Ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), MLB.com reported expectations for a pitching matchup between Korea and Japan’s Young Guns.
On the 5th, MLB.com introduced 12 expected matchups for this tournament through an article titled ‘WBC 12 Dream Matchups’.
The matchup between South Korean national team outfielder Lee Jung-hoo (25) and Japanese national team pitcher Sasaki Rocky (22) was cited as one of them.
They described the matchup between the two players as a ‘wonderful international matchup’ and added that they were ‘potential MLB prospects’. 스포츠토토
It was evaluated that the two players are talented enough to work in the big leagues.
Lee Jung-hoo and Sasaki are stars representing Korean and Japanese professional baseball.
Lee Jung-hoo, a member of the Kiwoom Heroes, won the league MVP last season with a batting average of 0.349, 23 homers, and 113 RBIs. After this season, it was announced that he would enter the big league through the posting system.
Sasaki, a member of the Chiba Lotte Marines, made his professional debut in 2021 and has a career record of 12 wins, 6 losses, an average ERA of 2.10 and 241 strikeouts. He pitched a perfect game on April 10, 2022 against the Orix Buffaloes.
Meanwhile, MLB.com also reported Mike Trout (USA) vs Shohei Otani (Japan), Murakami Munetaka (Japan) vs Edwin Diaz (Puerto Rico), Freddie Freeman (Canada) Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Japan), Paul Goldschmidt (USA). vs Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic), and Mookie Betts (USA) vs Julio Urias (Mexico) were introduced as expected matchups.
In addition, Bobby Whit Jr. (USA) vs. Julio Rodriguez (Dominican Republic), Ronald Acuña Jr. (Venezuela) vs. Juan Soto (Dominican Republic), Manny Machado (Dominican Republic) vs. Nolan Arenado (USA), Zander Bogatz (Netherlands) vs Rafael Devers (Dominican Republic), Miguel Cabrera (Venezuela) vs Alfredo Despaine (Cuba), and the matchup between Adam Wainwright (USA) and Puerto Rico coach Yadier Molina.