"Why me? I thought about it every time I slept." Ko Young-pyo's honest feelings ahead of the match → Instead, if you throw well, you will become a 'national hero'!

*This content was translated by AI.

Ko Young-pyo (35, KT Wiz), who carried the biggest big match in the first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) finals, the Korea-Japan match of fate, and the fate of the mound, revealed his honest feelings that he had in his heart ahead of his start. The pressure on hitters who have been the main players in the Major League will be inevitable, but they are determined to face the burden head-on and take the mound in a "challenger" position.

Ko Young-pyo will start against Japan in the second Group C match of 2026 WBC at Tokyo Dome, Japan at 7 p.m. on the 7th. He will face Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (LA Angels) as a starter.

In fact, Ko Young-pyo confessed to the field reporters that he was selected for the Japanese match ahead of the match against the Czech Republic on the 5th. According to Ko Young-pyo, he found out about three days before moving from Okinawa to Tokyo.

Ko Young-pyo said, "The opponent is the winning team of the previous WBC tournament and a strong team that is full just by looking at the lineup. I had a lot of worries about how to compete, and honestly, I'm nervous," he said. However, soon after, "After passing by, I try to do it with the mind of a challenger." "I will pitch as aggressively as I can on the mound and throw with the mindset of blocking the best inning in the innings given to me," he stressed.

He also expressed his honest feelings. Ko Young-pyo said, "I think we need to go strategically. Our team's goal is to advance to the quarterfinals, that is, to pass the group. I thought a lot about why you gave me the selection against Japan every time I slept. I made my own judgment on why the coach asked me to select against Japan, and I try to lead the game according to that belief. I found the answer for myself. I don't know if that's the same, but I think I know why myself," he said with emphasis.

He didn't forget his coolness either. "The opponent is Japan, and there is Shohei Ohtani, and it is a domed stadium (where the ball goes well). There is no end to the fact that the official ball repulsion is high. "Just considering those factors doesn't mean I can miraculously throw 150 kilometers that I couldn't throw. I'm going to empty my mind and start the race," he added.

Ko Young-pyo is one of the KBO League's compliant native starters. He played 29 KBO League games in the 2025 season, recording an 11-8 record with a 3.30 ERA, and wearing the national flag without disagreement. During the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, Japan, where a member of the NPB's first-tier team came out, showed a good performance with two runs in five innings.

In fact, the recent appearance against Japan is like a "poisoned holy grail" for a pitcher. As Japanese baseball remained at the top of the world, the trend became stronger. If it collapses, it can be criticized, but on the contrary, if it plays well, it is an opportunity to emerge as a "national hero" at once. Ko Young-pyo was willing to carry the weight. Ko Young-pyo, who finished his sleepless night's agony, is scheduled to go to the mound with a sincere heart. More than anyone else, baseball fans sympathize with Ko Young-pyo's feelings.

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*This content was translated by AI.