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Baseball is back on SBS, seven years after the «Stove League» phenomenon. On October 19, the network unveiled the first poster for « Full Coun»t" (literal title), its new sports drama starring Kim Rae-won, and has set its premiere for February 2027. The show follows a cutthroat battle for the most coveted position on a professional team: head coach.
A Battle for a Spot on the Bench
«Full Count» takes a look at what goes on away from the spotlight of the field. The series follows men willing to risk everything to land the job of manager of a professional team, in a world where backroom deals matter just as much as results.
The title is no coincidence. In baseball, a «full count» refers to the moment when the batter has three balls and two strikes: the next pitch will decide everything. It’s the perfect metaphor for a series where every decision can make or break a career.
Kim Rae-won, the underdog in the locker room
Kim Rae-won plays Hwang Jin-ho, the catchers' coach for the Stars. A former backup catcher, he was never a star on the field, but he has established himself as an excellent coach.
Problem: The Stars prioritize players who came up through the club’s system. As a result, Hwang Jin-ho has always been an outsider within the organization. When he is appointed interim manager—just as the team is in danger of missing the playoffs—the opportunity feels more like a trap than a gift. He immediately finds himself caught up in fierce internal power struggles.
Park Hoon, the legend who never won anything
Opposite him, Park Hoon plays Jo Dong-hee, the Stars' legendary pitcher, who is now the pitching coach and the clear favorite to become the next manager.
Despite a brilliant career, however, he lacks the one essential thing: he has never won a title. Having to compete for the position against a former second-tier player like Hwang Jin-ho stings his pride, and he makes no secret of his ambition to claim the throne. The showdown is set: on one side, the tactician who has built everything through hard work; on the other, the club legend who believes the position is rightfully his.
Following in the Footsteps of «Stove League»
With this project, SBS is clearly building on the legacy of «Stove League.» Aired in late 2019, that drama sparked a genuine craze for baseball among Korean viewers, including those unfamiliar with the sport. «Full Count» follows the same formula: it focuses as much on the on-field competition as it does on the strategic maneuvering, political maneuvering, and power struggles unfolding in the dugout.
For Kim Rae-won, best known for his role in «Doctors,» this is an opportunity to take on the role of a leader under pressure—a genre he hasn’t explored much yet.
«Full Count» will air on SBS starting in February 2027.
