日극도경계야구 "Korean baseball, Korea are different this time → A pleasant home run feast... "Get stronger when you're right-handed"

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahead of the second Group C match of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) on the 7th, local Japanese media are showing extreme caution toward the Korean national team, which has solved the "absence of right-handed hitters," which has been pointed out as a chronic weakness of Korean baseball.

Japan's Mainichi Shimbun said on the 7th, "The Korean national team is called the strongest in WBC history. That is why it is likely to be a rough showdown (for Japan). In particular, the Korean national team needs sufficient vigilance because it has acquired a piece of the puzzle that has been lacking for a long time.

The Korean national baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun (55), will face Japan at Tokyo Dome in Japan at 7 p.m. on the 7th. Korea's starting pitcher is expected to be Ko Young-pyo (35, KT Wiz). The Japanese starter against this is left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (35, LA Angels).

The Korean national team's "lack of puzzles" pointed out by the Mainichi Shimbun is none other than the presence of a powerful right-handed slugger. Although Korean baseball has produced outstanding hitters such as Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), the fact that the national lineup is biased toward left-handed hitters has been cited as a strategic weakness. This is why it was relatively easy for Japanese pitchers to face the Korean batters with sophisticated outside control and left-handed pitcher one-point tactics.

However, the aspect of this sixth episode of WBC is completely different. This is also the point where the Japanese media is wary. The Korean batters were equipped with a powerful weapon called "left-right balance" in the WBC, joining Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers) and Ahn Hyun-min (23, KT Wiz), who are extremely wary of Japanese media, as well as two right-handed big leaguers, Germai Jones (29), who has been proven to have long-shot power by the Detroit Tigers in the Major League Baseball, and Shay Witcom (28), a Houston Astros infielder.

The Mainichi Shimbun said, "WBC tournament prohibits one-point play according to regulations. As a result, the effectiveness of the 'Zigzag batting line' that alternately deploys left and right hitters in a balanced manner increases, he pointed out.

Coach Ryu Ji-hyun also said, "I'm actually worried about the first batting order and the third batting order. I am deeply concerned about who to put in front of Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Do-young. In the end, I think which batter will be more threatening from the other team's point of view," he said. He added, "I am proud that the atmosphere of the team is also the strongest in WBC history."

Finally, Mainichi Shimbun said, "As far as the WBC is concerned, Japan is on a roll with South Korea in the game. Japan is only slightly ahead with 5 wins and 4 losses. "In order not to be overwhelmed by the momentum of Korea's strong batting lineup, which has evolved in this WBC, Japanese pitchers are required to work hard," he stressed.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.