*This content was translated by AI.
Taiwanese infielder Jung Zong-Jer (25, New York Mets), who was a rival to Bae Ji-hwan (27, Triple A under the New York Mets), who is familiar to Korean baseball fans, will participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. They are persistent in their competition to enter the roster not only for the Pittsburgh Pirates but also for the New York Mets. As a result, Jung Zong-Ju pushed out Bae Ji-hwan twice.
Multiple media outlets, including Taiwanese media EBC, said on the 21st, "Jong Zheng Zheng's participation in WBC has been confirmed. The approval of the New York Mets allowed him to participate in the tournament. Jung, who is currently building up at a camp in Taiwan, will return to the Major League spring camp and participate in the first round of the WBC, all at once reported. As a result, Taiwan's national team succeeded in adding a major league-class infielder to the entry, reinforcing its threatening power to the national team led by Ryu Ji-hyun (55).
To domestic baseball fans, Jung Zong-jeo is known as a "natural enemy" who threatens Bae Ji-hwan's position every time. Jung, who is two years younger than Bae Ji-hwan, has been competing to enter the Major League since his Pittsburgh days. Pittsburgh local media also analyzed that "Jung Zonger's growth affected Bae Ji-hwan's utility conversion." Bae Ji-hwan was an infielder when he was in Kyungpook High School just before entering the Major League, but now he is also working as an outfielder.
Even after the 2025 season, the two reunited in the Mets. The Mets hired Bae Ji-hwan, who was released from Pittsburgh, as a claim, and even Jung Zonger, who was released from the Tampa Bay Rays, was brought in. After all, the Mets' 40-man roster is currently listed only as Jung Zong Zoong. This time again, Jung Zong-jeo had the upper hand.
Jung Zong-jeo is also the No. 1 guard on the international stage. Jung Song-jeo started as the first batter and shortstop in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games final held in 2023 and earned the nickname "Moon Dong-ju Killer" by showing his power to hit three hits in a game against South Korea's next-generation ace Moon Dong-ju. In the game, South Korea won 2-0, but Jung was very threatening. It was evaluated as having excellent ability to cope with fast balls and good contact ability, and it is expected to be the most difficult hitter for Korean pitchers in WBC.
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*This content was translated by AI.
