Fresh off a strong showing at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for Team Australia, pitcher Jack O’Loughlin has inked a new professional contract.
O’Loughlin has signed a deal with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organisation (KBO) on a six week Foreign Replacement Player deal worth $50,000 AUD.
It comes after O’Loughlin never allowed an earned run across 6.1 innings at the 2026 WBC.
Furthermore, this included 3.0 shutout innings against 2024 Premier12 champions Chinese Taipei.
Previously, the pitcher had suited up for the Athletics during the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) season and most recently the Adelaide Giants in the Australian Baseball League (ABL).
Moreover, the Giants would go on to win the ABL Championship with O’Loughlin playing 10 regular season games with an ERA of 3.91.
In the ABL Finals O’Loughlin was dominant across 7.0 innings allowing only two hits, finishing with a 2.57 ERA.
Familiar faces at KBO
“I heard about Korean professional baseball through foreign players who played in the KBO league,” O’Loughlin said.
O’Loughin will join forces with a familiar face in the KBO, former Giants teammate Lee Seung-hyun.
Both pitching for Adelaide in their 2023/24 Championship season, where Seung-hyun pitched six innings for an ERA of 4.32.
More recently Seung-hyun returned to Australia as part of the Brisbane Bandits organisation.
However, for O’Loughlin having a connection inside the clubhouse will make the transition into KBO a smoother one.
“I played in the same team in Australia with left-handed pitcher Lee Seung-hyun. I want to contribute to the victory of Samsung Lions,” continued O’Loughlin.
For Australia it continues the growing list of ballplayers that are calling Korea home.
Jarrdy Dale (KIA Tigers), Lachlan Wells (LG Twins) and Alex Hall (Ulsan Whales) of the Korean Futures League.
If the stars align for 26-year-old O’Loughlin, the deal to the Samsung Lions has the potential to be a permanent one.
Replacing former Detroit Tiger Matt Manning, who has been placed on the season ending injury list, it opens the door for O’Loughlin.
Taking it back to The Show
In addition, if O’Loughlin can continue to pitch well and carry that ABL and WBC form into the KBO a future move back to the MLB isn’t off the table.
Although struggling after signing a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies, O’Loughlin has continued to grind on the mound.
As a result, performing strongly in the ABL – which is a respected league throughout the world where WBC stars have plied their trade, has given O’Loughlin a launching pad.
It’s where this move to Samsung Lions and a potential permanent KBO deal becomes ultra important to the left handed slinger.
Infielder Curtis Mead (Chicago White Sox) is the only Australian on an MLB roster, while closer Liam Hendriks recently signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins.
The 10 team KBO season runs from March to October with each team playing 144 regular season games.
LG Twins – home to Lachlan Wells, are the current KBO champions winning their fourth title and second since 2023.
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