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Veteran pitchers joining nat'l team training camp for WBC

Published: 03 Dec. 2025, 17:04

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin pitches during Game 5 of the Korean Series against the LG Twins at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on Oct. 31. [YONHAP]

Two seasoned veteran pitchers have made the Korean national baseball team's training camp roster ahead of next year's WBC.

The KBO unveiled its 29-man training roster Wednesday, with manager Ryu Ji-hyun set to run training camp in Saipan from Jan. 9 to 21.

Ryu Hyun-jin, the 38-year-old starter for the Hanwha Eagles, and Noh Kyung-eun, the 41-year-old reliever for the SSG Landers, are among 16 pitchers on the squad. The camp will also feature 13 position players, including KT Wiz outfielder Ahn Hyun-min, the 2025 Rookie of the Year, and Kia Tigers infielder Kim Do-yeong, the 2024 KBO MVP.

After Korea used a youthful squad to participate in four exhibition games last month, two each against the Czech Republic and Japan, manager Ryu spoke about needing to add some veteran presence to the pitching staff.
Ryu Hyun-jin, a former major league All-Star, went 9-7 with a 3.23 ERA this year, ranking ninth in ERA among pitchers who threw at least 120 innings. Ryu has previously represented Korea at the 2006 Asian Games, the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2009 WBC and the 2010 Asian Games.

Noh has led the KBO in holds in each of the past two seasons, with 38 last year and 35 this year. The ageless wonder led the KBO with 77 appearances last year and ranked third this year with the same number of outings.

The KBO said it submitted its provisional roster of 35 players to the WBC organizing committee Wednesday, but the names cannot be disclosed per tournament regulations.

The deadline to finalize the 30-man roster is Feb. 3. The 2026 WBC runs from March 5 to 17.

The three Korean players who plied their trade in MLB this year, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants, Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers and free agent infielder Kim Ha-seong, were not named to the camp roster. However, they will likely be included on the final tournament squad.

Yonhap