LG Twins cornerstone hitter Moon Bo-gyeong gained a new nickname. He said he liked the nickname.
Moon Bo-gyeong returned home on the 16th, leaving Miami, U.S., on a charter flight and arriving through Incheon International Airport. After returning, he told reporters, "I feel relieved in some ways, but there are many regrets."
Moon Bo-gyeong was the leading contributor to the South Korea national team's advancement to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament. In the 2026 WBC he blasted a torrid performance over five games: a .438 batting average (16 at-bats, 7 hits), 2 home runs, 11 RBIs and an OPS of 1.464.
Recently the WBC official social media highlighted Moon Bo-gyeong's exploits by creating and sharing a photo of Moon Bo-gyeong planting the South Korean flag on the moon. Along with the photo, it noted Moon Bo-gyeong's record: "Out-of-this-world level (dominant performance)! We salute the sensational performance of South Korea national team's Moon Bo-gyeong. His 11 RBIs tie for third place in WBC history."
Moon Bo-gyeong's new nickname is "Super Moon." After returning home he said, "I like it. I'm happy to have a new nickname. I want to grow more, and whenever it may be if I get selected again for the national team, I hope to return with a better performance and better results than now."
On the 5th in Tokyo Dome, Japan, in the opening game of Group C against the Czech Republic, Moon Bo-gyeong drove in five runs with two hits including a grand slam to lead an 11-4 rout. In the game against Japan on the 7th, although South Korea lost 6-8, he hit a two-RBI hit to spark the comeback. And though they lost, he continued his hitting touch with one hit in the game against Taiwan on the 8th, despite not driving in a run.
In the crucial Oct. 9 game against Australia, which determined passage through the first round, he was on fire with three hits, including a home run, and four RBIs. Thanks to Moon Bo-gyeong's performance, South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years.
Although they were thoroughly defeated by the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals, this WBC tournament will likely remain a special memory for Moon Bo-gyeong.
He said, "Putting personal records aside, I'm grateful that we reached the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years since 2009, and that I was part of that team. Competing against the world's best players and showing good performance makes me feel I can develop further."
Foreign media also took note of his record-setting RBIs. On this point Moon Bo-gyeong said, "I didn't care about records, but my name still appeared on MLB.com. I don't know when I'll have this experience again, so it was really nice."
However, having played through grit, there are aftereffects. Moon Bo-gyeong needs injection treatment. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb said, "Moon Bo-gyeong kept playing even though his back wasn't in good shape. He probably won't be able to play in the exhibition games."
Moon Bo-gyeong is receiving injection treatment. He seems likely to be able to appear in the season opener, but whether he can play defense is still unclear. Manager Youm is thinking of having Moon Bo-gyeong play about one game as a designated hitter in the second team and also using him as a designated hitter in the season opener.<
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