Lee Dae-ho, a commentator for SBS who was a key player in South Korea's runner-up finish in the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC), named "Korean Monster" Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) as the key player for the quarterfinal.
Korea will play the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinal on Apr. 14 at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. Ryu Hyun-jin was given the important role of starting pitcher.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who has recorded a KBO total of 244 games, 117 wins, 67 losses, 1 save and a 2.95 ERA, played in the major leagues from 2013 to 2023. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, compiling totals of 186 games, 78 wins, 48 losses and a 3.27 ERA.
Commentator Lee Dae-ho, who pointed to "Ryu Hyun-jin" as the key to neutralizing the Dominican Republic's powerful lineup, emphasized, "Against a powerful Dominican lineup, experienced game management is more important than raw stuff. In that respect, Ryu Hyun-jin is the strongest sure-fire card to neutralize the Dominican Republic."
He added, "Baseballs are round. If we don't be intimidated by the name value of the many big leaguers on the Dominican team and maintain our own balance, we have a good chance," lending his support to the national team.
Commentator Lee Dae-ho correctly predicted the 7-2 victory over Australia on the 9th and early on predicted Moon Bo-gyeong would be a key hitter after her strong performance throughout the preliminary round, earning the nickname "spot-on commentator." He drew particular attention by intuitively predicting Kim Do-young's getting on base, which was the decisive moment in advancing to the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, manager Ryu Ji-hyun said at a news conference on the 13th, "The Dominican Republic is a team with players at the highest level in the world. There are many superstars. Our players know them well. We have done a power analysis. We will try to play a good game tomorrow."
He explained the reason for naming Ryu Hyun-jin as the starting pitcher: "Because it's Ryu Hyun-jin, I named him the starter. He's the most trusted card."
Facing him, the Dominican Republic's starting pitcher will be left-hander Christopher Sanchez (Philadelphia Phillies). Sanchez debuted in the major leagues in 2021 and has a career total of 104 games with a 30-21 record and a 3.24 ERA.
After recording his first double-digit wins (11) in his debut year in 2024, he posted a career-high season last year with a 13-5 record and a 2.50 ERA.
The Dominican Republic lineup is literally an "all-star lineup." Major league top hitters line up in succession, including Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Junior Caminero and Julio Rodríguez.
Their firepower is overwhelming. The Dominican Republic scored a whopping 41 runs and 13 home runs in four first-round games. The 13 homers is a new WBC first-round record, surpassing Mexico's 12 homers set in 2009. The Dominican Republic lineup, which hit more than three homers per game, is highly likely to continue its power against Korea. This is something Ryu Hyun-jin must be wary of.
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