Eight rookie players were included in the opening day roster for the 2025 season. Doosan's homegrown ace Kwon Bin and key relief pitcher Hong Geon Hee fell out just before the opening due to injuries.

The KBO announced a total of 280 players' rosters from 10 teams participating in the opening game scheduled for the 22nd. The opening game will feature five matches: Suwon (KT-Hanwha), Jamsil (Lotte-LG), Gwangju (NC-KIA), Munhak (Doosan-SSG), and Daegu (Kiwoom-Samsung).

Among the 280 players this year, there are 8 rookie players. KIA outfielder Park Jae Hyeon, Samsung pitcher Bae Chan Seung, LG pitcher Kim Young Woo, Hanwha pitchers Kwon Min Gyu and Jeong Woo Joo, Kiwoom infielder Kwon Hyuk Bin, and outfielder Jeon Tae Hyun have all joined the first-team opening roster.

Among the first-round draft picks this year, Hanwha's Jeong Woo Joo (1st round, 2nd pick), Samsung's Bae Chan Seung (1st round, 3rd pick), and LG's Kim Young Woo (1st round, 10th pick) make a total of three. During the preseason, Jeong recorded 2⅓ innings with 1 hold and an earned run average of 0 over 3 games. Kim Young Woo will take on a key role in closing the back door, as LG's main closer Yoo Young Chan and high-priced reliever Jang Hyun Sik (52 billion won) are out due to injuries. Kim achieved impressive results during the preseason, pitching 5 innings with 1 hold and an earned run average of 0 over 5 games.

Hanwha's first-rounder Jeong Woo Joo and second-round pick Kwon Min Gyu have both made it onto the opening roster. Kwon Min Gyu left a strong impression in four external practice games (1 start) from Melbourne, Australia, to Okinawa, Japan, with 5⅔ innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and no runs allowed. In the preseason, he also pitched in 3 games with 2⅔ innings, 1 hit, no walks, 5 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 0.

Kiwoom, which is clearly on a rebuilding path, has seen first-rounder Jeong Hyun Woo drop out of the opening roster. However, three rookies—third-round infielder Yeo Dong Wook, fifth-round infielder Jeon Tae Hyun, and seventh-round infielder Kwon Hyuk Bin—joined the opening roster. Yeo hit 2 home runs during the preseason, while Jeon impressed with 1 home run.

Meanwhile, Doosan's homegrown ace and key bullpen members have both fallen out of the opening roster. Homegrown ace Kwon Bin complained of left side pain after pitching in a Futures League game against Goyang on the 19th, before the regular season. Following examinations, he was diagnosed with damage to the internal oblique muscle. Hong Geon Hee also experienced pain in his right elbow during pitching training on the 16th, and examinations revealed damage to the medial ligament in his right elbow. A Doosan official said, “Both Hong Geon Hee and Kwon Bin will undergo a re-examination in early April.”

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