South Korean actor Kim Rae-won will portray a provisional baseball coach in the upcoming SBS television drama Home Run, the network confirmed on April 23, 2026. The drama, which centers on the intense power struggles within a professional baseball team’s quest for the managerial position, marks SBS’s first baseball-themed series since Baseball League aired in 2019.
According to SBS, Home Run — directed by Jun-ho Han and written by Myung-lang Park — is being produced by Studio S, Betty & Creators and TPS Company. The network announced that Kim Rae-won and actor Park Hoon have been confirmed for the lead roles. Kim Rae-won will play Huang Zhenhao, the provisional coach of the Stars team, while Park Hoon will portray Zhao Dongxi, the team’s legendary pitcher and pitching coach who is the top contender for the head managerial role.
The drama’s narrative follows individuals who stake everything in a competitive sports environment driven by ambition and calculation. Huang Zhenhao, originally a catcher-turned-battery coach, spent most of his playing career as a substitute and is described as a figure shaped by misfortune. Though highly regarded as a coach, he has long been viewed as an outsider within the Stars organization due to its emphasis on lineage and internal hierarchy. Despite this, he accepts the provisional coaching role — likened to a “poisoned chalice” — amid the team’s struggle to qualify for the playoffs.
Park Hoon’s character, Zhao Dongxi, boasts an impressive playing resume but carries regret from never winning a championship during his active career. As a coach, his goal is to lead a team to a title. He views Huang Zhenhao’s challenge for the head coaching position as a disgrace and reportedly sees him as a potential sacrifice to clear his own path to advancement.
SBS stated that Home Run is scheduled for broadcast in 2027. The announcement was made via the network’s official channel, with no further details released regarding episode count, airing schedule, or international distribution plans at this time.
The casting continues Kim Rae-won’s recent trend of taking on sports-adjacent roles, following his appearance in the 2022 investigative drama Post-Disaster Investigation Journal. Known for performances in romantic dramas like Love in Harvard (2004) and action-oriented series such as Doctors (2016), the actor brings over two decades of experience to the role, having debuted in 1997 through the MBC youth drama I.
As of now, no official trailer or behind-the-scenes footage has been released by SBS or the production companies involved. Fans and industry observers await further updates ahead of the drama’s anticipated 2027 premiere.
Stay tuned to Archysport for the latest developments on Home Run and other sports-related entertainment news as they develop into available.
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