*This content was translated by AI.
The national baseball team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, will play a practice game against the Army COLONY (Sangmu) at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, starting at 1:30 p.m. on the 17th.
With the manager having already announced that he would deploy all eight available pitchers one after another to play an eight-inning game, the lineup was the focal point of pre-game attention.
The team lined up with Kim Do-young (third baseman), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Noh Si-hwan (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Kim Ju-won (shortstop), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Jo Hyung-woo (catcher), Park Jae-hyun (right fielder), and Kim Ji-chan (center field).
The most striking move is the decision to have Kim Do-young of KIA bat first, having already achieved 40 home runs and 100 RBIs in just 123 games. This deployment recalls how the Los Angeles Dodgers utilize Shohei Ohtani as their leadoff hitter despite his status as their most powerful batter. Although he has not batted first in either of the past two seasons, Kim has fond memories from his MVP season in 2024, when he hit .429 (27 hits in 63 at-bats) with five home runs and 14 RBIs while batting first.
Manager Ryu Ji-hyun said, "Taiwan has no left-handed pitchers other than two starting-type pitchers, which is a disadvantage. Japan also considers its strongest ace to be of the left-handed starter type. If we reach the Super Round or the finals, the likelihood of facing them is high." He added, "Given that the strongest starting pitchers are left-handed, we have arranged our lineup accordingly."
There is no room for compromise. Manager Ryu stated, "It is advantageous in short-term games for players who are in good condition, possess competitiveness, and have experience to bat more frequently in the top of the lineup." He added, "Once the first inning passes, Park Jae-hyun may bat first, Kim Ji-chan second, and Kim Do-young naturally third."
Kim Do-young is a batter with the highest probability of driving in runs in scoring position chances compared to anyone else; therefore, while he has received many opportunities at the third and fourth spots for his team this season, it is possible to make such a decision for the national team because there are players who can fill the first and second spots in the lower order despite appearing most frequently.
Manager Ryu emphasized, "We calculated that having Kim Do-young, who currently has the best form, step up to the plate five times in a single game would maximize our offensive power even more."
Moon Bo-kyung of LG, who has been playing with a back injury throughout the season, is able to complete defensive training normally but will focus primarily on batting for now. Manager Ryu said, "Noh Si-hwan is at first base. If Kim Do-young comes in as a substitute, Noh Si-hwan will move to third base." He added, "(Moon) Bo-kyung has no issues with practice, but we plan to focus on the tournament side. Depending on the situation, we may also prepare Lee Jae-hyun or Yoon Dong-hee for first base."
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*This content was translated by AI.
