NC Dinos to release first baseman Matt Davidson
Quick Look
- The NC Dinos announced the release of first baseman Matt Davidson on Friday, two years after he led the KBO in home runs.
- Davidson, 35, will play his final game against the Kiwoom Heroes as the Dinos finalize the acquisition of a new foreign bat to boost competitiveness.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The NC Dinos are releasing first baseman Matt Davidson, who previously led the KBO in home runs, to improve team competitiveness in the second half of the season.
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- The NC Dinos announced Friday they will release their first baseman Matt Davidson, two years after the American slugger led South Korean baseball in home runs.
The Dinos said Davidson, 35, will play his final game in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Friday against the Kiwoom Heroes at Changwon NC Park in the southeastern town of Changwon.
Davidson is batting .286 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs in 62 games this season, his third in the KBO.
The former big leaguer led the KBO with 46 home runs, and ranked second with 119 RBIs and a .633 slugging percentage in 131 games in 2024. Those numbers dropped to 36 home runs, 97 RBIs and a .619 slugging percentage in 112 games in 2025.
He got off to a slow start to the 2026 season, and the American carried a .247 batting average with four dingers in his first 26 games.
Davidson has shown some signs of life with a .343 average so far in June, but the Dinos decided to go in another direction.
"We've made the decision based on how we want to operate and how we can make our club more competitive in the second half of the season," the Dinos said, adding they are finalizing the acquisition of a new foreign bat to replace Davidson.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
NC Dinos will acquire a new foreign bat.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- Who will replace Matt Davidson?
- What are the specific terms of Davidson's release?
