His 17 wins, 1.89 ERA, and KBO-record 252 strikeouts this season make him the league’s version of a dragon with a Ph.D. in physics. He’s so dominant, even the rain hesitated to dampen his six-scoreless-innings performance against Samsung in the regular season. Garabito, Samsung’s June acquisition, is no slouch either—his 2.64 ERA and 2.00 ERA in the semifinals make him the kind of pitcher who’d probably win a bar bet about who’s better at pitching: you or a trained raccoon.
Humorous Spin: Baseball, Rain, and the Absurd
Let’s not forget the weather. The KBO’s 2025 playoff schedule has become a romantic comedy with rain. First the Samsung vs. SSG preliminary playoff game gets washed out, now this. Is the KBO’s new slogan “Baseball? Sure, if the sky permits it”?
As for Hanwha’s Ponce, his strikeout record is so staggering, it’s rumored the league is considering replacing the strike zone with a “Ponce Zone”—a mystical area where fastballs vanish and batters whisper prayers to the mound. Samsung’s Garabito, on the other hand, is like the quiet librarian of pitchers: unassuming, precise, and capable of making you look foolish if you underestimate him.
And let’s not overlook the Eagles’ defense. With a team ERA that low, their outfield could probably catch a falling ice cream cone—assuming the cone isn’t hit by a fastball.
Prediction: Who Takes Flight?
While Samsung’s extra rest and Garabito’s regular-season heroics against Hanwha are enticing, Hanwha’s Cody Ponce is a once-in-a-generation force. His 17-game winning streak isn’t just a stat—it’s a psychological weapon. Samsung’s offense, which managed just a 2.00 ERA in the semifinals, will need to summon the batting equivalent of a nuclear reactor to crack Ponce’s pitching.
Yes, Samsung has Kim Young-woong back in the lineup, but even the greatest hitters can’t will a game if the pitcher looks like he’s channeling the spirit of Nolan Ryan and a vengeful rain cloud.
Final Verdict: Bet on the Hanwha Eagles to open the series with a 3-1 victory. Unless the rain returns for a encore, this is Ponce’s show—and he’s not sharing the spotlight.
“Baseball is 90% mental… and the other half is rain delays.”
Created: Oct. 17, 2025, 3:24 p.m. GMT