The will of the participating countries is burning ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held in March. While the United States and the Dominican Republic, which are regarded as the strongest candidates for the championship, have the most elite members, Japan, the leader in Asia, is also eagerly awaiting this tournament, with a large number of major leaguers expressing their intention to participate.

Looking at the winning dividends of the current odds makers in North America, the United States is ranked first, Dominica is second, and Japan is third. The objective record is good, and the fact that it is a representative country that showed strength in the WBC is also a figure taken into account. Japan is in Group B with Korea, Australia, the Czech Republic, and China in the first round held in their home country (Tokyo Dome). It is considered one of the countries with a very high probability of advancing to the semifinals due to its objective power and home advantage.

Such Japan is preparing for the tournament faster than any other participating country in the WBC. It is evaluated as the strongest power not only in Group B but also in the second round, where the top two teams in A and B will face each other, but there are many people who are wary of it. Korea, which we will have to face from the first round, is the biggest target. On the 4th, when Korea first announced the final entry of 30 players, the Japanese media also showed great interest and started a full-scale analysis.

Japan has always been ahead of Korea in terms of objective strength, but there are many variables in short-term battles. That is why Korea has a lot of history of harassing Japan. Even at the time of the 1st and 2nd WBC, I have memories of fighting a bloody battle. There is a reason why Japan, which has a style of knocking on stone bridges before crossing them, is keeping an eye on Korea.

Japanese baseball media ‘Full Count’ asserted that Korea was ‘a vigilant opponent’ and reported the list of national teams convened by major leaguers. In particular, the focus was on the keystone combination of Kim Ha-seong (San Diego) and Tommy Edman (St. Louis). The media said, “Ha-seong Kim was a finalist for the Gold Glove shortstop last year, and Edmund won the Gold Glove as a second baseman in 2021. There are a lot of fans there,” he introduced.

“There are names of people with major league experience, such as Kim Gwang-hyun, Yang Hyeon-jong, and Park Byeong-ho,” he said.

If Japan loses to Korea in the first round, it will go to the second round and become unfavorable. Korea is an opponent that must be defeated. In Japan, national team coach Hideki Kuriyama visited Korea during the last postseason and learned the atmosphere of the field before returning home. It was at the time of the playoffs between Kiwoom and LG, and it is expected to be remembered as a fruitful schedule thanks to the large number of players on board this national team.메이저사이트