Where's Ryu Hyunjin? The native ace of the KBO is wiped out! Kim Kwang-hyun Yang Hyun-jong and Won Tae-in can't see each other in the opening match
Mar 21, 2025
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The opening game of the 2025 professional baseball season will be played against 10 foreign starters. The heads of all 10 clubs made the same choice. There is not a single domestic pitcher.
Baseball is often divided into domestic and foreign players, collectively referred to as 'first starter', 'Ace', 'native ace', and 'native ace'native ace'. Looking at the opening pattern alone, this year is a season in which the gap has widened remarkably. A situation in which none of the domestic players have a player to self-identify 'Ace'.
KIA will have James Nail and NC will have Logan Allen. The 'sweeper master' Nail is a proven ace in his second year in Korea, and Logan is a pitcher from the Major League that NC newly recruited this season.
Samsung will have Ariel Hurado and Kiwoom will have Kenny Rosenberg. Samsung's Furado, a native of Kiwoom, and Kiwoom's only foreign pitcher Rosenberg appear to have stepped up. In particular, Kiwoom's second-year starter Kim Yoon-ha and rookie Jung Hyun-woo are third to fourth starters, except for Ha Young-min. Rosenberg's shoulders are as heavy as that.
The LG Twins put forward Yoni Chirinos and the Lotte Giants put forward Charlie Barnes. From the opening game, the first starter of the most recognized team, which is believed by the head coaches of the two teams, was in charge of the position of having to play 'Elotrasico'.
As expected, Cole Irvin, a former major leaguer, started the opening game for the Doosan Bears. As scheduled, SSG also has to counter Mitch White, a former major leaguer. But White is out with injuries. In SSG, Drew Anderson will compete against Kim Kwang-hyun.
KT's Enmanuel de Heysus, who played for Kiwoom last year, will also play in the opening game. Choices on behalf of William Cuevas, a KT longevity alien. Hanwha's choice against this is also noticeable. It's Cody Ponce, not Ryu Hyun-jin. He wants to save Ryu Hyun-jin, who is looking at the bullseye. Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, `I can play well in condition, but I'm not young anymore. I'll save it for the third time," he said, expressing his intention to use him as the third starter this season.
It is the first time in eight years that all 10 starters in the opening game have been filled with foreign pitchers since 2017. In both 2023 and 2024, the opening game sold out, exceeding 100,000 spectators per day.
Last season's strikeout king Kyle Hart is no longer in Korea. However, No. 2 Heysus, No. 3 Barnes and No. 4 Hurado will all play in the opening game. In addition, Irvin, Chirinos, Nails, and Logan are also evaluated as players who can dream of becoming the best pitchers this year. I wonder if the opening game will heat up or if there will be a sweaty pitching match amid the quality pitching of the aces.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
