The leading South Korean baseball MVP candidate Kim Do-yeong headlined the country’s youthful 60-man provisional roster for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 unveiled Thursday.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) put 29 pitchers and 31 position players on its provisional team for the Nov. 10-24 tournament. Fifty-nine of those players were selected from KBO teams, while one player was chosen from the military club Sangmu.
Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers rounds second base after hitting a triple against the Kiwoom Heroes during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Sept. 8, 2024. (Yonhap)
Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers rounds second base after hitting a triple against the Kiwoom Heroes during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Sept. 8, 2024. (Yonhap)
Kim, third baseman for the KBO-leading Kia Tigers, is one of seven
players from his club. The third-year pro has set the league on fire this season, becoming the youngest player in league history with at least 30 home runs and 30 steals.
Prior to Thursday’s action, Kim was batting .345 with 35 home runs, 38 steals, 100 RBIs and 128 runs scored. He is trying to become only the third player to finish a season with at least a .300 batting average, 30 homers, 30 steals, 100 RBIs and 100 runs. He is also five homers and two steals away from the third 40-40 season in KBO history.
Among pitchers, Doosan Bears rookie closer Kim Taek-yeon made the provisional team. He has 17 saves along with a 2.09 ERA as the leading Rookie of the Year candidate.
With an eye toward the 2026 World Baseball Classic and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, national team manager Ryu Joong-il mostly picked players in their 20s. On the provisional team, only four players are over 30.
The deadline to submit the final roster of 28 players is Oct. 11, but the KBO said those not on the provisional roster can mak
e the final team.
In this file photo from Aug. 1, 2024, Doosan Bears closer Kim Taek-yeon pitches against the Kia Tigers during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju. (Yonhap)
In this file photo from Aug. 1, 2024, Doosan Bears closer Kim Taek-yeon pitches against the Kia Tigers during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju. (Yonhap)
Conspicuous by his absence is Kiwoom Heroes All-Star second baseman Kim Hye-seong, who is scheduled to be posted for Major League Baseball clubs after this season.
Kim is scheduled to undergo his basic military training in November, after receiving an exemption from the mandatory service for helping South Korea to the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games.
South Korea won the inaugural Premier12 in 2015, and finished as the runner-up to Japan at the 2019 tournament, which doubled as a qualifying event for the 2021 Tokyo Olym
pics.
For this year’s tournament, 12 teams have been drawn into two groups of six. South Korea is in Group B with Japan, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Australia and the Dominican Republic.
They will play preliminary games in Taipei, with Japan playing one game on home soil in Nagoya. The top two nations from each group will qualify for the Super Round, which will be contested entirely at Tokyo Dome in the Japanese capital.
The dome will also host the bronze medal game and the championship final on Nov. 24.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
