*This content was translated by AI.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27, Toronto Blue Jays) of the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) showed his fighting spirit and respect ahead of the quarterfinal showdown with the Korean national team.
Guerrero Jr. expressed his determination to participate in the against South Korea / vs. Korea on the 14th with a serious attitude, unlike his unique glamorous appearance at an official press conference after completing his Dominican training at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida on the 13th (Korea time).
Guerrero Jr. highly appreciated the international status of Korean baseball. He remained vigilant about Korea, saying, "It may be a bit unfamiliar to us, but we know that it is a team that has achieved a lot of international success."
Korea was asked by overseas reporters that it is a team that plays "contact-oriented sophisticated baseball" in contrast to the Dominican Republic. In response, Guerrero Jr. affirmed, "Our style may be different from Asian baseball, but there is no weak opponent for me." "Regardless of where they're from, I'm going to go on the field to win the first inning of the game," he added.
At the same time, he showed confidence in the game, apart from respect. "No matter who the opponent is, we will not change our own way of playing," Guerrero Jr. said. "We will continue our own baseball as we have done so far." In particular, he cited the bullpen's excellent response as a reason for the team's good momentum.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the son of legendary Major League Baseball batter Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (51). Since the 2019 season, he has played only in Toronto and has hit 183 home runs in seven seasons. He was also the home run king of the American League with 48 home runs in the 2021 season. In April 2025, he signed a mega contract worth a whopping $500 million (about 747.3 billion won) with Toronto for as many as 14 years. Ryu Hyun-jin (39), the starting pitcher for the match against Dominica on the 14th, was also a teammate.
His special paternal love for his father is also embedded in his mindset to participate in this competition. Guerrero Jr. recalled, "My father didn't get the opportunity to play enough on the WBC stage on behalf of the Dominican Republic due to personal circumstances and health issues at the time in 2009. "I learned from my father that our hearts always represent Dominica even when we were not wearing uniforms," he said, expressing his will to continue the legend's dream of becoming a national team member.
The Dominican Republic national team is full of superstars in the Major League, but the team atmosphere he revealed was very tight. When asked if there is a battle for leadership within the team as there are many superstars, Guerrero Jr. flatly said, "There is no 'Ego' in our team." "As soon as I wear the Dominican Republic uniform, I leave my personal stuff behind," he said. "My heart to play for the country is bringing the team together."
In particular, the quarterfinals are drawing great attention as a showdown between South Korea's "Ace" Ryu Hyun-jin and Vladimir Guerrero. Interestingly, Ryu has never faced Guerrero Jr. in the major leagues. In other words, their first face-off took place on an important path to the semifinals of the WBC.
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*This content was translated by AI.
