"Doosan will suffer the biggest blow; Taiwan's pitching strength could be two levels above Korea's." Can AG five-peat be achieved? [22nd Anniversary Special ⑤]

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean baseball has consistently shown strong performances at the Asian Games, securing six gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. What about this year's Asian Games?

Baseball was first included as an official sport at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games. With professional players banned from participation, a pure amateur Seon Su-deul-ro (CEO) team was formed to compete. In the final against Japan, Korea narrowly lost by one run (4-5) and claimed silver.

Korea then reclaimed its pride in baseball by winning gold at the 1998 Bangkok Games and the 2002 Busan Games. At the 1998 tournament, a "Dream Team" centered on Korean Major Leaguer Park Chan-ho defeated Japan, whose roster was primarily composed of amateur players, with a decisive 13-1 victory in the final. Korea followed up by winning gold at the 2002 Busan Games as well, defeating Taiwan 4-3 in the final and gifting the nation a gold medal on home soil.

However, at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, Korea fell to third place behind first-place Taiwan and second-place Japan. The tournament featured six teams playing a round-robin format, with medals awarded based on standings. Korea suffered a disaster, losing 2-4 to Taiwan in the opening match and then falling 7-10 to Japan in their second game.

But no further humiliation at the Asian Games followed. Korea went on to achieve the remarkable feat of winning four consecutive gold medals. At the 2010 Guangzhou Games, Korea won all five matches. In the 2014 Incheon Games, Korea staged a dramatic comeback, scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning while trailing 2-3 to secure victory. At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, Korea defeated Japan 3-0 to claim gold. In the 2022 Hangzhou Games, Korea beat Taiwan 2-0, completing a four-game gold medal streak.

The baseball tournament at the upcoming September 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is expected to ignite into a fierce battle for gold among South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. South Korea aims for a five-peat title, Japan seeks to reclaim the championship after 32 years, and powerful rival Taiwan will compete with their unique strengths.

Japan, aiming for victory on home soil, has assembled its team from amateur social league players. Seven players from Toyota Automobile, a powerhouse club in the host region, form the core of the squad. Since July, they have undergone long-term camp training to maximize team cohesion. They have adapted to local climate and ballparks, with strengths lying in their sophisticated tactical execution and solid defensive capabilities.

The Korean national team led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun has balanced offense and defense by adding top-tier wildcards such as Noh Si-hwan, Moon Bo-kyung, and Kwak Bin to its roster of under-25 KBO League prospects. Their peak in-game sharpness honed through a grueling regular season, combined with clear motivation from the goal of a five-peat Asian Games title and military service benefits, are their greatest assets. The key will be completing detailed team organization within the short period after being called up.

Taiwan has focused on firepower by heavily recruiting overseas players. Players competing in the U.S. and Japan, including Hanwha left-hander Wang Yencheng, have been included in the roster. Fireballers throwing fastballs in the mid-to-late 150 km/h range are certainly threatening. However, concerns remain regarding potential losses due to injuries and coordination issues with player call-ups, as well as insufficient team chemistry.

Ultimately, this tournament is expected to become a three-way battle between "Korea's in-game sharpness," "Japan's organizational strength," and "Taiwan's individual talent." For Korea, the key to achieving a five-peat will be exploiting Taiwan's unstable organization in the group stage and overcoming Japan's stingy baseball and home-field advantage in the Super Round.

The first major hurdle on the path to gold may not be the final but the group stage match against Taiwan. Korea has been placed in Group B along with Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Japan, China, Philippines, and Palestine are in Group A.

Given objective team strength, it is highly likely that Japan will finish first in Group A and China second. Since the tournament format pairs each group's first-place team against a second-place team from another group, securing first place in Group B is crucial for Korea. If Korea loses to Taiwan and finishes second in the group, they are more likely to face Japan later, meaning even one loss in the group stage could be fatal to their gold medal bid.

The problem is that Taiwan's team strength is no joke. Taiwan has assembled what amounts to its strongest possible roster, including seven players who competed at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), along with numerous players from the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) and U.S. leagues.

Cho Gye-hyun, KBO Jeon Ryeok-gang-hwa (Chairman) who is responsible for analyzing team strength, stated, "Taiwanese baseball has improved significantly across all aspects—pitching, hitting, fielding, and base running." Regarding pitching specifically, he warned, "They could be one and a half to two levels above us."

Japan also cannot be taken lightly. Although they have formed a team from amateur social league players Seon Su-deul-ro (CEO), it is evaluated that they have gathered the best available members due to their status as host nation.

Nevertheless, Korea aims for gold. In short tournaments, factors such as opponent analysis, pitching strategy, and focus in individual games are just as important as team strength differences. Jo (Chairman) emphasized, "Our players have a fighting spirit that drives them to fight for their lives in international competitions," adding, "Our goal is championship."

During the Asian Games period, the KBO League will continue without schedule interruptions. Attention is also focused on the advantages and disadvantages caused by player call-ups. Although each club is limited to a maximum of three starting pitchers being called up, significant differences are expected depending on each player's performance this season and team situations.

In what seemed like a solidified top-five structure, fifth-place Doosan Bears have lost three consecutive games while sixth-place NC Dinos have won five in a row, narrowing the gap to 5.5 games. Coincidentally, Doosan is expected to suffer the biggest blow from player call-ups for this Asian Games, making the late-season battle for top-five status even more intriguing.

At Doosan, Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok, who have grown into the league's top starting resources, will participate in the Asian Games. Together they have recorded 24 wins. Kwak Bin leads the league in ERA (2.31) and strikeouts (177), while Choi Min-seok ranks first in winning percentage (0.813) and is tied for first in wins (13). Park Jun-soon has also firmly secured second base, maintaining second place in team batting average (0.309), home runs (16), and RBIs (57).

In contrast, only starting shortstop Kim Ju-won will be absent from NC. There are no pitcher absences. A baseball official stated, "It seems Doosan will suffer the biggest blow. Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok have grown into top-level starters this season, so their absence will have a significant impact. Additionally, Park Jun-soon plays a considerable role in hitting."

In the fierce battle for first place, Samsung appears relatively advantaged. KT will be without closer Park Young-hyun and starting resources So Hyoung-jun and Oh Won-seok, facing a major blow similar to Doosan. Although Samsung will also lose key reliever Bae Chan-seung, they have replacement options. While Kim Ji-chan's absence is painful, players such as Koo Ja-wook, Kim Sung-yoon, Kim Heon-kon, and Park Seong-gyu are considered cards that can minimize the power vacuum. The question of who will fill the vacant shortstop position left by Lee Jae-hyun remains a point of interest.

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*This content was translated by AI.