The clinch numbers provided by RIOT can be thought of as improved replacements
for traditional magic numbers. They are superior since they use detailed
information about teams' remaining schedules in their calculation.
First Place Clinch Number
The first place clinch number is the most similar to the commonly reported magic number. If the team wins this number of additional games, it is guaranteed† to finish the season with the best winning percentage (wins/(wins + losses)) in the KBO League.
An asterisk (*) indicates that even if this team wins all of its remaining
games, it will not necessarily clinch first place. In this
case the team does not have a first place clinch number.
Postseason Clinch Number
If a team wins this number of additional games, it is guaranteed a postseason berth (1st through 5th place). As with the first place clinch number, an asterisk (*) indicates that even if this team wins all of its remaining games, it cannot guarantee itself a playoff berth.
The elimination numbers provided by RIOT allow fans to determine whether or
not teams have been eliminated from postseason contention, and how close they
are to being eliminated.
First Place Elimination Number
This is the minimum number of games that this team must win in order to
remain in contention for first place. Teams that are
already eliminated from first place contention are labeled "Elim" in this
box.
See the list of frequently asked questions
for an example of the distinction between the interpretations of the First Place
Elimination Number and the First Place Clinch Number.
Playoff Elimination Number
This is the minimum number of games that this team must win in order to remain in contention for a postseason berth. Teams that are already eliminated from playoff contention are labeled "Elim" in this box.
† Technically, the RIOT numbers are approximations assuming that no team has more than 10 draws in the season.