Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers), who is preparing for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) with the Taegeuk mark, is swinging hard every day. The Japanese baseball community also seems to be wary.
Japanese media Sankei Sports reported on Kim Do-young on the 3rd.
Kim Do-young took the lead in the South Korean national baseball team’s 8-5 victory by showing off her great presence in an exhibition match against the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome in Japan earlier on the same day.
사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. In the top of the second inning, Korean Kim Do-young is celebrating after hitting a three-run home run with two outs and runners on the first and third bases. Photo = Yonhap News 
사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. In the top of the second inning, Korean Kim Do-young hits a three-run home run with two outs and runners on first and third bases. Photo = Yonhap News
Kim Do-young shone the most on this day, with two outs and runners on first and third bases in the top of the second inning when South Korea was leading 2-0. He scored a three-run shot over the left-center wall fence against right-hander Raiku Katayama. It was the second consecutive home run following a solo shot against the Hanshin Tigers (3-3 draw) on the previous day (2nd). Shortly after that, he showed an “Airplane Ceremony” in which he spread his arms wide, meaning to go to Miami, the U.S., where the second round of the WBC will be held.
Kim Do-young, who was called by KIA for the first nomination in 2022, is a right-handed infield resource with a batting average of 0.311 (379 hits in 1,218 at-bats), 55 homers, 202 RBIs, 81 steals, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.915 in 358 games. In the 2024 season, he played 141 games with a batting average of 0.347 (189 hits in 544 at-bats), 38 homers, 40 steals, 109 RBIs, 143 runs, and OPS of 1.067, leading KIA’s V12.
But last year, it was not good. He was hampered by hamstring injuries three times and appeared in only 30 games.
Fortunately, I’ve been in great shape lately. He fired a solo shot in a practice game against the Samsung Lions at the second camp in Okinawa, the national team. Since then, he has promised to play WBC by launching a home run on the same day following the match against Hanshin.
Sankei Sports quickly announced Kim Do-young’s performance. “Kim Do-young hit a three-run home run toward the left-field stand in the second inning by catching Katayama’s soft breaking ball with two outs and runners on the first and third bases,” the media said. “(He) shared joy with the bench with his performance of spreading his arms like an airplane around the third base. Japan, which will face off on the 7th, is also a batter to watch out for,” he said.
사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. In the top of the second inning, South Korean Kim Do-young is sharing joy with Lee Jung-hoo after hitting a three-run home run with two outs and runners on first and third bases. Photo = Yonhap News
Another Japanese media outlet Sponichi Annex also said, “Budong’s leadoff Kim Do-young showed a good home run for two consecutive games,” adding, “The leadoff, which combines public orders, is a key player against Korea and Japan on the 7th.” Will Kim Do-young be able to lead South Korea’s offense by playing an active role in the main competition.
Meanwhile, South Korea, which belongs to Group C in the first round of the WBC, will start its tournament schedule with the match against the Czech Republic on the 5th. After that, he will have a day off on the 6th and then face Japan, Taiwan, and Australia for 7 to 9 consecutive days. The venue of the game is all Tokyo Dome, and you can play in the second round only if you finish in the top two here.
South Korea, which advanced to the semifinals of the first tournament in 2006 and finished second in the 2009 tournament, was humiliated by being eliminated in the first round in 2013, 2017, and 2023, seeks to regain its status as a “baseball powerhouse” through this tournament.
사진 확대 Korean players, who won the World Baseball Classic (WBC) warm-up match against the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes in Japanese professional baseball 8-5 at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, celebrate on the 3rd. Photo = Yonhap News
[Lee Hanjoo, MK Sports Reporter]