Hot Stove League Cast Namkoong Min as Baek Seung-soo, Park Eun-bin as Lee Se-young, and Oh Jung-se as Kwon Kyeong-min, the series delves into the world of a struggling baseball team. The ensemble cast brings depth to this compelling narrative.
Table of Contents
Introdcution
Hot Stove League is a unique sports K-drama that dives into the off-season world of professional baseball—specifically, the inner workings of a struggling team called the Dreams. Rather than focusing on the actual baseball games, this series spotlights management, strategy, and transformation, offering a fresh take on the genre.
The drama follows Baek Seung-soo, a brilliant but unorthodox new general manager with no baseball experience. He’s brought in to revive the Dreams, a last-place team in the league. Alongside Lee Se-young, the dedicated operations manager, and a diverse cast of players and staff, Baek must shake things up and steer the team toward a new future—despite resistance, budget cuts, and office politics.
Hot Stove League Cast
Namkoong Min as Baek Seung-soo
Role: General Manager of Dreams
Baek Seung-soo is a cold, strategic, and results-driven professional who has a history of transforming losing sports teams—only to see them get disbanded. He’s not warm or particularly sociable, but he’s brilliant at what he does. Even though he knows nothing about baseball, he’s brought in to lead the last-place team. His outsider perspective and unorthodox methods shake up the front office, challenging the status quo and pushing the team to aim higher.
👉 Namkoong Min’s performance is widely praised for its intensity and intelligence.
Park Eun-bin as Lee Se-young
Role: Operations Manager of Dreams
Lee Se-young is one of the only women in a managerial role in the league and has been with the team for ten years. She’s smart, passionate, and extremely loyal to the Dreams. Although she initially clashes with Baek Seung-soo, she gradually becomes one of his strongest allies. She brings heart, intuition, and deep knowledge of the players and internal team politics.
👉 Park Eun-bin brings both warmth and toughness to the role, making Se-young a fan favorite.
Oh Jung-se as Kwon Kyeong-min
Role: President of Dreams / Director at Jaesong Group
Kwon Kyeong-min is a top executive at Jaesong Group, the parent company that owns the Dreams. Initially, he wants to dismantle the team due to its poor performance and financial burden. He hires Baek Seung-soo hoping he’ll “fail upward.” However, Seung-soo’s unpredictable moves start to disrupt Kyeong-min’s plans.
👉 Oh Jung-se plays this ambitious and calculating character with subtle charisma and layered complexity.
Jo Byeong-kyu as Han Jae-hee
Role: Operations Team Member
Han Jae-hee is a young employee who got into the Dreams front office through family connections. At first, he lacks confidence and commitment. But over time, inspired by Seung-soo’s leadership and Se-young’s dedication, he matures into a reliable and passionate team member.
Supporting Cast
Son Jong-hak as Go Kang-seon
Role: CEO of Dreams
He’s the formal head of the team but often acts more as a figurehead. He’s caught between the Jaesong Group and his own position, trying to maintain peace but lacking real influence.
Lee Jun-hyeok as Ko Se-hyuk
Role: Chief of Scouting
Initially resistant to Baek Seung-soo’s new ways, Ko Se-hyuk prefers the old guard’s approach. His confrontations with the new GM reflect the internal struggles in adapting to change.
Yoon Byung-hee as Yang Won-seop
Role: Scouting Team Member
He’s a quirky and somewhat timid scout, often awkward but deeply loyal. Brings some comic relief to the office team.
Kim Do-hyun as Yoo Kyeong-taek
Role: Head of the Analytics Team
A data and statistics expert, he supports Baek Seung-soo’s logic-based approach to team building.
Kim Soo-jin as Lim Mi-seon
Role: PR/Marketing Head
Smart, calm, and detail-oriented, she handles the team’s public image and branding. She’s professional and tries to keep internal drama from leaking out.
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FAQs
What other dramas is Namkoong Min famous for?
He’s known for The Veil, Awaken, Chief Kim, Doctor Prisoner, and One Dollar Lawyer. He’s a versatile actor with a strong track record in thrillers and smart comedies.
Did Namkoong Min win any awards for Hot Stove League?
Yes! He won the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards for his performance.
Is Namkoong Min married?
Yes, he married his longtime girlfriend Jin Ah-reum, a model and actress, in 2022.
What are Park Eun-bin’s most famous roles besides Hot Stove League?
She gained massive popularity for Extraordinary Attorney Woo, The King’s Affection, Do You Like Brahms?, and Age of Youth.
Did Park Eun-bin prepare in any special way for her role as Lee Se-young?
Yes, she researched extensively about baseball operations and wanted to reflect the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field.
Has she worked with Namkoong Min in any other project?
Hot Stove League was their first project together, and fans loved their on-screen chemistry.
What other popular dramas or films is Oh Jung-se known for?
He’s acclaimed for It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Missing: The Other Side, When the Camellia Blooms, and the film Swing Kids.
Has he won awards for his acting?
Absolutely. He’s received multiple Best Supporting Actor awards, especially praised for playing complex or eccentric characters with depth.
Is he active in variety shows or only dramas/films?
He mainly focuses on acting, though he occasionally appears in interviews and behind-the-scenes specials.
What is Jo Byeong-kyu best known for aside from Hot Stove League?
He rose to major fame with The Uncanny Counter (2020) and also appeared in SKY Castle.
Is he considered a rising star?
Yes! He quickly gained a fanbase thanks to his charismatic performances and youthful energy.
Has he faced any controversies?
In 2021, he was temporarily involved in a school bullying controversy, but he denied the allegations and resumed activities after the case settled.