'AG departing 10-game winner' Wang Yencheng to start on the 9th, drawing attention from both Korean and Taiwanese national teams in Daejeon

*This content was translated by AI.

"The schedule hasn't been released yet."

This season's Hanwha Eagles "lucky" pitcher Wang Yencheng (25, Taiwan) is set to depart for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to join the Taiwanese national team. However, the exact date has not yet been confirmed.

Kim Kyung-moon (68), Hanwha's manager, said on the 8th at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against Doosan Bears regarding questions about Wang Yencheng: "We expect to determine the departure date after consulting with the club and the Taiwanese side."

The Asian Games will be held from the 21st to the 27th. The Korean national team will assemble on the 14th, conduct training and practice games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Korea from the 15th to the 17th, and then depart for Nagoya on the 18th.

Taiwan has already finalized its roster. The lineup was announced on the 7th, with Wang Yencheng securing one of the roster spots. With Nippon-Ham Fighters' Kuei-lung Lu excluded due to injury, Wang Yencheng's burden has become even heavier.

In addition to Wang Yencheng, six overseas players who have delivered strong performances against Korea in international tournaments must be closely monitored: left-handed pitcher Lin Wei-min (minor league team under Arizona), Pan Yuan-hui (under Philadelphia), Chen Tian-wei (Rakuten Monkeys), and Liu Zhi-hong (Wei-chuan Dragons). However, unlike players competing in the Taiwanese league, coordinating their joining dates presents a more difficult challenge.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon has announced that Wang Yencheng will start against Daejeon LG Twins on the 9th. This is highly likely to be his final appearance before joining the Taiwanese national team. Already achieving 10 wins (5 losses) this season and serving as the team's leading winner, Wang Yencheng had rested for half a month due to complications from pneumonia. He appeared in the game against KT Wiz on the 3rd but left a disappointing impression after allowing six runs over 3⅓ innings.

The game against LG on the 9th is expected to be a match of significant interest not only to Hanwha but also to the Taiwanese national team. Wang Yencheng has recorded one win and one loss with an ERA of 4.76 in two games against LG this season.

Wang Yencheng is also a pitcher Korea must guard against if it aims for its fifth consecutive Asian Games baseball title. Korea has been placed in Group B alongside Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Winning the first match against Taiwan on the 21st will make it easier to aim for the championship, as it would allow Korea to enter the Super Round with a win against the top two teams from Group A.

Therefore, significant attention is expected to focus on Wang Yencheng's pitching, especially given his high likelihood of appearing in games against Korea.

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*This content was translated by AI.