The final list of 600 players from 20 countries participating in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), which is the best player in Korea and Japan last year, has been confirmed. Among them, there is growing interest in the U.S. national team Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom)슬롯사이트, who will challenge the big league next year.
The WBC Secretariat announced the WBC participating players on the 10th (Korean time) through MLB.com, the official website of the major leagues. Previously, the 20 participating countries submitted their final list of players to the Secretariat on the 8th, the deadline for entry applications.
Among WBC players from each country, 332 players, more than half, belonged to the Major League Baseball (MLB). There are 186 active big leaguers included in the ’40-man roster’, and only 67 All-Stars. In addition, 8 MLB Most Valuable Player (MVP) winners were included, and last year’s Korean and Japanese professional baseball MVPs Lee Jung-hoo and Murakami Munetaka (Yakult Swallows) also participated, realizing that the WBC is the world’s best baseball tournament in name and reality.
Korea confirmed the entry of 7 coaches and 30 players, led by coach Lee Kang-cheol. By position, it consists of 15 pitchers (10 right-handers, 5 left-handers), 7 infielders, 6 outfielders, and 2 catchers. The captain’s armband will be worn by outfielder Kim Hyeon-soo (LG). There are two big leaguers in our national team: infielder Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) and Tommy Hyeon-su Edman (St. Louis Cardinals). In the first place, Lee Kang-cheol-ho also included big leaguer infielder Choi Ji-man (Pittsburgh Pirates). However, the team refused to call Choi Ji-man last year due to his surgery history. Instead of Ji-man Choi, outfielder Choi Ji-hoon (SSG) will stand on the WBC stage.
Australia, Lee Kang-chul-ho’s first match in the first round of the finals, made up an entry centered on players from its own league. There are only two MLB players: pitcher Warwick Saupold and outfielder Aaron Whitefield (Angels).
The stock price of Lee Jung-hoo, the outfielder of Lee Kang-cheol-ho, is soaring day by day. Lee Jung-hoo joins hands with ‘super agent’ Scott Boras to knock on the door of the major leagues next year. MLB.com listed him as one of the best outfielders, saying, “Lee Jung-hoo may not be the best outfielder to compete in the WBC, but he could be one of the most interesting.” The two remaining outfield positions were filled by MLB superstars Mike Trout (LA Angels) and Mookie Betts (LA Dodgers), showing how much interest and evaluation Lee Jung-hoo has.