History
2000 : Formation (SK Wyverns)
In the 2000 season, the Ssangbangwool Raiders, a team that had represented the Jeollabuk-do region since 1990, was dissolved because of the bankruptcy of the Ssangbangwool Group, the team’s owner. The franchise was subsumed by the KBO League, which then awarded a new franchise to the SK conglomerate. The new franchise was named the SK Wyverns (a wyvern is a type of dragon). The Raiders and the Wyverns had no historical links, although the new team consisted mostly of former Raiders players.
The Hyundai Unicorns moved out of Incheon and wanted to relocate to Seoul, but failed because of the resistance of the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins; the Unicorns then moved to Suwon, with the SK Wyverns filling the void left in Incheon.
2001–2006
The Wyverns made their debut in the Korean Series in 2003, but were defeated by the Hyundai Unicorns in a seven-game series.
2007
In 2007, SK clinched their first Korean Series title by defeating the Doosan Bears in six games, after finishing the regular season in first place. They made history as the first team to win the Korean Series after dropping the first two games. Designated hitter Kim Jae-hyun was named the series MVP.
Following their championship win, SK competed in the Konami Cup—a short tournament featuring the league champions from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and a team of Chinese All-Stars. On November 8, 2007, SK handed the Chunichi Dragons their first-ever Konami Cup loss with a 6–3 victory. The next day, they dominated the China All-Stars 13–0, ending the game early in the seventh inning due to the mercy rule. On November 10, SK once again cruised to a win, defeating Taiwan’s Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions 13–1, also in seven innings. The final game, held on November 11, was a rematch against the Chunichi Dragons. In a tightly contested matchup, SK narrowly lost 6–5.
2008
In 2008, SK posted an impressive 83–43–0 record, achieving a .659 winning percentage—the highest in KBO League history at the time. Returning to the Korean Series, they once again faced off against their rivals, the Doosan Bears. In a repeat of the previous year, SK emerged victorious, claiming their second Korean Series title. Choi Jeong was honored as the 2008 Korean Series MVP.
That year, SK also returned to the Konami Cup. On November 13, they edged out Japan’s Seibu Lions 4–3, marking the second consecutive year a Korean team defeated the Japanese champions in the tournament. The following day, SK easily beat the Chinese team, the Tianjin Lions, in another mercy-rule shortened game. However, on November 15, they fell to Taiwan’s Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in a 10–4 loss, missing out on a spot in the championship game for the second year in a row.
2009–2020
In 2009, SK finished as runners-up in both the regular KBO season and the Korean Series, falling to the KIA Tigers in a tightly contested seven-game series.
The team bounced back in 2010 with a dominant regular season performance, culminating in a clean 4–0 sweep over the Samsung Lions in the Korean Series. This marked SK’s fourth consecutive appearance in the finals and their third championship in four years. That same season, they set a KBO record with a 22-game winning streak, the longest in league history.
In 2011, controversy struck when long-time manager Kim Sung-keun was dismissed mid-season due to ongoing disputes with the SK front office. His departure was met with backlash from fans, as Kim had consistently led the team to the Korean Series during his tenure. Head coach Lee Man-soo stepped in as his replacement.
Despite the managerial shake-up, SK made it to the Korean Series in both 2011 and 2012, although they lost to the Samsung Lions on both occasions. The team reached the Korean Series six years in a row from 2007 to 2012—a remarkable streak in KBO history.
In 2018, SK once again faced the Doosan Bears in the Korean Series and claimed another championship, their fourth overall. Notably, three of their four titles came at the expense of Doosan.
2021–present (SSG Landers)
In 2009, SK finished as runners-up in both the regular KBO season and the Korean Series, falling to the KIA Tigers in a tightly contested seven-game series.
The team bounced back in 2010 with a dominant regular season performance, culminating in a clean 4–0 sweep over the Samsung Lions in the Korean Series. This marked SK’s fourth consecutive appearance in the finals and their third championship in four years. That same season, they set a KBO record with a 22-game winning streak, the longest in league history.
In 2011, controversy struck when long-time manager Kim Sung-keun was dismissed mid-season due to ongoing disputes with the SK front office. His departure was met with backlash from fans, as Kim had consistently led the team to the Korean Series during his tenure. Head coach Lee Man-soo stepped in as his replacement.
Despite the managerial shake-up, SK made it to the Korean Series in both 2011 and 2012, although they lost to the Samsung Lions on both occasions. The team reached the Korean Series six years in a row from 2007 to 2012—a remarkable streak in KBO history.
In 2018, SK once again faced the Doosan Bears in the Korean Series and claimed another championship, their fourth overall. Notably, three of their four titles came at the expense of Doosan.
SSG Landers has gained both economic benefits and positive public sentiment through the success of their environmentally focused initiatives. As part of their green campaign, the team introduced a special uniform made from recycled polyester. Departing from their traditional red, yellow, and orange color scheme, the uniforms were green and featured the slogan “Let’s go green” prominently on the front in place of the team logo.
The team also transformed their home stadium into an eco-friendly theme park. This included installing green seats in the outfield, switching to solar energy through the installation of solar panels, and replacing conventional equipment with environmentally friendly alternatives—such as swapping their traditional bullpen cart for an electric one.
Their commitment to sustainability extended to fan engagement as well. For instance, fans who arrived at the stadium by bicycle were rewarded with discounted tickets. Through these efforts, SSG Landers (formerly SK Wyverns) has strengthened their public image and earned greater recognition for their environmental and social responsibility.
| Year | Stadium | Rank | Regular season | Postseason | Awards | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standings | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win% | BA | HR | ERA | |||||||
| SK Wyverns | |||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Sungui Baseball Stadium |
8/8 | 4/4 | 133 | 44 | 86 | 3 | .338 | .260 | 105 | 5.99 | Did not qualify | Lee Seung-ho (ROTY) | ||
| 2001 | 7/8 | 7/8 | 133 | 60 | 71 | 2 | .458 | .260 | 113 | 4.41 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2003 | Munhak Baseball Stadium |
2/8 | 4/8 | 133 | 66 | 64 | 3 | .508 | .272 | 156 | 4.44 | Won semi-playoff vs. Samsung Lions (2–0) Won playoff vs. KIA Tigers (3–0) Lost Korean Series vs. Hyundai Unicorns (3–4) |
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| 2004 | 5/8 | 5/8 | 133 | 61 | 64 | 8 | .488 | .272 | 138 | 4.40 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2005 | 3/8 | 3/8 | 126 | 70 | 50 | 6 | .583 | .269 | 122 | 3.41 | Lost semi-playoff vs. Hanwha Eagles (2–3) | ||||
| 2006 | 6/8 | 6/8 | 126 | 60 | 65 | 1 | .480 | .254 | 99 | 3.80 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2007 | 1/8 | 1/8 | 126 | 73 | 48 | 5 | .603 | .264 | 112 | 3.24 | Won Korean Series vs. Doosan Bears (4–2) | ||||
| 2008 | 1/8 | 1/8 | 126 | 83 | 43 | 0 | .659 | .282 | 89 | 3.22 | Won Korean Series vs. Doosan Bears (4–1) | Kim Kwang-hyun (MVP) | |||
| 2009 | 2/8 | 2/8 | 133 | 80 | 47 | 6 | .602 | .285 | 166 | 3.67 | Won playoff vs. Doosan Bears (3–2) Lost Korean Series vs. KIA Tigers (3–4) |
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| 2010 | 1/8 | 1/8 | 133 | 84 | 47 | 2 | .641 | .274 | 120 | 3.71 | Won Korean Series vs. Samsung Lions (4–0) | ||||
| 2011 | 2/8 | 3/8 | 133 | 71 | 59 | 3 | .546 | .263 | 100 | 3.59 | Won semi-playoff vs. KIA Tigers (3–1) Won playoff vs. Lotte Giants (3–2) Lost Korean Series vs. Samsung Lions (1–4) |
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| 2012 | 2/8 | 2/8 | 133 | 71 | 59 | 3 | .546 | .258 | 108 | 3.82 | Won playoff vs. Lotte Giants (3–2) Lost Korean Series vs. Samsung Lions (2–4) |
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| 2013 | 6/9 | 6/9 | 128 | 62 | 63 | 3 | .496 | .265 | 124 | 4.16 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2014 | 5/9 | 5/9 | 128 | 61 | 65 | 2 | .484 | .291 | 115 | 5.51 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2015 | Incheon SK Happy Dream Park |
5/10 | 5/10 | 144 | 69 | 73 | 2 | .486 | .272 | 145 | 4.71 | Lost wild card vs. Nexen Heroes (0–1) | |||
| 2016 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 144 | 69 | 75 | 0 | .479 | .291 | 182 | 4.87 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2017 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 144 | 75 | 68 | 1 | .524 | .271 | 234 | 5.02 | Lost wild card vs. NC Dinos (0–1) | ||||
| 2018 | 1/10 | 2/10 | 144 | 78 | 65 | 1 | .545 | .281 | 233 | 4.67 | Won playoff vs. Nexen Heroes (3–2) Won Korean Series vs. Doosan Bears (4–2) |
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| 2019 | 3/10 | 2/10 | 144 | 88 | 55 | 1 | .615 | .262 | 117 | 3.48 | Lost playoff vs. Kiwoom Heroes (0–3) | ||||
| 2020 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 144 | 51 | 92 | 1 | .357 | .250 | 143 | 5.57 | Did not qualify | ||||
| SSG Landers | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Incheon SSG Landers Field |
6/10 | 6/10 | 144 | 66 | 64 | 14 | .508 | .261 | 185 | 4.82 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2022 | 1/10 | 1/10 | 144 | 88 | 52 | 4 | .629 | .254 | 138 | 3.87 | Won Korean Series vs. Kiwoom Heroes (4–2) | ||||
| 2023 | 3/10 | 3/10 | 144 | 76 | 65 | 3 | .539 | .260 | 125 | 4.37 | Lost semi-playoff vs. NC Dinos (0–3) | ||||
| 2024 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 144 | 72 | 70 | 2 | .507 | .273 | 152 | 5.25 | Did not qualify | ||||