"Shay Witcom is playing Korea WBC as a Korean national college!" Houston's general manager announced → Ryu Ji-hyun-ho, the 'minor league home run king,' appears as a savior

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"Cheongunmanma" will finally join the South Korean baseball team, which was put on alert for the infield composition due to the injury of Kim Ha-sung (31, Atlanta Braves) and Song Sung-moon (30, San Diego Padres). Houston Astros infield prospect Shay Witcom (28, Houston Astros) is scheduled to play on the WBC (World Baseball Classic) stage in March with the national flag.

According to multiple media outlets, including Brian McTigert, a reporter for the Major League's official website MLB.com , Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown officially confirmed whether her players will play in the WBC at a meeting with local reporters on the 4th (Korea time).

At the meeting, Brown said, "Shay Wittcomb will play for the Korean national team and Jeremy Peña will play for the Dominican Republic. Jack Degenzo will also join the Italian national team. Isak Paredis, a Mexican national, will not participate," he said. All four players Brown mentioned are infielders. They will join the national team under the honor of each country while participating in the spring camp.

The most visible player is Witcom. Witcom, whose mother is Korean, wears the national flag in accordance with the WBC regulations that recognize the ancestry of her parents. A former minor league home run king in 2023, he is expected to be a key resource that will add destructive power to the Korean infield, which has been moaning from the injury of Kim Ha-sung and Song Sung-moon. Witcom, who made his major league debut from the 2024 season, played 20 major league games in the 2025 season and recorded a batting average of 0.125 (4 hits in 32 at-bats) and one homer and one RBI.

Although he is not completely established in the major leagues, Witcom is a player who has been observed in the minor leagues. In the 2023 season, he hit 35 home runs in the minor league and became the top home run player. In addition, he made 25 home runs side by side in the 2025 season from the 2024 season. The on-base plus slugging percentage (on-base plus slugging percentage) of the 2025 season reached 0.869.

Jeremy Peña, Houston's main shortstop and 2022 World Series MVP, will wear the Dominican Republic uniform as the "champion candidate." With the addition of Peña, who has the best defense and hitting ability in the Major League, the Dominican Republic has built a stronger power. Promising infielder Jack Dezenzo will also play for the Italian national team.

Now, the rosters of each country on the WBC are slowly being released. The entry for the Korean national team will be announced at the Korea Press Center at 10 a.m. on the 6th. Ryu Ji-hyun and Cho Gye-hyun, chairman of the KBO Power Reinforcement Committee, will attend the meeting.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original