"I Want to Play in Korea": KBO International Fall League Captivates Even American Players — How Has It Changed from 9 to 12 Teams in Just Three Years?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The KBO Fall Educational League, initially launched to provide diverse real-game experience for promising Korean players, has now grown into an international exchange platform where players from the United States, Japan, Australia, and China compete together while exploring their respective futures.

The "2026 Ulsan-KBO Fall League," hosted by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and sponsored by Ulsan Metropolitan City and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, concluded on the 31st of last month. Held over 17 days from October 15 at venues including Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium and the Busan Gijang KBO Baseball Center, this year's tournament featured a total of 12 teams: eight domestic and four international.

The team that ultimately celebrated was Long Beach Coast, a United States independent league alliance team. On the 31st of last month at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, Long Beach defeated the Ulsan Whales 6-2 in the final to claim the first championship by an overseas participating team. With eight wins and two draws in the preliminary round, plus victories in the semifinals and finals, they reached the top with a record of 10 wins and 2 draws without suffering a single loss.

Don Wakamatsu (63), the manager who led Long Beach, met with StarNews at the Ulsan venue and said, "We got the opportunity to participate after the Mexican team dropped out, and our players had no chance to train together in advance." He added, "Competing against players from different countries and testing one's skills was a huge opportunity."

The tournament first began in 2024. As part of the KBO's "Level Up Project" aimed at strengthening Korean baseball competitiveness, five domestic teams and four international teams participated. Teams including the SoftBank Hawks' third division from Japan, a Mexican League alliance team, the Cuban national team, and China's Jiangsu Huzhorses visited Ulsan, with the Lotte Giants claiming the inaugural championship.

Last year, the scale expanded to a total of 11 teams, comprising eight domestic and three international sides. Participants included a Japan independent league all-star team, Australia's Melbourne Aces, and China's Jiangsu team. The NC Dinos defeated Lotte to win the championship. Shin Jae-in (19, NC), who was a rookie in 2026 at the time, won the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, fulfilling the league's purpose of providing real-game experience for promising players.

This year, the first participation by a U.S. team brought new changes. The Ulsan Whales, a citizen-owned club newly joining the KBO Futures League, also finished as runner-up in their debut appearance, providing another spectacle for fans in the host city.

The purpose of the international educational league that the KBO has promoted over three years is clear: to provide real-game experience for players who have not received sufficient opportunities during the regular season, and to help them grow by competing against various types of players who are difficult to face domestically.

KBO Commissioner Heo Goo-yeon (75) emphasized in a meeting with reporters at the Ulsan venue, "You can only gain diverse experiences by going out to international tournaments. It is different from continuously playing games among domestic players versus facing foreign players."

He continued, "There are players who perform well in the minor league but cannot keep up when they come up to the first division due to the difference in level. Then, after giving them a chance for about a week or ten days, they are sent back down, and this cycle repeats," explaining the need for a stage where diverse real-game experience can be accumulated.

Manager Wakamatsu, who previously served as manager of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Seattle Mariners, shared the same view. He emphasized that it is important not just to play international games, but to learn from the strengths of players from other countries.

Manager Wakamatsu stated, "I told our players to closely observe and find things to learn from opposing players in the same position when facing teams from China, Japan, or Korea." He added, "Each team has a slightly different game style. If you carefully observe and learn the strengths of other players and make them your own, you can become a better player."

He also evaluated Korean players positively. Manager Wakamatsu said, "When we played practice games against Japanese teams last year, the most impressive part was their fundamentals. Their throwing and defense were solid, and I felt that the players were very well-trained." He added, "I felt similarly this time that their fundamentals are good. However, our players are a bit older, while other teams have younger players. I heard that 17-year-old players also appeared from China. Since the age groups of participating players differ, it is difficult to compare differences in performance."

Domestic coaches also felt the effects of international exchange. Jang Won-jin (57), Manager of Ulsan, explained, "It can be another opportunity for players who did not get much playing time during the season. It serves as a foundation for accumulating real-game experience and preparing for next season."

He continued, "The U.S. team consists of players we usually cannot face. The quality of their pitchers' pitches is high, so hitting those balls is also helpful." He evaluated it as a good program in that players can be exposed to and learn from different baseball cultures.

New opportunities have also opened for overseas players. Manager Wakamatsu noted that while using this tournament as an opportunity to look into the possibility of Korean players advancing to the United States, he also paid attention to the fact that American players can showcase their skills to KBO clubs in return.

Manager Wakamatsu said, "One of my goals as a coach is to help players move up to higher-level leagues. KBO scouts were also watching our players at this tournament." He added, "As players directly watched Korean professional baseball games, their desire to play here has grown. It would be a good thing if even one or two players could sign contracts with the KBO or other leagues such as Australia."

Indeed, the Long Beach team experienced the cheering fervor and popularity of players in Korean professional baseball by watching KBO postseason games during the tournament period. This signifies that it can serve as another channel not only for Korean players to advance overseas but also for overseas players to challenge the Korean stage.

Manager Wakamatsu expressed satisfaction with the operational environment of the educational league. He said, "I had many conversations with Commissioner Heo Goo-yeon about expanding the tournament. The game facilities and accommodations provided by Ulsan City for the players were excellent." He emphasized, "It is a positive thing for all parties if players from more diverse countries participate in such international tournaments."

The significance of the tournament extended beyond the field. Last year's final saw a then-record attendance of 1,593 people for the tournament. This year, with the participation of the Whales, based in Ulsan, local fans had a team to cheer for. It was also observed that fans who had attended Ulsan Whales home games during the regular season came to support them in the Fall League as well.

A senior KBO official said, "It can be an opportunity for players who could not immediately go pro to advance through a step. The KBO is also thinking of actively supporting that aspect." He added, "If it becomes active, other local governments can see the good parts and follow suit." Manager Wakamatsu also stated immediately after winning, "This will be an unforgettable experience for our players. If we are invited again next year, I definitely want to come back."

The KBO plans to prioritize hosting in Ulsan again next year and expand exchanges with overseas participating teams. According to Secretary General Park, there were additional U.S. teams showing interest in participating. The Ulsan-KBO Fall League, which started with nine teams in 2024 and expanded to 12 teams this year, is solidifying its foundation as an international educational league by broadening the scope of participating countries and real-game experience.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original