Ryu Ji-hyun, manager of South Korea's national baseball team, hopes to have three to four Korean-descent MLB players for the March World Baseball Classic in Tokyo. The team departed Incheon International Airport on Friday for a preliminary camp in Saipan, joined by U.S.-based players like Kim Hye-seong and Go Woo-suk. South Korea aims to advance from the preliminary round for the first time since reaching the 2009 final.
On Friday, Ryu Ji-hyun led South Korea's national baseball team, comprising nearly 30 players mostly from the KBO, from Incheon International Airport to Saipan for a preliminary World Baseball Classic camp. The session focuses on pitchers gradually building their workload ahead of the March 5-17 tournament in Tokyo. U.S.-based players Kim Hye-seong, a Dodgers utility man, and Go Woo-suk, a Tigers minor league reliever, joined the roster.
Leveraging WBC rules that allow representation based on a parent's birthplace, Ryu hopes to secure three to four Korean-descent MLB players. Tommy Edman, who played in 2023 with a Korean mother, is out due to ankle surgery recovery. Instead, Detroit Tigers outfielder Jahmai Jones, 28, who hit .287/.387/.550 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in 72 games in 2025, and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien, 30, who posted a 2.06 ERA over 48 innings in 42 outings with six saves in 2025, have shown strong interest. "We've taken all steps, and expect official WBC approval by late January," Ryu said at the airport. "O'Brien and Jones should join unless major issues arise; overall, three to four such players."
Other targets include half-Korean pitcher Dane Dunning, with 136 MLB games across three teams, and outfielder Rob Refsnyder, born in Korea and adopted by an American family as an infant. Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin, a former MLB All-Star turning 39 soon with a 3.23 ERA in 2025, will captain the pitching staff. He told reporters, "I always feel a heavy burden representing the country. I'll try to meet expectations with strong performances."
Kia Tigers third baseman Kim Do-yeong, 22, the 2024 KBO MVP sidelined by hamstring injuries to just 30 games in 2025, says he's fully healthy. "I'm 100 percent now and will play normally," he said, emphasizing team success over personal stats. The camp ends January 21, followed by mid-February in Okinawa, Japan. Atlanta Braves' Kim Ha-seong and San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo skip Saipan due to personal offseason routines but may join in Japan if clubs approve. Ryu noted their absence poses no issue.
After preliminary exits in 2013, 2017, and 2023, South Korea seeks to advance beyond the first round for the first time since the 2009 final, bolstered by this early preparation.
