The die is cast. The 30 players who will participate in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) have been finalized. Each team submitted their final entries to the World Baseball Classic Organizing Committee on the 8th (Korean time). In the Korean national team, Choi Ji-hoon (Pittsburgh Pirates) was dropped from the roster announced in early January due to opposition from the club, and Choi Ji-hoon (SSG Landers) joined instead.
Korea (ranked 4th in the world) is in Group B with Japan (ranked 1st), Australia (ranked 10th), China (ranked 30th) and the Czech Republic (ranked 15th). In Tokyo, Japan, the first round (March 9-13) and the quarterfinals tournament (March 15-16), where the first and second place in the group advance, will go to Miami, USA.
In terms of objective history alone, the strongest in Group B are five big leaguers: Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres), Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs), Las Nutba (St. Louis Cardinals), and Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox). Japan joined. The average age of the Japanese national team (27.3 years old) is the youngest compared to the previous World Baseball Classic. Japan won consecutive championships at the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009, and reached the semifinals in 2013 and 2017. They will face South Korea on March 10 (7pm), and Darvish is expected to start.
Australia, which is expected to compete for second place in Group B with Korea, has a strong sense of the game. An official from the national team said, “It’s been a while since the Australian league ended, and they are in the best condition among Group B. The players who make up the keystone combination belong to the same team, so the defense is good.” The Australian national team includes Warwick Saupold, who played in the KBO League. It is good news for the Korean team that infielder Curtis Mead, who is included in the Tampa Bay Rays 40-man roster, is not playing. Since the first game of the tournament (March 9, 12:00 noon) is against Australia, it is important to put the first button well. 바카라사이트
China has the lowest world ranking among the 20 teams participating in the World Baseball Classic. However, since it is a short-term battle, carelessness is prohibited. The Chinese national team includes Katie (kt) Wiz bullpen pitcher Joo Kwon. In the case of the Czech Republic, this is their first participation in the World Baseball Classic finals. In the case of Korean batters, they tend to struggle when meeting unfamiliar pitchers, so more detailed preparation is required.
Meanwhile, there is a limit on the number of pitches in this tournament as well. In the first round, the number of pitches is limited to 65. In addition, if more than 50 pitches are thrown, a four-day break is compulsory, so in the case of Korea, if the starter against Australia throws more than 50 pitches, he cannot throw any more in the group stage. Even if you throw more than 30, you must take a day off. Also, once a pitcher is on the mound, unless the innings change, he must face three batters before he can be replaced. Even if he walks two batters in a row, he may be helpless. This is why national coach Lee Kang-cheol’s skill in pitching is required more than ever.
The national team will gather at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, USA from the 15th and begin training.