WBC training camp offers chance for young players to pick veterans' brains

Kia Tigers third baseman Kim Do-yeong, right, prepares to depart Incheon International Airport for Saipan, Jan. 9, for the Korean national baseball team's training camp ahead of the World Baseball Classic. Yonhap

The two-week training camp in Saipan for the national baseball team held this month, ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), turned out to be more than just an opportunity for the players to get some early work in before the March tournament.

It also allowed some of the brightest young stars in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to pick the brains of accomplished veterans.

The first batch of 22 players and six coaches returned home Tuesday night, with manager Ryu Ji-hyun set to lead the remaining members of the squad and the coaching staff Wednesday night.

Among the returning players Tuesday was Kim Do-yeong, the 2024 KBO regular-season MVP for the Kia Tigers.

He is a no-brainer pick for the final WBC roster set to be announced early February, but the selection will be based on his track record, not on his 2025 season.

Kim, 22, suffered three separate hamstring injuries last year and was limited to a career-low 30 games out of the season's 144 games. And during the recent training camp, Kim found his new mentor in LG Twins center fielder Park Hae-min, the reigning iron man in the KBO.

Park, 35, has not missed a game since September 2021. He has played the full 144 games eight times, including the past four seasons in a row.

"I learned so much from these unbelievable veterans, either by asking them questions or just watching how they train. And I asked Park hae-min how he takes care of his body," Kim told reporters after arriving at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. "And there is a reason he has played in over 600 games in a row. I want to thank him for his help."

NC Dinos shortstop Kim Ju-won speaks after winning the Golden Glove award at the ceremony held at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul, Dec. 9, 2025. Yonhap

Kim said he had a blast working out in a team setting for the first time in quite a while — he had been limited to individual workouts while rehabbing his injury last season — and said he should be ready to go at the WBC.

Another infielder, NC Dinos shortstop Kim Ju-won, received more baseball-specific advice from one of Korea's best defenders, Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kim Hye-seong is primarily a second baseman but can play credible defense at shortstop too.

"This was a beneficial training camp for me because I got to train alongside Hye-seong," the 23-year-old Kim Ju-won said of the 26-year-old major league player. "I'd been working on using both hands to make backhanded catches, but he practiced getting grounders on a short hop with just one hand. I kept peppering him with questions and worked on my fundamentals."

With Kim Hye-seong having completed his first big league season, Kim Ju-won said he also asked the older player about life in America — with an eye on a major league career for himself.

"As time goes by, going to the majors no longer seems like a joke. Trying to turn that into a reality is a major source of motivation for me," said Kim Ju-won, coming off the best offensive season of his career with 15 home runs, 44 steals and a .289 batting average. He also grabbed his first career KBO Fielding Award at shortstop.

"I want to keep getting better and better each year to become good enough to compete in the U.S."

Hanwha Eagles right-hander Moon Dong-ju, 22, said he and his Eagles teammate Ryu Hyun-jin, a former big league All-Star, were inseparable during camp, just as they typically are over the course of a KBO season.

"We did everything together, from weight training to cardio work," Moon said. "I learned so much from his attention to detail when it comes to his training regimen. It made me realize why he is so great."

When not shadowing Ryu, Moon often played catch with Samsung Lions starter Won Tae-in.

"We've been close for quite some time, and we became even tighter after this camp," Moon said. "I asked him for his feedback with every ball I threw when we played catch. He is very consistent with his delivery, and he gave me plenty of good answers to my questions."