Budding Korean star seeking to use knockout game as measuring stick

Kim Do-yeong of Korea takes part in practice for the quarterfinal game against the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park in Miami, Thursday (local time). Yonhap

The emerging Korean star Kim Do-yeong said Thursday he will use an upcoming knockout game at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) as a measuring stick for himself.

Kim has been batting leadoff for the national team for the whole tournament and will likely do so again when Korea faces the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals at loanDepot park in Miami on Friday.

Kim, the 2024 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) MVP for the Kia Tigers, is a household name in his native country but remains mostly unknown outside Korea. The opposing team, on the other hand, is full of Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Stars with impressive resumes.

"It's an honor to be playing against such great players, and I feel like I've grown so much during this tournament," Kim said at a press conference in Miami. "I still have much more work to do, and I think tomorrow's game will be an opportunity for me to see where I stand."

Kim set the KBO on fire in 2024, becoming the youngest player to enjoy a 30-30 campaign with 38 home runs and 40 steals at age 20. In 2025, however, Kim only played 30 of his team's 144 games due to three separate hamstring injuries.

Back healthy for the WBC, Kim had a home run and a double during pool play at Tokyo Dome, and is second on the national team with four RBIs.

In the quarterfinals, Kim will face starter Cristopher Sanchez, the runner-up in the National League Cy Young Award voting last year, with a handful of hard-throwing relievers waiting in the wings.

Kim said he won't be intimidated by either the pitching staff or what's expected to be a partisan Dominican crowd — having attended the Dominican-Venezuela game Wednesday.

"It was cool to see such a raucous crowd, and since I've already seen it in person, it won't affect me on the field during the game. I am going to try to have fun," Kim said. "The ball doesn't seem to fly as much as Tokyo Dome. I will have to bear down and stay locked in from the beginning."