'162km STL pitcher finishes the national team,' O'Brien is certain to join, and expectations for the '2R goal' WBC are growing

*This content was translated by AI.

Good news has been heard for the baseball team, which aims to pass the group stage and fly to the United States. St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien (31) will join the Korean baseball team.

St. Louis regional media St. Louis Post Dispatch said on the 18th (Korea time) that "Lily O'Brien is longing to play for the Korean team at the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC)."

Reporter Derek Gould, who broke the news, said on his X (formerly Twitter), "O'Brien said he plans to play for the Korean national team in the WBC. He accepted the invitation of the national team and is currently planning a move to participate in the first round in Asia."

O'Brien, a Korean-American whose mother was born in Korea, also has a Korean name, "Junyoung." He is a player who can play for the Korean national team according to WBC regulations, and coach Ryu Ji-hyun visited the U.S. four times since his inauguration last year, constantly contacting Korean players and turning O'Brien's mind.

Coach Ryu Ji-hyun (55) met with reporters before heading to Saipan, the first camp site of the WBC, on the 9th and said, "As it is known outside, (Riley) O'Brien (St. Louis) and (Jermai) Jones (Detroit) have been very active when they communicated since last year and still do. If there are no major problems, I expect to join," he said confidently.

In November last year, the national team faced the Czech Republic and Japan, who will meet in the WBC group stage, twice, in the K-baseball series. In particular, in two games against Japan, Ryu gave up 21 walks and allowed 18 runs, and in the end, coach Ryu Ji-hyun added experienced Noh Kyung-eun (42, SSG) and Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha) to the list of Saipan camp participants.

There are many pitchers who spray the ball in the mid-150km range, but simply a fast ball could not overwhelm the Japanese hitters of the 2023 WBC championship team. I felt deeply that if I couldn't throw a faster ball, I had to have more control or game management skills.

In the meantime, O'Brien's joining is expected to be a great boost to the national team. In four games of the K-baseball series, the batters showed potential with 25 points. In addition, Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco), Kim Ha-sung (Atlanta), Kim Hye-sung (LA Dodgers) and Germai Jones (Detroit) will join the tournament. On the other hand, the pitching staff was in a situation where they had to be organized by domestic players, so they were very anxious.

O'Brien, who did not show much presence in the big leagues until 2024, made a strong impression with 3 wins, 1 loss, 6 saves, 6 holds, and 2.06 ERA in 42 games last year. The hit rate was only 0.196, and at the end of the season, he played his part by finishing.

What matters is the attitude toward the national flag. Currently, the national team is striving to advance to the second round with an exemplary training attitude, regardless of veterans and new players, to the extent that it is considered an "all-time atmosphere."

In the midst of this, coach Ryu Ji-hyun believes that no matter how outstanding my skills are, I can never be together if I have a light mindset for the national team. In that sense, O'Brien is not a player who can cloud the atmosphere of the national team.

Coach Ryu said, "O'Brien was cautious when we met in March last year because he wasn't fully established yet. At first, I burned myself a little, but when I went and met him after that, I think the work was very effective," he said, explaining that O'Brien's attitude has changed positively.

In the end, he expressed his will to participate in the WBC to the team directly, and although he is still about to announce the final entry, coach Ryu Ji-hyun made it a fait accompli to join the national team as he was confident.

O'Brien is a pitcher who throws sliders and curves with a sinker-like fastball with a maximum speed of 101 miles (162.5 kilometers), and is expected to keep the back door of the national team firmly in that it has already been proven in the big leagues. Manager Ryu Ji-hyun, who added one clear option to the mound, will be able to ease his worries even more.

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*This content was translated by AI.