DESPITE KOREA’S well-established baseball culture and successful domestic league, their recent performance in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has raised concerns about their competitiveness on the global stage. The disappointment and doubt that followed their failure in the WBC have spotlighted the need for immediate solutions and change, particularly with the upcoming Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games this September. The pressure is on the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) and the national team to make strategic changes and bounce back from their recent setbacks. The upcoming Asian Games will serve as a critical opportunity for Korea to prove its worth and re-establish its position as a dominant force in world baseball.

Failures in the WBC

   The WBC is a global tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)[1]. The event brings together 20 national teams from around the world to compete, with the 2023 WBC held in Japan being the fifth iteration of the tournament[2]. In the first two editions, Korea made impressive achievements, reaching the semifinals in 2006 and finishing as runner-up in 2009. However, the team's fortunes have since declined, being eliminated in the first round of both the 2013 and 2017 tournaments and failing to advance to the knockout stage[3].

   This year's WBC brought a fresh wave of disappointment as Korea failed to advance to the knockout round for the third consecutive time. The team suffered significant losses in their first two games against Australia and Japan. Despite being considered the stronger team with a more competitive domestic league and a larger number of players competing in Major League Baseball (MLB), Korea suffered an unexpected defeat to Australia. Moreover, the 13:4 loss to Japan was particularly devastating for Korean fans due to the intense rivalry between the two nations. The significant score difference only highlighted the disparity in competitiveness between Korea and Japan on the international baseball stage. 

Current issues

   Korea's disappointing performance in the WBC was marred by a series of problems, with the aging of the team's veteran pitchers being one of the major issues. Both Kim Kwang-hyun and Yang Hyeon-jong, in their mid-thirties, were expected to lead the Korean squad in Tokyo, but their performance failed to meet expectations. While Kim started off strongly against Japan, he faltered in the third inning, leading to a complete shift in the momentum of the game. Yang fared even worse, giving up a single, a double, and a home run in the game against Australia and being sidelined for the rest of the tournament. The same problem occurred for the team's batting lineup, with only three players under 30 years old in the starting lineup against Australia, putting the average age of the lineup at 31.7[4]. The lack of younger players in the batting lineup made it difficult for Korea to keep up with other teams, especially in terms of speed and agility.

   The lack of competitiveness among the younger pitchers was also a significant issue for the Korean team. The four pitchers born after 2000, including Won Tae-in, Kim Yun-sik, So Hyeong-jun, and Lee Eui-lee, failed to make a significant impact in the tournament. Notably, a higher pitching speed is often regarded as a desirable attribute, reflecting the pitcher's enhanced capability and talent. In this context, the Korean pitchers' average pitching speed of only 147.4 kph stood at 14th place among the 20 participating teams in the WBC[5]. This was a considerable contrast to Japan, which ranked third with an average speed of 152.7 kph[5], highlighting the growing gap in the level of talent between the two countries. The lack of pitching accuracy was also evident in the game against Japan, where Korean pitchers recorded a total of eight walks[6], with ten pitchers taking the mound. The combination of these problems contributed to Korea's disappointing performance in the WBC and emphasized the need for significant improvements to be made to the team's strategy and roster.

Long-term solutions

   There are several proposed solutions to address the challenges facing Korean baseball, particularly to enhance the competitiveness of younger players. One such suggestion is to transition from wooden to aluminum bats for high school players, as aluminum bats are lighter and offer superior rebound characteristics. In April 2004, the International Baseball Federation implemented a regulation change, permitting the use of wooden bats in the Under-18 Youth International Baseball Tournament[7]. Consequently, Korea followed suit, adopting wooden bats in their high school baseball games[7]. However, critics argue that the use of wooden bats hampers skill development, as pitchers can overpower batters with fastballs, even if their pitching accuracy is lacking. By switching to aluminum bats, pitchers would be compelled to improve their pitching accuracy to avoid giving up hits, thereby enhancing the skills of pitchers. Additionally, batters can focus more on refining their swings with the aluminum bat instead of merely making contact with the ball, resulting in a more comprehensive development of their hitting skills. Former Korean national team pitcher, Park Chan-ho, has also emphasized the need to replace high school baseball bats with aluminum ones as they tend to produce relatively more home runs, and pitchers need good pitching strength to be cautious and pay more attention[7].

   Another solution to foster prospects is to address the current education policy that prevents students from practicing unless they have attended all their classes. This policy becomes especially devastating for students in cases where schools share facilities with middle schools or when non-athlete students also use them. As a result, high school players get very limited time for practice after their classes end. The situation is even worse in universities, where it is often difficult for players to meet once a week due to classes. Critics claim that the education policy should be revised to allow high school players to devote more of their time to practicing baseball to produce top-quality players.

The immediate step taken for the Asian Games

   Korea currently understands the need for long-term solutions to ensure future success on the world stage; nevertheless, the KBO is prioritizing the immediate implementation of a practice solution by developing a younger squad for the upcoming Asian Games. Hence, in light of the disappointing results in WBC, the KBO has confirmed that its roster will include players under the age of 25 or with less than four years of professional experience, as well as three wild card players[8] with no age or experience restrictions[3]. 

   On April 28, the preliminary roster for the Korean baseball national team for the Asian Games was confirmed by the KBO[3]. Notably, 147 players out of a total of 198 players on the roster were under the age of 25[3]. Additionally, wildcard player candidates that were originally expected to be taken by veterans were replaced by young candidates in their 20s, such as Park Se-woong or Bae Jeong-dae[4]. The younger squad brings hope for a vibrant team at the Asian Games. It is anticipated that these budding talents will adapt to international competitions, especially after their debut in this tournament. The KBO articulated its selection principle: to build a national team embodying both generational transition and exceptional performance. This objective was pursued by prioritizing a group of players who could display advanced skills. They aimed to impress KBO league fans and make a mark in future international events, drawing from the experience and prowess of gifted young athletes[4].

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   The underwhelming performance of Korea in the WBC has highlighted the need for quick solutions and change in the national team's strategy and roster. The Asian Games will be a critical opportunity for Korea to prove its worth and reclaim its position as a dominant force in world baseball. While long-term solutions such as revising the education policy and switching to aluminum bats for high school players are necessary, the KBO's move to build a younger squad for the upcoming Asian Games is a positive step forward. This decision has raised hopes for a national team that can bring both generational change and performance to Korean baseball in the near future.

[1] Major League Baseball

[2] NBC

[3] Yonhap News Agency

[4] Korea JoongAng Daily

[5] Sports Seoul

[6] Walk: When a pitcher throws four pitches outside of the strike zone, allowing the batter to advance to the first base without having to hit the ball 

[7] Sports Chosun

[8] Wildcard player: Additional players that can be selected to join the team beyond the roster limit, typically with no age or experience restrictions