In 1986, the Tigers finished in second place in the pennant race with a team ERA of 2.86 and a batting average of .272, to go straight to the Korean Series against the Samsung Lions.

Until 1989, the Haitai Tigers won once more against the Samsung Lions and twice against the Binggrae Eagles to complete four consecutive Korean Series wins.

In 1994, Lee Jong-beom batted an average of 0.393, the second-highest in Korean baseball history, but the team lost the semi-playoffs to the Hanhwa Eagles.

[citation needed] Star closer Sun Dong-yeol was also transferred to the Chunichi Dragons in 1996,[2] but Lim Chang-yong and Gang Tae-won filled in his position to lead the team to its eighth Korean Series win over the Hyundai Unicorns.

Eventually, they lost Lee Jong-beom to the Chunichi Dragons,[2] and closer Lim Chang-yong and manager Kim Eung-ryong to the Samsung Lions.

Manager Yoo Nam-ho was fired and Seo Jung-hwan took charge, but again ended up in last place in 2007 despite his effort and joining of former MLB player Hee-seop Choi.

Former MLB pitcher Seo Jae-weong joined the team the next year in 2008, but because of a weak lineup, unstable defense and bullpen problems, the Tigers finished the pennant race in sixth place.

But with Lee Jong-beom's leadership, Choi Hee-seop's revival from his three-year-long slump, and Kim Sang-hyeon's hitting, the Tigers won the pennant with the second-lowest team ERA in the league (3.92) and a win percentage of 0.609.

Struggling for most of the year, a late playoff surge saw the Tigers fall just short of their rivals, the Lotte Giants, who claimed the fourth and final postseason position.

The final weeks, however, inspired a lot of confidence that 2013 would be a good year after starting pitchers Seo Jae-weong, Kim Jin-woo and Yoon Suk-min all posted complete-game wins.

But the Tigers made a disastrous trade when they off-loaded 2009 MVP Kim Sang-hyeon to the SK Wyverns for right-handed pitcher Song Eun-beom.

Song had previously pitched in the Korean Series against the Samsung Lions but his form plummeted and KIA went on to rue the missing power from Kim once Choi, and others, faded horribly as the season progressed.

They were effectively out of the playoff hunt with over a month to go, ending the 2013 season with just 51 wins from their 128 games in eighth place out of nine teams, ahead of the Hanwha Eagles.

Lee, born in Gwangju, was joined at his home town club by Kim Byung-hyun, a two-time World Series champion.

Shortly after the 2019 season, the Tigers named former San Francisco Giants star Matt Williams as their first American manager.