Now the monster is looking at the age of 40, but why did the WBC national team suddenly take out Ryu Hyun-jin's card

Dec 04, 2025

The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the LG Twins in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 31st. Hanwha Ryu Hyun-jin is on the mound in the top of the eighth inning. Daejeon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.10.31/

"There's a limit on the number of pitches in the first round..."

Could it be Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha). Or is it a card of repentance that director Ryu Ji-hyun has conceived early on.

On the 3rd, KBO confirmed and announced the list of Korean players to participate in the first off-season training for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team to be held in March next year.

The national team will hold its first camp in Saipan from January 9 and prepare for the WBC. After the second Okinawa training session, he will participate in the WBC main competition.

The national team has already played two warm-up matches with the Czech Republic and Japan since the end of the Korean Series. There is a difference between the entry at that time and the list of this first camp. Among them, the most noticeable one is the addition of Ryu Hyun-jin who is 'monster'.

Ryu Hyun-jin was the best ace in Korean baseball without needing an explanation. He has been selected for the national team from the rookie season to the Doha Asian Games, the Beijing Olympics, the 2nd WBC, and the Guangzhou Asian Games.

However, Ryu Hyun-jin is also looking at the day when he is old and now 40 years old. It is possible to see why Ryu Hyun-jin is awkwardly entering the national team, which has recently become younger.

2025 K-BASEBALL SERIES A warm-up match between South Korea and the Czech Republic was held at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 8th. Director Ryu Ji-hyun is lost in thought. Gocheok = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.11.08/

However, Ryu Hyun-jin's joining was detected early on. Coach Ryu did not deny much when Ryu Hyun-jin was mentioned ahead of the warm-up match against Japan. Ace Won Tae-in (Samsung) said "I know Hyun-jin will join, but he will lead well." If you come, you should do your best" I used to say. This means that there is already a consensus within the group. They are taking them to off-season training, but they have to let them train them and make the roster for the finals. As long as Ryu Hyun-jin doesn't have a big problem, it can be considered as a de facto confirmation of going to the finals.

The key is Ryu's performance. Ryu is still recognized as one of the league's top starting resources. He also contributed to Hanwha's advance to the Korean Series by winning nine games this year. But coolly, compared to his heyday, his ball power has dropped a lot. He threw well in the postseason, but he seemed to lose strength rapidly as the number of pitches exceeded 60 to 70. There is no choice but to question whether it will still work in the WBC, which has to meet a tense and stronger opponent.

Sportschosun DB

In response, Ryu said, `Ryu Hyun-jin was thinking of starting early on"You must consider the characteristics of the WBC competition. There is a limit on the number of pitches in the first round. It should be calculated that two starters must go in one game. So there should be a lot of selection. There was also a judgment that if there was a limit on the number of pitches, Ryu Hyun-jin would do his part sufficiently under the limit", he explained. As manager Ryu said, WBC cannot throw more than 65 pitches by a single pitcher in the first round. The quarterfinals will have 80 pitches and the stage will have 95 pitches. The selection of Ko Young-pyo (KT) can also be understood as this concept.

He also needed a player who would play the role of leader of the younger national team. Although Won Tae-in is playing a good role as a young leader as a pitcher, he absolutely needs a mentor within the team who can help him overcome the pressure when he goes to the main tournament. Ryu Hyun-jin can perform more than his performance here. It was an unmissable part for coach Ryu.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.