*This content was translated by AI.
Taiwan, considered the biggest obstacle for the Korean national baseball team aiming for a fifth consecutive Asian Games title, is now leaning toward selecting Wang Yencheng (25, Hanwha Eagles) as their starting pitcher against Korea.
Multiple Taiwanese media outlets, including tvbs and Underscore Sports (), reported on the 19th that "there is a very high possibility that left-handed pitcher Wang Yencheng will start for the Taiwan national baseball team in the match against Korea."
They further added, "A starting matchup between Korea's ace Kwak Bin (Doosan Bears) and Wang Yencheng is likely to take place."
The Korean national baseball team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, will face Taiwan in the first Group B match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games group stage at Okazaki Central General Park Baseball Stadium in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, at 6:30 p.m. on the 21st.
This is a highly important match, effectively competing for first place in the group.
Initially, Lin Yu-min (Arizona Diamondbacks minor league), a left-handed fireballer who threw at 161 km/h and earned a reputation as a Korean killer in past international tournaments, was strongly considered as Taiwan's starting pitcher.
However, the local atmosphere in Taiwan has shifted sharply toward Wang Yencheng. There is a reason. Lin Yu-min, currently playing in the U.S. minor leagues, only joined the team in Japan on the 19th due to his schedule there. He also pitched seven innings in a Triple-A game on the 17th. From the local perspective, it is considered unrealistic for Lin Yu-min to start the most crucial match against Korea just two days after entering Japan.
According to earlier reports by Taiwanese media LTN (Liberty Times), Taiwan national team manager Tang Deng-kai stated regarding Lin Yu-min: "He will have to travel a long distance from the U.S., throwing a ball and resting only three days before crossing the sea to Taipei. Considering jet lag and fatigue, it won't be easy for him to make his first appearance in this tournament."
In contrast, Wang Yencheng's situation is different. Wang Yencheng joined the KBO League wearing a Hanwha uniform under the Asia quota this season. He appeared in 26 games this season, recording 11 wins and 6 losses with an ERA of 3.97. Just before joining the Taiwan national team, he started against KT Wiz in a regular-season home game on the 15th, pitching four innings. If he starts against Korea on the 21st, he would be taking the mound after a normal five-day rest period. Both his physical condition and sharpness from actual gameplay can be considered at their peak.
Underscore Sports noted, "Wang Yencheng has played full-time in the KBO League, so Korean batters are not unfamiliar to him at all. How he utilizes his familiarity and data on Korean batters will be a key issue in this match."
The media specifically identified Kim Do-young of KIA Tigers as the primary target for the Korean national team, stating, "He has a batting average of 0.303 against left-handed pitchers this season. His recent batting average over the last 10 games has reached 0.406, showing he is in excellent hitting form. Wang Yencheng must be most cautious about this batter."
It also highlighted Korea's young and strong infielders who are expected to fill the void left by Kim Hye-seong (Los Angeles Dodgers), who departed for Major League Baseball: 19-year-old rookie Park Jun-soon (Doosan), Kim Ju-won (NC), and Moon Bo-kyung (LG).
The Korean national team was also expected to anticipate Taiwan's selection of Wang Yencheng as their starter. Manager Ryu Ji-hyun and the coaching staff visited Hanwha games multiple times during the regular season to closely analyze Wang Yencheng's pitching. On the 17th, during a practice game against the Army team, they even prepared a customized batting order based on a hypothetical scenario where the opposing starter was a left-handed pitcher.
Players wearing the Taegeuk mark are also showing strong determination to face Wang Yencheng in a true battle. Kim Do-young emphasized, "Wang Yencheng's pitches have such tricky trajectories that none of them come straight. I am not alone; I have reliable teammate batters, so we will trust each other and attack with confidence." Additionally, if Wang Yencheng starts, matchups against Noh Si-hwan and Moon Hyun-bin, who share the same team as him at Hanwha, are expected to be very interesting.
The matchup with Kwak Bin also draws attention. Kwak Bin faced Wang Yencheng twice on the KBO League stage this season but failed to secure a win. Kwak Bin stated, "I suffered two losses in starting matchups against Wang Yencheng during the season. However, I will definitely seek revenge at this most important stage, the Asian Games," reaffirming his will to win.
Indeed, what kind of performance will the Korean national team batters show against Wang Yencheng?
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*This content was translated by AI.
