Taiwanese media are happy to see the Korea line, saying, "All four aces of Ahn Woo-jin, Koo Chang-mo, Moon Dong-ju, and Won Tae-in are absent → Mound devastation."

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahead of the opening of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), local media in Taiwan, the biggest rival to the second round, are paying keen attention to the news of a series of pitching parts of the Korean national baseball team, including Won Tae-in and Riley O'Brien, following Moon Dong-ju.

Taiwan's TSNA and other multiple media outlets quickly reported on O'Brien's calf injury from the U.S. on the 18th (Korea Standard Time), saying, "Another injury was found in Korea's WBC national team. We are monitoring the condition due to pain, and it is unclear whether we will participate in the WBC," he said.

Media outlets analyzed the impact of O'Brien's possible departure on the Korean mound, emphasizing that O'Brien, who had a 2.06 ERA in the 2025 season as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, was a key player in charge of the back door of the Korean national team. In particular, he predicted, "If a pitcher who throws a fastball close to 160km is absent, Korea's calculation in the second half of the game will be completely distorted."

The news of Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions)' injury, which was reported earlier, was nothing short of a "victory" for Taiwanese media. Taiwan's ET Today also pointed out, "Won Tae-in, who was the most stable starting resource on the Korean mound, fell due to an elbow injury," adding, "South Korea, which lost both the fastest pitcher (Moon Dong-ju) and the most experienced pitcher (Won Tae-in), will form the weakest mound ever."

Another Taiwanese media outlet, the 'China Times', said, "Korea's mound victory formula has virtually collapsed. It has been confirmed that Ahn Woo-jin (Kium Heroes), Koo Chang-mo (NC Dinos), Moon Dong-joo and Won Tae-in cannot participate for different reasons. In particular, Moon Dong-ju and Won Tae-in were scheduled to take on an important role by throwing against Taiwan in the upcoming WBC, but this strategy completely collapsed. The Korean national team is in serious trouble. Even in the first round, there is a limit of 65 pitches, so it will be a big burden on the bullpen," he pointed out.

The atmosphere in Taiwan's local media is already full of expectations that it is the best opportunity to beat South Korea in a "cautious optimism" to win a ticket to the U.S. in the quarterfinals. There is an atmosphere of waiting for a "real match" with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (28, LA Dodgers), who has already been selected as the starting pitcher against Taiwan.

In fact, Taiwanese media are focusing on the loss of power of the Korean national team by delivering the WBC's "injury dominoes" in quick detail, starting with Choi Jae-hoon's finger injury and leading to Kim Ha-sung, Song Sung-moon, Moon Dong-ju, Won Tae-in, and O'Brien.

In response, the Korean national team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun, urgently selected Yoo Young-chan and others of the LG Twins as alternative resources and started rebuilding the mound. However, along with the power vacuum caused by successive departures of key pitchers, they are faced with a double whammy of enduring a blatant offensive by rival Taiwan, which is aiming for Korea's loopholes. Above all, O'Brien's physical condition, which will be heard from the United States, is emerging as a top concern.

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*This content was translated by AI.