Ryu Ji-hyun revealed the list of starters for the match against Taiwan.
The South Korean national baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun, will play Group C against coach Chung Hao-ji’s Taiwan in the first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome, Japan on the 8th.
Currently, Korea has one win and one loss. He defeated the Czech Republic 11-4 on the 5th, but lost 6-8 against Japan on the previous day (7th). They will leave their regrets behind and aim to advance to the second round (the quarterfinals) for the first time in 17 years at the 2009 tournament through victory over Taiwan.
사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Hanshin Tigers of Japanese pro baseball took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on Sunday. Ryu finished the inning without allowing a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, and is heading to the dugout. Photo = Yonhap News 
사진 확대 South Korean coach Ryu Ji-hyun enters the match between South Korea and Japan in the second Group C match of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome, Japan on the 7th. Photo = Yonhap News
With the time of the match approaching, South Korea unveiled its starting lineup consisting of Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers, third baseman), Germay Jones (Detroit Tigers, left fielder), Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants, center fielder), Ahn Hyun-min (KT Wiz, right fielder), Moon Bo-kyung (LG Twins, designated hitter), Shay Witcom (Houston Astros, first baseman), Kim Joo-won (NC Dinos, shortstop), Park Dong-won (LG, catcher), and Kim Hye-sung (LA Dodgers, second baseman).
It is noticeable that Moon Bo-kyung will play as the designated hitter. Recently, Moon Bo-kyung has been showing off his good batting sense, but he collided with the fence during the defense against Japan, which he played as a first baseman. Instead, Kim Do-young, who has been designated as a designated hitter, will start as third baseman, and Witcom will join the first baseman.
Before the game, head coach Ryu Ji-hyun explained, “Moon Bo-kyung, who collided with the fence, had a little irritation in his waist, so I decided that it would be better not to put pressure on defense until today’s game.”
Korean Monster Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) will be the starting pitcher. He is a left-handed pitcher who represents Korean baseball in name and reality. He made his professional debut in 2006 in Hanwha’s uniform and recorded 117 wins, 67 losses, one save and a 2.95 ERA in 244 KBO league games (1566.2 innings). In the 2013-2023 season, he entered the Major League Baseball (MLB) and played 186 games (1055.1 innings) with 78 wins, 48 losses, one save and an ERA of 3.27.
He also had a huge presence in international competitions. Starting with the 2006 Doha Asian Games, he played under the national flag at the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship, the final qualifying round for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2009 WBC, and the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Since 2013, he has been away from the national team regardless of his will due to his advance to the big leagues and injuries, but he is representing the Republic of Korea again for the first time in 16 years at this tournament.
사진 확대 At the World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese professional baseball league held at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on Sunday. Korean Ryu Hyun-jin is pitching hard in the bottom of the seventh inning. Photo = Yonhap News
It is the first time in 17 years that Ryu Hyun-jin has appeared on the WBC since the 2009 tournament. Coincidentally, the opponent was Taiwan at the time, and he pitched three scoreless innings to lead the 9-0 victory. South Korea, which gained momentum from Ryu Hyun-jin’s performance, finished second in the tournament, which remains the last group stage of Korean baseball before this WBC.
In addition, Ryu Hyun-jin has been strong against Taiwan. He threw powerful balls to Taiwan at the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship (two runs in five innings) and the first round of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games (one run in six innings).
Manager Ryu said, “(Ryu Hyun-jin) is the most reliable pitcher at this point,” and expected a good fight, saying, “If the pitchers who follow suit play long innings, it will be connected well to the match against Australia tomorrow (9th).”
Taiwan will send right-hander Gurin Lui (Nipponham Fighters) in response. With a fastball in the mid-150km range, he dominated the Taiwanese professional baseball league (CPBL) and advanced to the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) last year.
Coach Ryu Ji-hyun said, “He is an expected player,” adding, “Unexpectedly, I expected Lin Yu-min to continue throwing today, but he can’t come out because he took the mound yesterday.”
It is the national team that has to fight ‘tiredness’ in this game. This is because Taiwan played the previous match against the Czech Republic at 12 p.m. on the 7th, while South Korea played the match against Japan at 7 p.m. on the 7th. After that, there is no choice but to be physically burdened by having to play the daytime game again.
Nevertheless, coach Ryu said, “I prepared it because it was a schedule I knew originally. I believe the players will play well today without any major problems,” he said.
사진 확대 South Korean coach Ryu Ji-hyun enters the match between South Korea and Japan in the second Group C match of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome, Japan on the 7th. Photo = Yonhap News
[Lee Hanjoo, MK Sports Reporter]