World Baseball Classic 2023: Korea team schedule
Baseball’s biggest event has returned, and the top nations will compete for the most coveted baseball accolade: The World Baseball Classic (WBC) trophy. This competition will begin on March 8, 2023.
Among these great clubs is the Korean national baseball team, who is looking to win the 2023 WBC with its excellent roster and impeccable coaching. Do they have a chance to win, and who will they face in the baseball game schedule?
South Korea’s following matchups ahead of the 2023 WBC
The tournament will kick off with Pool games that will weed out the teams for the second round of matchups. South Korea will play in Pool B games from March 9 to 13, which will be held at the Tokyo Dome. Here is their full baseball schedule of games and a short preview of the Pool B representative South Korea national baseball team in the 2023 WBC:
South Korea vs Australia (March 8)
The South Korea national baseball team schedule will kick off their WBC 2023 run against co-Pool B participant, the Australian national team, who has shown significant improvement with their roster. Minor Baseball League’s Liam Doolan and Kyle Glogoski will be two of the whopping 15 pitchers who’ll be representing Australia in the WBC.
Their position players like Tim Kennelly and Aaron Whitefield will join the team’s defence. While Australia has a solid team, they haven’t proved to be the team to beat in the 2023 WBC judging from past tournaments. Korea should easily beat them if all plays are executed perfectly.
South Korea vs Japan (March 10)
This marquee Pool B matchup between Japan and Korea should be a marquee game where both talented squads will try their best to single each other out for an important win in the 2023 WBC. Since the beginning of the tournament, Japan has been a tournament-proven team with legendary players.
Some of Japan’s most important players are Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish, who will impact this 2023 Japanese WBC squad. This match should be a modern classic that every baseball fan will remember for many years.
South Korea vs Czech Republic (March 11)
Korea’s third Pool B matchup will be against the Czech Republic national team, which has much to prove in the 2023 WBC. This team has yet to make a huge impact in past tournaments, and they are about to challenge Korea’s roster en route to a championship.
The team’s roster has vastly improved while retaining superstar pitchers from past team iterations. They have a star pitcher who is undoubtedly going to be Jan Novak, who plays for the Baltimore Orioles in the MLB.
South Korea vs China (March 13)
The Chinese team has made considerable progress with their roster, with Alan Carter and Xin Qi joining the fray for their wild matchup against Korea. Their best quality in terms of play is undoubtedly their infielder lineup that can potentially wreak havoc in the field.
Out of all the teams Korea will face, China will probably be the most balanced team that can match up with them well in both the defensive and offensive end. Both teams have similar projections coming into the 2023 WBC, which means this could be an interesting game that can go down to the wire.
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Best players who’ll stand out in the Korean national team
The Korean national team is in the middle of the pack regarding who is projected to remain in the later rounds of the competition. As a middle-tier squad, Korea still has a lot of talented players on the roster that can make a push in the 2023 WBC.
Below are the top 3 players who will help Korea move past the competition and make huge plays in the baseball stadium:
Woo-Suk Go
Woo-Suk Go is Korea’s star pitcher and will be expected to be part of the starting lineup for the team. His pitching prowess is versatile since he can throw either curves or fastballs that will shock offensive batters on the pitch. In the Korean Baseball Organisation, Woo-Suk Go plays for the LG Twins and has made countless great plays for his team when they need him the most.
Ji-Young Lee
Ji-Young Lee can add much depth to Korea’s lack of catchers and tremendously help the team’s defensive lineup. His fast coordination alongside the basemen in the squad will prove why his value is so high this upcoming WBC 2023. Also, he’s not a bad batter who can score home runs for the team when the game is close.
Jung-Hoo Lee
Reigning 2022 KBO MVP Jung-Hoo Lee is among many skilled and talented outfielders in the 2023 WBC for Korea. He has a great perception of the game, which translates well into the defensive end of the game, which will immensely aid Korea’s road to a championship appearance.
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Predictions for the South Korea WBC 2023
The biggest question for Korea is: Do they have a chance to win the 2023 WBC? Despite the favourites, like the United States potentially having the best roster out of all the teams, upsets can still happen. While their chances might be a little lower than other top squads in the tournament, they still have a puncher’s chance to make it deeper into the WBC.
Can Korea compete against the top juggernauts of the competition?
Most of their talent pool comes from the Korean Baseball League, which houses an assortment of versatile and defensive players.
Korea has a few MLB talents that will help contribute to their team’s overall success if they wish to compete against other heavy-MLB rosters like Cuba and the USA. They can certainly compete against the best of them, and don’t be surprised if you see them winning a few matchups they aren’t favoured to win.
Underrated pitching talent
Korea will have a 15-deep pitcher lineup that is overlooked by many people coming into the 2023 WBC. This adds a lot of flexibility to their roster and how they want to defend the pitch when offensive-minded teams like the USA and Japan national teams will try to score runs.
Some of their best pitchers are Woo-Suk Go and Woo-Young Jung, who play for one of the best teams in the KBO, the LG Twins. Other relief pitchers like Gwak Been and Jeong Cheol-Won can come off the bench and play solid minutes for the team.
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Words: Vonn Consul