“The opposing teams will increasingly use left-handed pitchers when they meet Japan in the WBC (World Baseball Classic). I do that.”
On the 22nd, Kiyoichiro Ogura, columnist for the Japanese media’Ilgandai’, said,’It is dangerous that the only major right-handed hitter in the Japanese baseball team going to the WBC in 2023 is Seiya Suzuki (29), who plays for the Chicago Cubs. I contributed on the theme of ‘I will unconditionally attach a left-handed pitcher to Japan.
Japan, which is going to the WBC in 2023, is evaluated as having the strongest power ever. Current major leaguers Shohei Otani (28, LA Angels), Yu Darvish (37, San Diego Padres), and Suzuki have confirmed their place on the national team, and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) home run champion and MVP Munetaka Murakami (23, Yakult Swallows), pitcher Prominent players such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto (25, Orix Buffaloes), who won four crowns, and Loki Sasaki (22, Chiba Lotte Marines), a fastball pitcher with a speed of 160km per hour, made their names in the final entry. Japan is determined to lift its 3rd championship trophy following 2006 and 2009.
However, Ogura pointed out the reality that Japan lacks strong right-handed hitters. He insisted, “I have a relationship with Japanese coach Hideki Kuriyama, and I want to support Samurai Japan (Japan national team), but a difficult fight is expected due to the lack of right-handed hitters.”
“Compared to left-handed hitters centered on Otani, a double-tapping star, and Murakami, who won three batting crowns, Suzuki is only a strong right-handed hitter. Suzuki was the best right-handed hitter in Japan, but last year, his debut season in the major leagues, he had a batting average of 0.262 and 14. He added that he had an average score with a home run.
The opposing team naturally has no choice but to respond with a left-handed pitcher against left-handed batters. Recently, there are many left-handed hitters who are good at dealing with left-handed pitchers, but it is true that it is theoretically more difficult to target left-handed pitchers than right-handed pitchers.
Ogura emphasized, “With the current entry composition, the opposing team will use left-handed pitchers more and more in Japan. If it were me, that’s the case. The lack of right-handed hitters in the Japanese national team is a problem in high school baseball as well. The number of prominent right-handed hitters is declining.” 안전놀이터
Korea was placed in Group B along with Japan at the WBC. On March 10th, we will play the second match of the first round of the tournament against Japan at the Tokyo Dome. Korea is most wary of its first match opponents, Australia and Japan, in order to advance to the quarterfinals.
There is also Ogura’s advice, but Korea has had a lot of fun by sending left-handed aces to Japan. Daeseong Koo (53) from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Gwanghyeon Kim (35, SSG Landers) from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Joong-geun Bong (43) from the WBC in 2009 inherited the lineage of left-handed killers in the Japan match.
Korea selected five left-handed pitchers for the final entry in this tournament: Kim Gwang-hyun, Yang Hyeon-jong (35), Lee Eui-ri (21, above KIA Tigers), Koo Chang-mo (27, NC Dinos), and Kim Yun-sik (23, LG Twins). Veterans Kim Gwang-hyun and Yang Hyeon-jong are expected to take the mound in important situations regardless of position, and there is a high possibility that Gu Chang-mo will be put to the test as the next left-handed ace.