SPRING TRAINING 2025
It’s that time of year again~ Spring Training for the 2025 season commences today for the KBO and the final rosters are posted!! This blog post will cover the Spring Training 2025 as accurately and up to date as possible through until the beginning of the season. I made some changes to not flood this one blog post, so the Exhibition Games will be covered in another blog post that is already up :) It has the dates, times and a bit more details for more of the pre-season activities.
If it happens or changes are made to this blog post again, I will let y’all know on my social media. Instagram and Bluesky are currently the only social media platforms I update on. I am working towards to havin updates on Youtube and Tiktok for both long and short form content. So y’all will have various platforms to get your updates, not just on here.
Instagram: arinicollemedia
Bluesky: arinicolle.bsky.social
EASY ACCESS LINKS TO EACH TEAM UPDATES: KIA TIGERS, NC DINOS, KIWOOM HEROES, LOTTE GIANTS, LG TWINS, HANWHA EAGLES, KT WIZ, SSG LANDERS, SAMSUNG LIONS
The Kia Tigers announced via their official Instagram (always_kia_tigers) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Irvine, California in the United States and Okinawa, Japan. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Lee Beom Ho
Coach: Kim Joo Chan, Son Seung Lak, Chung Jae Hun, Lee Dong Kul, Nakamura Takeshi, Hong Se Won, Jo Seung Bum, Kim Min Woo, Jo Jae Young, Yun Hae Jin
Power Analysis: Kim Sang Hun, Bang Seok Ho, Lee Jin Woo, Park Kyu Min, Shin Yong Jin
Trainers: Park Chang Min, Jeong Sang Ok, Jung Young, Jo Hui Young, Park Jun Seo, Hwang Jong Hyun
Pitchers: Yang Hyeon Jong (#54), Kim Dae Yu (#69), Lee Jun Young (#20), Im Gi Yeong (#17), Cho Sang Woo (#11), Jeon Sang Hyeon (#51), Yu Seung Chul (#10), Kim Ki Hoon (#53), Jung Hai Young (#62), Kim Do Hyun (#60), Choi Ji Min (#39), Hwang Dong Ha (#41), Yun Yeong Cheol (#13), Kwak Do Gyu (#0), Lee Eui Lee (#48), Kim Tae Hyeong (#23), James Naile (#40), Adam Oller (#33)
Catchers: Kim Tae Gun (#42), Han Jun Su (#55), Han Seung Taek (#26)
Infielders: Kim Seon Bin (#3), Seo Geon Chang (#58), Park Chan Ho (#1), Kim Gyu Seong (#14), Byeon Woo Hyeok (#29), Park Min (#37), Hong Jong Pyo (#6), Kim Do Yeong (#5), Yoon Do Hyun, Patrick Wisdom (#45)
Outfielders: Na Sung Bum (#47), Choi Hyeong Woo (#34), Lee Chang Jin (#8), Lee Woo Seong (#25), Choi Won Jun (#16), Park Jeong Woo (#15), Kim Seok Hwan (#35)
The Kia Tigers announced via their official Instagram (always_kia_tigers) their 2025 future’s team spring training roster. They will depart Korea from Incheon Airport to Kochi, Japan and train there from the 31st to February 28th.
Manager: Kim Kab Yong
Coach: Lee Sang Hwa, Lee Jeong Ho, Choi Hee Seop, Lee Hae Chang, Park Ki Nam, Lee Hyun Gon
Power Analysis: Nam Won Ho, Lee Jin Kyeong
Trainer: Baek Seung Hun, Park Jeong Wook, Kim Min Gi, Jo Jun Hee
Pitchers: Kim Keon Kook (#43), Kim Hyun Soo (#32), Lee Hyung Beom (#33), Kim Min Ju (#49), Jang Jae Hyuk (#65), Cho Dae Hyun (#67), Park Geon Woo (#03), Jang Min Gi (#06), Lee Do Hyun (#015), Hong Won Bin (#021), Kim Min Jae (#28), Choi Kun Hee (#028), Yang Su Ho (#59), Kim Jeong Yeop (#027)
Catchers: Joo Hyo Sang (#22), Lee Sang Jun (#44), Shin Myung Seung (#042)
Infielders: Choi Jeong Yong (#23), Oh Seon Woo (#56), Oh Jeong Hwan, Park Sang Jun (#05), Kim Du Hyeon (#12), Kim Min Je (#013), Um Jun Hyun (#031)
Outfielders: Koo Jong Wook (#57), Ye Jin Woo (#61), Lee Young Jae (#09), Jung Hae Won (#016), Park Heon (#036), Park Jae Hyun (#025)
The Kia Tigers announced via their official Instagram (always_kia_tigers) their 2025 Season Schedule.
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I want to apologize for neglecting the KIA Tigers :( I didn’t mean to honestly, I really jumped in head first with doing all ten teams. Nevertheless that changes today :) Granted the first post still isn’t a spring training related. It has more to do with a roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
KIA has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 43 coaches (the highest number for the 2025 season).
KIA registered 61 players, 5 rookies, with 32 pitchers (4 rookies), 5 catchers, 14 infielders and 10 outfielders (1 rookie).
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
UPDATE FEBRUARY 12th
FINALLY!! I have a ACTUAL KIA update for y’all :) Again, I apologize for neglecting them but Spring Training isn’t over until it is, so we’re gonna have a lil sumn sumn at least. We are talkin bout Patrick Wisdom today, KIA’s new foreign batter.
A lil bout Patrick Wisdom~
photo credit: OSEN
Patrick Wisdom is a right-handed hitter and first baseman. His strikeout rate in the MLB was pretty high, in 1,473 at-bats, he totaled 132 walks and 540 strikeouts with a career rate of 36.7%. According to the article he should fare a bit better and see an increase in contact rate as the average velocity in pitches is about 10 kph (roughly 6.2 mph) slower than the 160 kph (roughly 99.4 mph) in the MLB. Patrick Wisdom has (in 455 career games) a .279 AVG, 88 home runs, 207 RBI’s, 192 runs scored and a .750 OPS. 28 homers in 2021, 25 in 2022, 23 in 2023 and 8 in 2024. He had a rough patch with the Cubs in 2024, in 75 games he went 1-7, 23 RBI’s and 16 runs scored.
Comments:
Lee Beom Ho: “He has a great batting stance. He has a good baseball personality and gets along well with the players. When I asked the players ‘How is he with you’, they would say ‘He’s very good. I don’t think he’s going to strikeout’.
“I don’t think he’s gonna strikeout that much. I don’t know how the ball is going to go in but, his batting stance is really good right now. There’s not a lot of swing.”
“When you’re getting home runs and not getting hits, it can be a little bit of a psychological thing.”
“We don’t have that. We have a lot of good hitters behind you. At the beginning (of the season) you are adjusting and thinking you can’t hit. You don’t have to it.”
“He’s not a full hitter like Hanwha’s Roh Si Hwan but, a little bit like Kim Tae Gyun. Kim Tae Gyun has power, that’s how I see him. I think he’ll adapt well. I think he’ll be fine.”
“He’s good at first base defense. In the U.S., his main position is third base so he’s good at (defense). He catches well and throws well.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/109/0005241132
Told y’all I was gonna be doing these KIA updates to make up for lacking!!
CAA Sports? At the KIA Camp. Interesting~
According to the article, Nez Balelo paid a visit to the KIA Camp in Irvine, California and took an interest in Kim Do Yeong.
photo credit: 세계일보
A lil bit about the CAA~
The CAA (Creative Artist Agency) is the biggest talent agency in the United States. It has signed the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Kim Hye Seong, Son Heung MIn (Tottenham Hotspur), pro gamer Lee Sang Hyeok '“Faker”, actors Lee Jung Jae and Jung Ho Yeon as well as Former President Joe Biden.
A lil bit about Kim Do Yeong~
Kim Do Yeong is a 21 year old infielder with .347 AVG, 189 hits, 38 home runs, 40 doubles, 109 RBI’s, 143 runs scored and a 1.067 OPS (combined on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) in 141 games. He’s pretty much a superstar player with an amazing individual performance, earnin an MVP honor and takin the team to the championships. He has become the fourth player to ever earn a salary of 500 million won (a little over 344,000 USD) in his fourth year. Since he is young, he’ll need at least four more seasons under his belt before he can post for the MLB and complete his mandatory military service (through qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya and the 2028 Olympics).
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/022/0004010163
The NC Dinos announced via their official Instagram (ncdinos2011) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Tucson, Arizona in the United States and Tainan, Taiwan. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Lee Ho Joon
Coach: Seo Jae Weong, Kim Jong Min, Kim Jong Ho, Son Jeong Wook, Lee Yong Hoon, Chun Min Soo, Chi Seok Hoon, Jin Jong Kil, Cho Young Hun, Choi Kun Yong
Pitchers: Kim Min Gyu (#63), Kim Si Hoon (#21), Kim Jae Yeol (#32), Kim Jin Ho (#54), Kim Tae Hyun (#15), Riley Thompson (#3), Logan Allen (#12), Ryu Jin Wook (#41), Mok Ji Hoon (#20), Park Ju Hyeon (#67), Bae Jae Hwan (#61), So Rhee Hyun (#50), Lee Jae Hak (#51), Lim Sang Hyeon (#28), Lim Jung Ho (#13), Jun Ru Geon (#47), Jeon Sa Min (#57), Choi Sung Young (#26), Choi Woo Seok (#64), Han Jae Seung (#55)
Catchers: Kim Jeong Ho (#104), Kim Hyung Jun (#25), Park Sei Hyok (#10), An Joong Yeol (#1)
Infielders: Park Min Woo (#2), Kim Ju Won (#7), Kim Han Byul (#68), Kim Whee Jip (#44), Matt Davidson (#24), Do Tae Hun (#16), Seo Ho Cheol (#5), Han Jae Hwan (#35)
Outfielders: Kwon Hui Dong (#36), Kim Beom Jun (#66), Park Kun Woo (#37), Park Si Won (#39), Son Ah Seop (#31), Song Seung Hwan (#8)
UPDATE: FEBRUARY 3rd
Finally getting around to push out some NC updates for y'all I'm so sorry some of the teams are being neglected.
the article has a small video so no photo to break the content up
NC have finally begun their first half of spring training in Tucson, Arizona, USA. On the 21st they'll have their second camp in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The NC squad (including head coach Lee Ho Joon) will then play exhibition games until March 18th.
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/056/0011885017
NC Dinos started their spring training at Reed Park's Enexfield in Tucson, Arizona on the 1st. They're training a bit different from other teams were they're doing more of a "experimental training" - the players will be training according to their characteristics (as mentioned in the article).
photo credit: MYDAILY
According to the article, this seems to mean that vetern players have a bit more free reign and are left to their own training regime. Whilst the younger players have a more planned regime to focus and hone "one thing" - people who need to run bases will focus on that, hitters on hitting, etc
As the article mentions (and I agree) the outcome of this will be interesting as we move more through spring training into the exhibition games and then finally the start of the season.
Comments:
Lee Ho Joon: "This CAMP 2 is a time of perseverance and growth."
"(The camp) will be mentally and physically demanding, our goal is to stay injury-free, and the most important thing is that we don't get injured. During CAMP 2, let's stay focused and move forward step by step to achieve our individual and team goals."
"I can't use it halfway. We have about 20 days in the U.S., and the training time is short. If you bat for 30 minutes, field for 40 minutes, and run for 40 minutes in 20 days, what will you get out of the three? I'm trying to make it so that I can do one thing right. That's what I'm going to try to do with this system while I'm here."
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/117/0003908877
We have a bit more in-depth knowledge on how the Dinos will be running, at least, the first half of CAMP 2. There's a lot of cross position training that seems to be happening between infield and outfield - training is intense with all day training basically breakfast, lunch, dinner you are training.
photo credit: SPORTSSEOUL
You good at that one thing - you trainin that one thing with very lottle other training scattered throughout (seemingly) very much honing the strengths of players. You get to make your own plan that suits your needs, honing those strengths and specialities you have and bring the team.
Comments:
Lee Ho Joon: "This camp is a time of perseverance and growth."
"This US camp is a time of perseverance and growth. It will be mentally and physically tough, our goal is to train with patience and grow from it."
"The most important thing is that we don't get injured. We want to stay focused and take small steps forward during the camp. I hope we can finish the camp with our personal goals and our team goals."
"We focus on what we need. If (Kim) Han Byul is a backup in the infield, we'll use him as a backup in the outfield, so we'll have him bat in the morning and afternoon without any batting practice. (Kim) Beom Jun or (Han) Jae Hwan will only bat in the morning, afternoon, and night training, except for a group batting practice in the morning. If we want to use him as a specialist at shortstop, he'll only do shortstop training in the morning, afternoon, and night."
Riley Thompson: "The first workout wasn't too different from what I usually do, the details and stuff, it was pretty dynamic and fun. I can't wait to get into the team and get better."
Logan Allen: "I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of the team, the coaching staff, and everyone during the workouts. I'm looking forward to getting ready for the team's schedule during CAMP 2."
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/468/0001123749
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I will have more updates published today :) but currently it’s a small one on the 2025 roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
NC has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 34 coaches.
NC registered 59 players, 4 rookies, with 32 pitchers (3 rookies), 4 catchers, 12 infielders (1 rookie), and 11 outfielders.
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
The Kiwoom Heroes announced via their official Instagram (heroesbaseballclub) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Mesa, Arizona in the United States and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The 2025 roster includes:
Pitchers: Won Jong Hyan (#46), Kim Seon Gi (#49), Kim Seong Min (#8), Ha Yeong Min (#50), Ju Seung Woo (#30), Park Ju Seong (#0), Lee Kang Jun (#37), Kim Dong Kyu (#99), Kim Yoon Ha (#19), Park Bum Jun (#45), Kim Yeon Ju (#68), Son Hyun Gi (#63), Kenny Rosenberg (#22)
Catchers: Kim Jae Hyun (#32), Kim Gun Hee (#12), Kim Dong Heon (#47)
Infielders: Song Sung Mun (#24), Lee Won Seok (#17), Oh Sun Jin (#60), Choi Joo Hwan (#53), Kang Jin Sung (#27), Kim Tae Jin (#1), Kim Woong Bin (#10), Kim Byeong Hwi (#23), Seo Yu Shin (#98)
Outfielders: Lee Yong Kyu (#15), Lee Hyung Jong (#36), Kim Dong Yub (#38), Im Ji Yeol (#29), Park Soo Jong (#14), Lee Ju Hyeong (#2), Yasiel Puig (#66), Ruben Cardenas (#4)
On January 31st, the Kiwoom Heroes announced via their official Instagram (heroesbaseballclub) their 2025 future’s team Spring Training roster for Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The future’s team will train from February 2nd to 23rd. Travelling to Border Qingpu Baseball Stadium will be 40 coaching staff (including head coach Seol Jong Jin) and 34 players (12 of which are rookies drafted in the 2025 draft). The Futures camp will overlap with the second half of the First Team camp for a few days. So it’ll be interestin to find out if some crossovers will happen during that time.
Pitchers: Oh Seok Joo (#31), Cho Sung Hun (#43), Cho Young Gun (#20), Kim In Beom (#67), Yun Seok Won (#95), Park Yun Seong (#35), Jeon Jun Pyo (#62), Lee Woo Hyun (#40), Kim Ju Hun (#69), Jung Hyun Woo (#13), Kim Seo Jun (#59), Park Jeong Hun (#94), Yoon Hyun (#96), Jeong Se Yeong (#77), Oh Hye Seong (#83), Jeong Dong Jun (#85)
Catchers: Park Jun Hyeong (#75), Park Seong Bin (#56), Kim Ji Sung (#65)
Infielders: Park Ju Hong (#57), Lee Ju Hyeong (#58), Lee Seung Won (#26), Lee Jae Sang (#5), Ko Young Woo (#44), Song Ji Hoo (#86), Shim Hwi Yun (#91), Eo Jun Seo (#92), Yeo Dong Wook (#93), Jeon Tae Hyun (#97), Yang Hyun Jong (#70), Kwon Hyuk Bin (#71)
Outfielders: Lim Byeong Wook (#6), Ju Seong Won (#25), Park Chae Wool (#79)
The Kiwoom Heroes announced via their official Instagram (heroesbaseballclub) their 2025 Season Schedule.
UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2nd
A lil mini update from the Heroes camp~ About foreign pitcher Kenny Rosenberg.
photo credit: SPORTSTIMES
A lil about Kenny Rosenberg days~
The Heroes are currently in Mesa, Arizona at Arizona Athletics Grounds for their spring training. Kenny Rosenberg had two bullpens so far (January 28th and January 31st), according to the article. He threw 30 pitches, 80% intensity in the bullpen - fastballs, curve balls, sliders and changeups the first time. He threw 40, leveled up the intensity in the second bullpen.
Comments:
Kenny Rosenberg: “I feel pretty good. I was nervous in the first pitch because there were a lot of staff watching but, today I was relaxed.”
“Unlike the last pitch, where I focused on my conditioning, today I threw as if it was a real game and thought about the pitches and the course.”
“I will continue to work on my routine for the rest of the camp and prepare for the season.”
Lee Seung Ho: “I think he’s been preparing well. Both times he pitched, he showed steady delivery.”
“He didn’t throw much outside the strike zone.”
Kim Gun Hee: “I haven’t gotten many pitches yet but, he has good control. I’ll work on my breathing down during camp.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/472/0000034714
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I will have more updates to publish today :) but currently it’s a small one on the 2025 roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
Kiwoom has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 16 coaches.
Kiwoom registered 61 players, 9 rookies, with 25 pitchers (4 rookies), 4 catchers, 18 infielders (5) and 14 outfielders.
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
UPDATE FEBRUARY 12th
As we know, I’m a sucka for some cute and wholesome moments and this Kiwoom update I’ve been meaning to post is just that. Yasiel Puig had a visit from fans on the third at the training grounds; the family drove seven hours from LA to Mesa, Arizona. They watched him a train a bit around the ground and when free time came around they all greeted each other.
photo credit: YONHAPNEWS
Puig chatted with them, took photos and signed balls and plushies~ Everyone left with a grateful and special memory and it’s just so cute.
Comments:
Kiwoom Official: “They were wearing Dodgers jersey’s and hats, so we knew they were fans of Puig.”
Yasiel Puig: “It’s a long way from LA to come here; I’m very grateful and touched that they came to support me.”
“I’m motivated by my family’s support, I’m sure I’ll do well this season.”
Fan (Mother): “When I heard Puig was training in Arizona last weekend, I came with my husband and son. We’ve been rooting and still love Puig since his Dodger days when he was nicknamed ‘Bronco’ and wish him a healthy season in the KBO.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/001/0015190473
Again I am what? A sucka for cute and wholesome! I love seeing teammates and even former players get together and have fun! And that’s exactly what happened. Former Kiwoom Heroes player, Lee Jung Hoo (San Francisco Giants) met up with his former team in Arizona. One day, after training, the Kiwoom squad had a kbbq party and Lee Jung Hoo joined them.
Kiwoom, unfortunately, finished last place last year going 58-86 with .403 winning percentage. In 2023, Kiwoom managed 58 wins, 83 losses, 3 draws with a .411 winning percentage finishing last for a second year in a row. Kiwoom is determined for ‘Hero Corps’ to make a comeback this season and I’m excited to see it personally.
photo credit: SPORTSCHOSUN
The article covers Lee Jung Hoo a lil bit so, let’s get to know him (a lil) if you don’t~
Lee Jung Hoo is a 26 year old outfielder for the San Francisco Giants and a former outfielder for the Kiwoom Heroes. He was drafted in the first round of the 2017 KBO Draft, straight outta high school and rose to be one of the more prominent sluggers. He went on to become an all-time leader in batting average in his mid-20’s playing in 884 games (until 2023), .340 batting average (3,476 hits, 1,181 at-bats) a .407 OPS, 65 home runs, 515 RBI’s and 581 runs scored. In 2024, he started the season high and pretty much becoming no. 1 hitter but unfortunately had to end his season early due to injury. A performance prediction system site predicts he’ll hit .294, rank fifth and play 143 games. Overall prediction is .294 hits, .351 OPS, .438 slugging percentage, 14 home runs, 63 RBI’s 13 doubles and 89 runs scored for 2025 if he remains healthy.
The article mentions it so let’s get down into his contract~
He posted for the MLB in 2023 and went on to play for the San Francisco Giants signing a pretty hige six-year contract. His six year contract is 113 million USD (approx. 164.7 billion won) in turn this gave Kiwoom a pretty penny in posting fees. If he were to ever opt out in his contract, Kiwoom will bank 12.67 million USD (approx. 18.4 billion won) in fees. On the other side, they’ll bank 18.82 million dollars (approx. 27.4 billion won) if he fulfills his contract. Either way this man is bringin a check.
Comments:
Lee Jung Hoo: “I’m cheering for Kiwoom this season.”
“A few days ago, I invited some of the players to my house for a meal but, it’s been a long time since I met the entire squad. It was really a nice and meaningful time.”
“I wish Kiwoom the best of luck this season.”
“I support Kiwoom’s drive for this season.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/076/0004241031
The Lotte Giants announced via their official Instagram (busanlottegiants) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Tainan, Taiwan and Miyazaki, Japan. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Kim Tae Hyoung
Coach: Cho Won Woo, Kim Min Jae, Im Hoon, Lee Sung Kon, Joo Hyung Kwang, Lee Jae Yul, Chung Sang Ho, Kim Min Ho, Ko Young Min, Yoo Jae Sin, Baek Eo Jin, Cho Se Beom
Trainers: Lee Byeong Guk, Kim Tae Hyun, Lee Dae Seung, Cho Dong Kwan, Kim Dong Hwan
Pitchers: Charlie Barnes (#28), Tucker Davidson (#36), Jin Hae Soo (#31), Kim Sang Su (#24), Koo Seung Min (#22), Kim Won Jung (#34), Han Hyun Hee (#1), Park Se Woong (#21), Na Gyun An (#43), Park Jin (#44), Jeong Cheol Won (#65), Choi Jun Yong (#56), Jeong Hyeon Su (#57), Lee Byung Jun (#45), Song Jae Young (#59), Kim Jin Uk (#15), Lee Min Seok (#37), Park Joon Woo (#58), Kim Tae Hyun (#66), Park Se Hyeon (#68)
Catchers: Yoo Kang Nam (#27), Jeong Bo Keun (#42), Baek Du San (#62), Park Kun Woo (#109), Park Jae Yeob (#63)
Infielders: Jung Hoon (#9), Park Seung Wook (#53), Choi Hang (#14), Son Ho Young (#33), Jeon Min Jae (#13), Go Seung Min (#2), Na Seung Yeop (#51), Han Tae Yang (#60), Lee Ho Jun (#30)
Outfielders: Jeon Jun Woo (#8), Victor Reyes (#29), Hwang Seong Bin (#0), Lee In Han (#54), Jang Du Seong (#7), Cho Se Jin (#5), Yoon Dong Hee (#91)
On February 9th, Lotte Giants announced via their official Instagram (busanlottegiants) their 2025 Futures Spring Training roster. Their training will take place in Tainan, Taiwan from February 12th to March 6th. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Kim Yong Hee
Coach: Lee Byung Kyu, Moon Kyu Hyun, Kim Sang Jin, Baik Yong Hwan, Mun Dong Hwan, Park Jeong Hyeon
Trainers: Jang Jae Young, Lee Young Jun, Yoo Seung Hoon
Pitchers: Park Si Young (#25), Hyeon Do Hoon (#17), Park Jin Hyung (#40), Shim Jae Min (#23), Kim Kang Hyun (#19), Shin Byung Ryul (#12), Jeong Woo Joon (#46), Hong Min Ki (#38), Bae Se Jong (#122), Jeong Sun Woo (#115), Kim Hyun Woo (#101), Lee Young Jae (#103)
Catchers: Son Seong Bin (#6), Eum Jang Yoon (#123), Kang Seung Koo (#39)
Infielders: Kim Min Sung (#16), Noh Jin Hyuk (#52), Lee Ju Chan (#116), Kim Dong Gyu (#121), Kim Se Min (#119), Lee Tae Kyung (#111)
Outfielders: Shin Yoon Hoo (#3), Kim Dong Hyeok (#50), Kim Dong Hyun (#102), Han Seung Hyun (#106)
UPDATE: JANUARY 25th
The first photos have come out from the Giants camp for Spring Training~
The Lotte Giants will be training at the Asia Pacific International Baseball Stadium in Tainan, Taiwan for about three/four weeks. Nothing but high praise for the climate and the training facilities. Asia Pacific is equipped with a main stadium, youth baseball field, indoor training center, a secondary field and a weight room with natural grass and ground dirt field.
photo credit: XSPORTSNEWS
The Giants camp has been going hard with off-season training in preparation for this upcoming season. Quickly moving into final training on a three week, four-day, one-day schedule in Miyazaki, Japan in the fall. Their first day so far has been to focus on the players’ physical conditions as their travel schedule was Incheon - Taipei - Tainan, so that travel and recoup time was taken into consideration. The time difference isn’t much, only an hour but as we know a travel day can drain you physical a lot and the bus from the airport to the accomodations in Taiwan was nearly five hours.
Their first day consisted of ground training in the morning (with pitching staff ending official workouts before 1pm), then lunch with weights in the afternoon and ending the day with a video on defense.
Comments from the coaches:
Manager Kim Tae Hyoung: “The schedule is tight, but I emphasized not to push ourselves too hard.”
“The defense camp took up a lot of training for the younger players. It was unfortunate that Na Seung Yeop was selected for the national team and Son Ho Young and Go Seung Min were not fit. However, each player has their own personal reasons and we have to be careful of injuries. I think we will be able to prepare well for the Taiwan camp by following the schedule for each part.”
“I told the coaches to keep the schedule (for the first camp) tight, but to not overdo it. You can tell the players’ fatigue level from the sidelines. If you push them too hard, it can lead to injuries.”
“The veterans are able to pace themselves, but the younger players might try to push the pace and overdo it. And that’s something that the coaches try to keep an eye on.”
Comments from players:
Jeon Jun Woo: “We must never get injured. The moment you get injured, you have to start all over again with the things you worked hard on all year.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/311/0001820541
To expand upon the update from above we have little wholesome moments again with the players interacting and having a fun time together. I know they have to as they need team work for their job but, I do like seein them have a fun time and interact warmly with each other. As we know the Giants have begun their first day of spring training with a more laid back day to get adjusted and recoup from the long travel day the day prior. Arriving later the same day in comparison to the rest of the team, the Giants staff planned to let both foreign pitchers, Charlie Barnes and Tucker Davidson, rest and recoup in the hotel to adjust to the time difference and recoup.
photo credit: XSPORTSNEWS
The two insisted on training though, even if it was for a few minutes to only an hour. The two pitchers joined their teammates at around 11 am with Tucker Davidson formally introducing himself to his manager, coaching staff and teammates. Davidson is new to the team and Barnes is a re-sign as he’s been with Lotte since 2022. They did some light stretching and played catch then toured the facilities joining the team for lunch and then returning to the hotel.
A lil more about our two pitchers~
Charlie Barnes is entering his fourth year in the KBO with the Giants. 9-6, 3.35 ERA in 25 games, 150⅔ innings pitched. He unfortunately missed a month of the 2024 season due to injury but that didn’t knock him being a very good starter down. In the second half of 2024 he went 6-4, 3.19 ERA in 14 games, 87⅓ innings.
Tucker Davidson is new to the scene, expressing how he’s looking forward to the challenge that the KBO has to bring. Davidson is 6’5 left handed pitcher and is 4-10, 5.76 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 129⅔ innings in 56 games (17 starts) in the MLB. He was born in 1996, was with Triple-A in 2024 (5-11, 3.89 ERA, 104 strikeouts in 115⅔ innings over 32 games (17 starts)).
Comments from the Camp:
Giants Official: “We told them that they didn’t have to participate in today’s training because they arrived in Taiwan late the night before. Both Barnes and Tucker were willing to get out on the field and sweat a little even though we told them to take it easy.”
Barnes: “I came out to the ballpark to warm up a little bit, It’s much better to move your body than to stay in a hotel all day. I had a great time with my family last winter and worked hard to prepare for the 2025 season last winter. I was looking forward to coming back to Lotte for a day like today.”
Tucker: “Coming to Taiwan, I was tired from sitting on the plan for so long, so I came to the ballpark to move my body a little bit. It was a short time, but I got to meet a lot of people for the first time. Lotte seems to be a very energetic team.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/311/0001820597
UPDATE: JANUARY 27th
Seems to be going well for Lotte’s new pitcher, Tucker Davidson. He had his first bullpen practice today~ and everyone was pleased. According to the article, he threw 30 pitches and was in synced with Lotte catcher, Jeong Bo Keon.
photo credit: XSPORTSNEWS
A lil bit more about Tucker Davidson~
As mentioned previously, Tucker Davidson is a 6’2, left handed, American born pitcher. He was born in 1996 and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2016 (making his MLB debut in 2020). His MLB stats are: 56 games (17 starts) 5.76 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 129⅔ innings. While with the Braves, he went to the World Series in 2021 and earned a ring. His 2024 Triple-A stats: 32 games (17 starts) 5-11 3.89 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 115⅔ innings. He can top at the mid to high 90’s (fastball) and has quiet an array under his belt: slider, sweeper, splitter and curve.
Comments:
Kim Tae Hyoung: “He didn’t throw at 100 percent because it’s still early in the camp but we’ll see how it goes in practice later but the bullpen pitches themselves we fine today.”
Jeong Bo Keon: “He wasn’t throwing hard, but you could tell he had good stuff. His fastball has power and his changeup had sharp movement. He also had a variety of pitches. I’ve heard he’s a good pitcher but I’m looking forward to seeing more.”
Tucker Davidson: “I felt too good. Too good for my own good. I’m really looking forward to the future. Lotte is a great team. I’m happy that my new teammates have made me feel very welcomed, I’m determined to do my best to help Lotte this year.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/311/0001821016
UPDATE FEBRUARY 9th
After some minor changes to to blog page we are back with the updates~
photo credit: YONHAP NEWS
This covers two Giants players out of the many on the team that are in their early to mid 20’s. With the closeness in age, a lot of these teammates end up close like Son Seong Bin (catcher, 23) and Yoon Dong Hee (outfielder, 21). Though on complete opposite ends of the field (position wise), according to the article, they share a room (in the hotel) when they travel to away games.
A lil bout Son Seong Bin~
Son Seong Bin was drafted first pick in 2021 to the Lotte Giants, he was fresh outta high school and in his rookie year he appeared in 20 games. After his rookie season he did his mandatory military service in the Korean Armed Forces Athletic Corps. (KAFAC) with the Sangmu Phoenix. In 2023, he doubled it with 45 games. He peeped a lot of interest with his ability to prevent stolen bases and his physique as he has strong (essentially broad) shoulders. In 2024, he played in 86 games and essentially was the main catcher (for the 2024 season) after Yoo Kang Nam (Lotte’s main catcher) was injured. He had a .197 AVG (with 6 home runs) in 2024. Unfortunately, he suffered a wrist injury towards the end of the 2024 season; having to undergo surgery in October. He has been in recovery and is fully recovered to join the second team in Tainan for spring training.
He’ll be in competition again for the main back-up catcher spot for the 2025 season.
Sharing the same goal as Yoon Dong Hee, they want to take the Giants to fall baseball (post season). They both haven’t been in their careers.
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/425/0000159188
photo credit: SPORTS경향 (left: Son Seong Bin , right: Yoon Dong Hee)
A lil bit bout Yoon Dong Hee~
Yoon Don Hee is a 21 year old right handed, center fielder for the Lotte Giants. He was drafted right out of high school in the 2022 Rookie Draft, appearing in four main team games in his rookie year. In 2023, he started catchin more eyes appearing in 107 games, battin .287 (two home runs) and 41 RBIs. He won a gold medal in the Asian Games as well. In 141 games, he batted .293 (14 home runs) and 84 RBIs for the 2024 season. He is the highest paid player on the team as of the 2025 season. He earned 90 million won (roughly almost $62,000) last season and earned a 122.2% salary increase (200 million won (roughly over $137,000).
He is currently in Tainan, Taiwan with the first team for spring training.
Comments:
Son Seong Bin: “I talk a lot with (Yoon) Dong Hee about this and that, and it helps me a lot. Even though he’s a year younger than me, he has a lot of experience in the first team. So I rely on him.”
“When I saw my teammates playing in fall baseball, they looked happy and I was really jealous of them. The team also wants to go higher.”
Yoon Dong Hee: “I was always hearing about fall baseball. The more I heard about it, the more I wanted to go. I will do my best to make it happen.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/144/0001017669
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
Another Lotte Futures team update~
Aside from the usual spring training happenings, physical training and technical training, the futures team will play Taiwanese pro teams. About nine games will take place and the teams are: Taigang Hawks, Fubang Guardians, Weizhuan Dragons, Rakuten Monkeys and Tung Yi Lions.
photo credit: YONHAPNEWS
Some comments from the article:
Son Seong Bin: “I want to play baseball as soon as possible because I am in good physical condition. I want to quickly improve my physical condition in a good environment and warm climate so that I can help the team be in a higher position in the upcoming season.”
“I will do a good job of preparing for the season with the coach and manager at the Futures Camp.”
Kim Dong Hyuk / Futures Team Captain: “I started training in Sangdong and was getting in good shape. I heard that the camp environment is good.”
“The manager, coaches and players are all in a goods mood. As the captain of the Futures Team, I will do my best to lead the team’s atmosphere.”
The camp includes Futures manager / head coach Kim Yong Hee, 10 coaches and 25 players (12 pitchers, 3 catchers, 6 infielders and 4 outfielders).
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/001/0015205352
I’ll have more updates to publish today :) but currently it’s a small one on the 2025 roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) their are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
Lotte has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 35 coaches.
Lotte registered 60 players, 3 rookies, with 31 pitchers (2 rookies), 7 catchers (1 rookie), 13 infielders and 9 outfielders.
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
The LG Twins announced via their official Instagram (lgtwinsbaseballclub) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Arizona, United States and Okinawa, Japan. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Youm Kyoung Youb
Coach: Kim Jeong Jun, Kim Yong Il, Park Kyung Oan, Song Ji Man, Kim Il Gyeong, Jung Soo Sung, Kim Gwang Sam, Chang Jin Yong, Mo Chang Min, Kim Jae Yool, Yoon Jin Ho, Shin Jae Woong, Park Jong Gon, An Young Tae, Lee Gwon Youb, Ko Jeong Hwan, Kim Jong Wook, Yoo Hyun Won
Pitchers: Im Chan Kyu (#1), Lee Woo Chan (#21), Park Myeong Geun (#39), Kim Dae Hyun (#12), Kim Young Jun (#35), Jin Woo Young (#48), Baek Seung Hyeon (#61), Woo Kang Hoon (#20), Song Seung Gi (#13), Heo Jun Hyeok (#58), Sung Dong Hyun (#34), Heo Yong Joo (#43), Lee Ji Kang (#32), Jang Hyun Sik (#50), Son Ju Young (#29), Jung Woo Young (#18), Kim Young Woo (#67), Choo Se Hyeon (#63), Kim Kang Ryul (#37), Sim Chang Min (#28), Choi Chae Heung (#56), Elieser Hernandez (#30), Yonny Chirinos (#46)
Catchers: Park Dong Won (#27), Lee Ju Heon (#26), Park Min Ho (#106), Lee Han Lim (#00)
Infielders: Oh Ji Hwan (#10), Kim Seong Jin (#36), Moon Bo Gyeong (#2), Austin Dean (#23), Shin Min Jae (#4), Gu Bon Hyeok (#6), Kim Min Su (#16), Moon Jeong Bin (#53), Lee Young Bin (#7)
Outfielders: Kim Hyun Soo (#22), Park Hae Min (#16), Moon Sung Ju (#8), Hong Chang Ki (#51), Song Chan Ui (#14)
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I want to apologize for neglecting the LG Twins :( I didn’t mean to honestly, I really jumped in head first with doing all ten teams. Nevertheless that changes today :) Granted the first post still isn’t a spring training related. It has more to do with a roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
LG has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 33 coaches.
LG registered 61 players, 6 rookies, with 33 pitchers (2 rookies), 5 catchers (1 rookie), 11 infielders (1 rookie) and 12 outfielders (2 rookies).
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
The Hanwha Eagles announced via their official Instagram (hanwhaeagles_soori) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Melbourne, Australia and Okinawa, Japan. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Kim Kyung Moon
Coach: Yang Seung Gwan, Yang Sang Moon, Kim Min Ho, Kim Jeong Min, Kim Woo Seok, Kim Jae Gul, Choo Seung Woo, Jung Hyun Suk, Yoon Kyu Jin
Trainers: Lee Ji Poong, Jang Se Hong, Kim Hyung Wook, Kim Yeon Gyu, Um Kang Hyeon, Son Ho Young
Pitchers: Ryu Hyun Jin (#99), Ryan Weiss (#55), Cody Ponce (#34), Lee Tae Yang (#46), Ju Hyun Sang (#66), Han Seung Hyeok (#26), Park Sang Won (#58), Kim Beom Su (#47), Um Sang Back (#11), Lee Sang Kyu (#18), Kim Ki Joong (#15), Bae Dong Hyun (#61), Moon Seung Jin (#96), Moon Dong Ju (#1), Kim Seo Hyeon (#44), Seong Ji Hoon (#57), Cho Dong Uk (#68), Kim Do Bin (#62), Jeong Woo Joo (#43), Kwon Min Kyu (#64), Park Bu Seong (#111)
Infielders: Chae Eun Seong (#22), An Chi Hong (#3), Sim Woo Jun (#2), Lee Do Yoon (#7), Roh Si Hwan (#8), Kim Keon (#56), Kwon Kwang Min (#17), Moon Hyun Bin (#51), Hwang Young Mook (#95), Lee Sang Hyun (#112)
Outfielders: Estevan Florial (#30), Kim Tae Yean (#25), Lee Jin Young (#10), Lee Won Seok (#50), Lim Jong Chan (#24), Choi In Ho (#41), Lee Sang Hyeok (#9), Choi Jun Seo (#94), Lee Min Jae (#110)
Catchers: Lee Jae Won (#20), Choi Jae Hun (#13), Park Sang Un (#42), Heo In Seo (#59), Han Ji Yun (#67)
Via both the Hanwha Eagles and Melbourne Aces Official Instagrams, the two teams will face off against each other at Melbourne Ballpark on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of February. You can purchase tickets via https://melbourneaces.com.au/tickets/
UPDATE: JANUARY 24th
A lil wholesome moment, in my opinion, coming out of the Eagles camp today~
photo credit: OSEN
As we know on January 22nd, the Hanwha Eagles first camp departed Korea for Melbourne, Australia and will train at Melbourne Ballpark until February 19th before travelling to Okinawa, Japan for the second half of spring training,
Our three foreign (non Korean) athletes have landed in Melbourne, apart from the team, and decided to have some bonding time together. Ryan Weiss, Cody Ponce and Estevan Florial had a nice dinner together, introducing themselves and sharing their 2025 season goals. I dunno, I just find this incredibly wholesome as the season is only just beginning. Weiss and Florial arrived around the same time as the Hanwha team on the morning of the 22nd with Ponce, alongside his wife, arrived on the 23rd. It was said that their was little to no awkwardness among the three athletes as they chatted about various topics.
A quote from Weiss: “It felt good to meet and eat with my teammates first. All our foreign players this season speak fluent English, so communication shouldn’t be a problem. I’m personally looking forward to this season.”
Ryan Weiss is a returning Hanwha Eagles from the 2024 season (he was an injury replacement). Weiss went “went 5-5 with a 3.73 ERA in 16 games (91⅔ innings) and was resigned after conversations of a full-time contract”.
Some quotes from Ponce and Florial:
Ponce: “I’m personally excited and honored to be playing with Weiss and Florial. I’ve heard that Hanwha fans are one of the most passionate in the KBO, and I hope to finish this season with their support.”
Florial: “I’m grateful to Ponce and Weiss for reaching out to me. They both seem to have really nice personalities. I speak English, so communication is not a problem. I hope to contribute to the team’s good performance this season alongside Ponce and Weiss.”
UPDATE: JANUARY 26th
Hanwha Eagles first camp seems to be goin good in Melbourne. The team has a new hitting coach, Kim Min Ho (64) who is a former slugger for the Lotte Giants and has a history of coaching for both Lotte and the NC Dinos after he retired. So far the former slugger has nothing but praise for the Eagles batters.
photo credit: SPORTS SEOUL AND NEWS1
The training atmosphere is so far good, including the six rookies that joined the first team camp for the 2025 season.
On the pitching side of things, an interview was conducted with Hanwha’s pitching coach. He explained in the article why so many young pitchers are on the first team camp this season and what to expect. The theme for training is ‘preparing to win’. He wants: throwin strikes and throwin them with confidence. He wants the focusin on themselves during training and dense. He doesn’t want them throwin on rest days, he wants them adapting to conditions and building. That by the end of camp they can be throwing more than 100 pitches three times.
With Um Sang Back, a free-agent signed to Hanwha during the off-season, it’s described that the rotation has a bit of a southern flavor. We have our foreign one-two punch in Ryan Weiss and Cody Ponce with Ryu Hyun Jin, Um Sang Back and Moon Dong Ju and younger pitchers such as: Kim Seo Hyeon, Hwang Jun Seo and Jeong Woo Joo this is quite the rotation.
this is quite the rotation.
(a lil excerpt - Hanwha has a new stadium and imma forreal try to get up in there and do content. I am not far from Daejeon so it’s possible)
A lil bit about Hanwha’s 2024 season. Batters average was .270, eight out of ten teams. Overall the team ranked in the bottom half of all offensive metrics, including seventh in team home runs (127), ninth in RBI’s (698). They are looking forward to a “higher” 2025.
Comments from the Eagles Camp:
Kim Min Ho: “This is my first camp, but I joined the final camp last year and lived with the players for about two months. At the time, I felt that the players were serious and sincere about baseball on the field and it feels good to have carried that feeling over to spring training.”
“We analyzed the batted balls of some players last year, including Roh Si Hwan. There were many cases where they hit well, but it the topspin got caught and the hitter sank quickly.”
“That’s why I’m going to focus on improving this aspect in this camp. We’re going to try to use backspin instead of topspin so that the ball go further, and to try to make a rooting swing instead of a pulling swing.”
“Age has nothing to do with communication. Age is just a number. Communication is about feeling each other. If you can feel each other’s feelings, you can create a greater synergy between the coach and the athlete.”
“A good atmosphere is important. Especially in the first team. You need to instill confidence in a good atmosphere.”
Coach Yang: “It included all of our training, eating, sleeping, relaxing, and even our personal lives. We communicate to the pitching group the details that need to be taken care of.”
“We can spend time on the things that can be neglected. We emphasized the basics but really important things like defense, control, quick motion, pitching at a high tempo, and pitching in set positions.”
“In order to play a season, the quantity and the quality of the pitching staff must go hand in hand. We organized the camp roster in this way because we need substitutes if something goes wrong.”
“The younger players haven’t had the opportunity to see much, and their time in camp is more important than the more experience players. The camp itself can be a great experience. Just being around and learning from the older guys can take you to the next level.”
“If the younger pitchers develop and blend in with the more experience players, it can make the pitching staff stronger.”
“We also signed Um Sang Back, and Ryu Hyun Jin started training overseas in (early) January to prepare for the season properly. Park Bu Seong will also receive a lot of know-how from Sang Back and medicine. Jeong Woo Joo and Kwon Min Kyu joined the team from the final camp and they are adapting well to the spring camp as planned.”
sources: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/468/0001123240
https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/421/0008043902
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I’ll have more updates to publish today :) but currently it’s a small one on the 2025 roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
Hanwha has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 29 coaches.
Hanwha registered 57 players, 4 rookies, with 30 pitchers (2 rookies), 6 catchers (1 rookie), 12 infielders (1 rookie) and 9 outfielders.
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
UPDATE FEBRUARY 12th
As someone who is tattooed myself (and plans on getting more~) I thought this article was kinda cool. Plus it involves tattoos, something I love and admire.
The article dubs Cody Ponce, Hanwha’s new foreign pitcher, as a tattoo king. He has multiple tattoos on both his arms, his left thigh and his left chest. The tattoos on his left arm are homage to his family (mother, father and grandfather) and his right arm has dedications to the three years he played in Japan (a tattoo of Miyamoto Musashi holding two swords and on his wrist the characters “Bear Ung” a nickname given to him). His right arm is pretty bare, (according to the article) he is thinking about his next tattoo, possibly a little passport stamp to leave a mark on the countries he’s visited.
photo credit: SPORTS경향
The article also mentioned the respect he has both in skill but also in general, for teammate Ryu Hyun Jin.
Like Ponce, who understands having to adapt to a different ball field with relocating overseas, Ryu Hyun Jin played in the MLB both on the Dodgers and to Blue Jays. He respects him a lot in the sense of having to navigate those ins and outs.
A lil bit about Cody Ponce~
Cody Ponce is a 31 year old pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles. He has played in both the MLB and the NPB, before coming to Korea for the 2025 season. He is said to have a meticulous personality on the mound but, once he comes off he gives a golden retriever type of energy. He is said to be very energetic, cheerful and just a lot of energy. It’s like night and day so much so that after answering press questions, he wanted to turn the mic on the press and ask his own questions. I’ll list the questions and answers below :)
He seems to get along well and fit right in with the Hanwha team. He’s already learned some “inappropriate for an interview/article” words and phrases in Korean which.. if your being taught the naughty words you are definitely fittin right on in.
Comments:
Cody Ponce: “I’d like to get 99 on my back with a big blank spot and get Ryu’s (Ryu Hyun JIn) signiture underneath.”
“I already bought all of Ryu’s jersey’s from the Dodgers and Toronto (Blue Jays). He finished first in 2019 with a 2.32 ERA. He’s a great pitcher.”
“I’m a foreigner playing in Korea now but, Ryu was a foreigner when he was playing in the U.S. I’m sure he had a lot of challenges, starting with the language. I think it’s great that he overcame all of that.”
“I want to be the interviewer now.”
“My wife will be driving, so I don’t have to worry about that.”
“I don’t think I have to do well here to go to the major leagues but, I have to do my job well here. I want to play fall baseball and I’m going to work harder so that we can be a team that wants to win the championship.”
Interviewer Cody Ponce: “What is the most important thing to be careful of in Korea?” A: Drinking and Driving can get you in big trouble
According to the article he asked various questions and showed a lot of genuine curiosity and excitement. “What’s Daejeon like?” A: It’s famous for bakeries and LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was happy there.
He even asked questions about learning to play guitar or where to buy or guitar in Daejeon, coffee shops, his questions could go on and one. One that stuck out to the press was he asked about a U.S. military base. If any where nearby in Daejeon.
“I would like to thank the soldiers for their service to the country. If there’s a base nearby, I would give them tickets to a baseball game.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/baseball/article/144/0001017721
The KT Wiz announced via their official Instagram (ktwiz.pr) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Spring Training will take place between January 27th to February 22nd in Geelong, Australia and the second half of training will be in Okinawa, Japan from Febuary 26th to March 5th. The 2025 first team roster includes:
Manager: Lee Kang Chul
Coach: Kim Tae Han, Je Chun Mo, Jun Byeong Doo, Lee Jong Beom, Jang Jae Joong, Choi Man Ho, Park Ki Hyuk, Yoo Han Jun, Kim Kang, Park Kyung Su, Kwak Jeong Cheol
Pitchers: Woo Kyu Min (#21), Ko Young Pyo (#1), So Hyeong Jun (#30), Moon Yong Ik (#18), Oh Won Seok (#47), Park Yeong Hyeon (#60), Seong Jae Heon (#95), Son Dong Hyun (#41), Kim Min Su (#26), Choi Dong Hwan (#16), Kang Geon (#99), Won Sang Hyun (#63), Park Se Jin (#33), Jeon Yong Joo (#29), Lee Sang Dong (#37), Ju Kwon (#38), Kim Dong Hyun, Park Gun Woo, Kim Jae Won, William Cuevas (#32), Emmanuel De Jesus
Catchers: Chang Seong Woo (#22), Kang Baek Ho (#50), Cho Dae Hyun (#42), Kang Hyun Woo (#55), Kim Min Suk (#97)
Infielders: Oh Jae Il (#36), Hwang Jae Gyun (#10), Kim Sang Su (#7), Hur Kyoung Min (#13), Oh Yoon Suk (#4), Moon Sang Cheol (#24), Jang Jun Won, Kang Min Seong (#5), Kwon Dong Jin (#52), Cheon Seong Ho (#14), Yun Jun Hyeok (#35)
Outfielders: Mel Rojas Jr (#3), Bae Jeong Dae (#27), Kim Min Hyeok (#53), Jang Jin Hyuk (#51), Ahn Hyeon Min (#62), Choi Seong Min (#69), Yu Jun Gyu (#116)
The KT Wiz announced via their official Instagram (ktwiz.pr) their 2025 future’s team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Iksan National Baseball Training Center in Iksan, South Korea and Gijang Hyundai Motor Dream Ballpark in Gijang, Busan, South Korea. The 2025 roster includes:
Coach: Kim Tae Gyun, Kim Ho, Lee Sung Yul, Bae Woo Yeol, Hong Seong Yong, Lee Jun Soo, Kim Yeon Hun, Baek Jin Woo, Park Jeong Hwan
Pitchers: Han Cha Hyeon (#59), Kwon Sung Jun, Lee Jung Hyun, Lee Tae Kyu (#45), Ji Myeong Seong (#68), Lee Seon Woo (#61), Kim Ju Wan (#98), Yook Cheong Myeong (#64), Lee Hyeon Min (#114), Lee Chae Ho (#17), Jo Yi Hyeon (#54), Yu Ho Sik, Kim Tae Oh (#20), Woo Jong Hwi (#117), Lee Seung Eon (#112), Lee Jong Hyeok (#66), Lee Joon Myeong (#101), Choi Yong Jun (#115), Lee Sang Woo, Han Ji Woong (#93), Park Jun Hyuk, Yun Sang In, Chang Min Ho, Jeong Woon Gyo
Catchers: Kim Jun Tae (#44), Lee Seung Hyun (#111), Lee Jung Hwan
Infielders: Park Min Seok (#2), Lee Ho Yeon (#34), Kim Cheol Ho (#39), Park Tae Wan (#109), Moon Sang Jun, Oh Seo Jin, Lee Yong Hyun, Lee Seung Jun
Outfielders: Kim Geon Hyeong (#0), Kim Byeong Joon (#57), Shin Ho Jun (#107), Song Min Seop (#12), An Chi Young (#8), Sin Beom Jun, Choi Dong Hui, Park Min Suk, Jeong Yeong Woong
UPDATE: JANUARY 30th
KT’s Spring Training has finally begun! KT Wiz left for Geelong, Australia for Spring training on the 27th working in a three, on format (three days of training with one day of rest) focusing on individualized training. On February 25th, the team will depart for Okinawa, Japan for practice matches. Their two foreign pitchers, William Cuevas and Emmanuel De Jesus arrived in Australia on the 26th, with their foreign batter, Mel Rojas Jr, arriving on the 27th.
photo credit: SPORTSSEOUL
According to the article, the team eased into training with the pitchers playing catch and the batters warmed up with batting practice. It is quoted, in the article, that the mix of veterans and prospects has created a ‘motivating’ training atmosphere. With the warm weather and top notch facilities, the players seem motivated and in jovial spirits.
A lil bit about KT Wiz for new fans~
KT has a 3-1-4-2-5 record between 2020-2024, going up and down with only a matter of time for a rebound. KT has a mantra of ‘steel magic’ due to the fact that the team struggles in the early parts of the season, kinda goin through the motions in the lower rank and then bursting up the the top ranks towards the end. Reaching the post season five consecutive seasons, KT has become not only a powerhouse team but a fan favorite with many watching them possibly enter fall baseball for a six consecutive year.
Comments:
“Let’s make it a year of team and individual highs”
Lee Kang Chul: “The training environment is good, with four practice pitches, accommodation, and weight facilities. I hope all the players are healthy and well prepared for the new season. I hope that all the players will perform well and make it a year of highs for both the team and individual performance.”
KT Official: “We have so much enthusiasm that 25 players are on the field even at night. The intensity of the training is also higher than usual. The outfielders focused on hitting and defense, and the pitchers practiced shadow pitching. The temperature is perfect for training. The sun sets later in the day, which makes it easier to train at night and the players are happy.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/468/0001123563
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I’ll have more updates to publish today :) but currently it’s a small one on the 2025 roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
KT has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 20 coaches.
KT registered 60 players, 4 rookies, with 29 pitchers (3 rookies), 6 catchers, 13 infielders and 12 outfielders (1 rookie).
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
The SSG Landers announced via their official Instagram (ssglanders.incheon) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Different from other teams, SSG Landers seem to be splitting their first camp between Vero Beach, Florida in the United States and Kagoshima, Japan. From January 23rd to February 21st 36 players (including 16 coaching staff) will head to Vero Beach, Florida whilst 6 players (including 3 coaching staff members) will travel to Kagoshima, Japan. After Vero Beach, the second camp will be held in Okinawa, Japan. The Future’s camp will join the Kagoshima camp on February 10th. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Lee Soong Yong
Coach: Song Shin Young, Kyeong Heon Ho, Lee Seung Ho, Kang Byeong Sik, Oh Jun Hyeok, Serizawa Yuji, Son Si Heon, Cho Dong Hwa, Yoon Jae Guk, Ko Yun Hyeong, Kwak Hyeon Hee, Kim Sang Yong, Kil Kang Nam, Steve Hong, Im Jae Ho
Kagoshima Coach: Watanabe Masato, Suzuki Fumihiro, Yu Jae Min
Pitchers: Kim Keon Woo (#39), Kim Kwang Hyun (#29), Kim Min (#41), Noh Kyung Eun (#38), Drew Anderson (#33), Moon Seung Won (#42), Mitch White (#55), Park Sung Bin (#00), Park Si Hu (#57), Park Jong Hun (#50), Seo Jin Yong (#22), Song Young Jin (#28), Shin Ji Hwan (#60), Lee Ro Un (#92), Jeon Yeong Jun (#65), Jeong Dong Yun (#51), Jo Byeong Hyeon (#19), Chun Beom Seok (#90), Choi Hyun Suk (#40), Han Doo Sol (#34)
Catchers: Sin Beom Su (#25), Lee Yul Ye (#32), Cho Hyeong Woo (#20)
Kagoshima Catchers: Kim Min Sik (#24), Lee Ji Young (#59)
Infielders: Ko Myeong Jun (#18), Kim Seong Min (#56), Park Seong Han (#2), Park Ji Hwan (#1), Seok Jung Woo (#52), Ahn Sang Hyun (#10), Jeong Jun Jae (#3), Choi Jun Woo (#7)
Kagoshima Infielders: Kim Sung Hyun (#6), Choi Jeong (#14)
Outfielders: Guillermo Heredia (#27), Lee Jeong Beom (#31), Choi Sang Min (#23), Choi Ji Hoon (#54), Ha Jae Hoon (#13)
Kagoshima Outfielders: Oh Tae Gon (#37), Han Yoo Seom (#35)
On February 9th, SSG Landers announced via their official Instagram (ssglanders.incheon) their 2025 Futures Spring Training Camp in Kagoshima, Japan. Updated recently (late February, third image, right) on their official Instagram as well, SSG Landers announced via their 2025 Okinawa Spring Camp roster which will consist of 50 members (16 coaching staff and 34 players).
The 2025 Futures Kagoshima Spring Training Camp roster includes:
Manager: Park Jung Kwon
Coach: Ryu Taek Hyun, Lee Myung Ki, Suzuki Fumihiro, Watanabe Masato, Na Kyung Min, Yu Jae Min, Lee Hyeong Sam, Im Seok Hun
Pitchers: Kim Taek Hyeong (#43), Kim Hyeon Jae (#95), Park Ki Ho (#66), Shin Heo Min (#49), Lee Geon Wook (#16), Jang Ji Hoon (#21), Choi Min Jun (#30)
Catchers: Kim Kyu Min (#61)
Infielders: Kim Su Yun (#4), Kim Chan Hyung (#5), Kim Tae Yun (#36), Choi Yun Seok (#94), Hyun Won Hoe (#8)
Outfielders: Ryu Hyo Seung (#45), Park Jeong Bin (#58), Lee Seung Min (#9), Jung Hyun Seung (#47)
The 2025 Okinawa Spring Camp roster includes:
Manager: Lee Soong Yong
Coach: Song Shin Young, Kyeong Heon Ho, Lee Seung Ho, Kang Byeong Sik, Oh Jun Hyeok, Serizawa Yuji, Yoon Jae Guk, Cho Dong Hwa, Son Si Heon, Ko Yun Hyeong, Kwak Hyeon Hee, Kim Sang Yong, Kil Kang Nam, Im Jae Ho, Steve Hong
Pitchers: Kim Keon Woo (#39), Kim Kwang Hyun (#29), Kim Min (#41), Noh Kyung Eun (#38), Drew Anderson (#33), Moon Seung Won (#42), Mitch White (#55), Park Si Hu (#57), Park Jong Hun (#50), Seo Jin Yong (#22), Song Young Jin (#28), Shin Ji Hwan (#60), Lee Ro Un (#92), Jeong Dong Yun (#51), Jo Byeong Hyeon (#19), Choi Hyun Suk (#40), Han Doo Sol (#34)
Catchers: Lee Yul Ye (#32), Lee Ji Young (#59), Cho Hyeong Woo (#20)
Infielders: Ko Myeong Jun (#18), Kim Sung Hyun (#6), Park Seong Han (#2), Park Ji Hwan (#1), Ahn Sang Hyun (#10), Jeong Jun Jae (#3), Choi Jeong (#14)
Outfielders: Guillermo Heredia (#27), Oh Tae Gon (#37), Lee Jeong Beom (#31), Choi Sang Min (#23), Choi Ji Hoon (#54), Ha Jae Hoon (#13), Han Yoo Seom (#35)
The SSG Landers announced via their official Instagram (ssglanders.incheon) their 2025 Season Schedule.
UPDATE: JANUARY 25th
Wholesome moments all around. In SSG’s camp, Mitch White and Drew Anderson seem to have become instant buddies. The article mainly focuses on Mitch White and his thoughts on joining the KBO and SSG.
photo credit: MKSPORTS
The interview takes place in Florida, where SSG is currently carrying out the first half of spring training. Here’s a lil bit about Mitch White~
Mitch White is a Korean American right handed pitcher, who was drafted in 2016 byt the Dodgers in the second round, 65th overall right out of university. He first made headlines in Korea for his resemblance to Park Chan Ho, even while in his MLB career. In the MLB, he went 71-4, 5.25 ERA in 185 games (12 starts) in 185 innings and 126-26, 3.93 ERA in 471.2 innings in the Minor Leagues. He’s looking ahead of the season with a sense of stability.
The article does cover a lil bit about Drew Anderson and their dynamic so here’s a lil bit about that as well~
Drew Anderson is a re-sign, having come into the KBO mid the 2024 season as a replacement. He had a dominate performance, seeming to give off the vibe as a reliable advisor for White as her integrates (though quickly and seamlessly) with the team. The two are both born in 1994 and seem to have been bonded according to the team. They have many things in common so that adds to their already budding chemistry. Both are enthusiastic about spring training and have been warming up such as playing catch and bonding before training started proper today.
Comments from the Landers Camp:
SSG Landers Official: “They will help each other a lot in baseball”
“(describing White) He’s a pitcher who scares hitters with his command and throws a fastball that averaged 152km (94mph) last season and topped out at 157km (97 roughly 98mph). He throws a two-seam fastball with great angle and sharp movement, as well as a curve ball, slider and sinker with great angle.”
White: “I’m really excited to be here and it’s kind of surreal to meet and greet the guys. I feel like baseball can be fun no matter where you play it, and the guys have been really welcoming.”
“And Drew (Anderson) and I just met today for the first time and we’ve already talked a lot about baseball and I think we’re going to be a great fit for each other.”
“I think I’m a guy who throws a lot of strikes and tries to match them up, and I’m a guy who mixes in a cute fastball and a sinker, and I’m a guy who tries to get ahead in the count quickly.”
“Firstly, my dad didn’t have any advice and my mom didn’t have any advice, but she said she was excited to go to Korea.”
“My mom came to the U.S. when she was younger, and now that I’m going to Korea, it’s a chance for my family to go there together, even if it’s just for a little bit. She’s planning to come for a month at the start of the season. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”
“I’ve been to Korea once when I was seven years old. I think I went to Jeju Island and Seoul. I’ve always eaten Korean food, and my favorite foods are the ones with broth, like cold noodles. I don’t think I’ll have any problems adjusting to Korea in terms of food.”
“Firstly, the last two years have been a lot of ups and downs, physically and baseball-wise. I’ve been called up and down a lot, and I’ve had injuries and things like that, so it’s been a challenge. But, I’m in perfect shape right now. When I go to Korea, I want to stay in the starting rotation and continue to pitch without any ups and downs, and that’s my biggest goal.”
“I’ve only seen Korean baseball in the media, but I was really impressed with the atmosphere in the ballpark and the passionate support of the fans. I’m looking forward to experiencing it for myself in Korea. I will do my best to prepare well during the camp so that I can greet them in a good way.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/410/0001047815
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I’ll have more updates to publish today :) but currently it’s a small one on the 2025 roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article).
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
SSG has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 31 coaches.
SSG registered 59 players, 3 rookies, with 27 pitchers (2 rookies), 6 catchers (1 rookie), 13 infielders and 13 outfielders.
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088
The Samsung Lions announced via their official Instagram (samsunglions_baseballclub) their 2025 first team Spring Training roster. Their time will be split between Guam and Okinawa, Japan. The 2025 roster includes:
Manager: Park Jin Man
Coach: Chong Tae Hyun, Kang Young Sik, Park Hee Soo, Chae Sang Byung, Kang Myung Gu, Lee Jin Young, Lee Jong Wook, Son Joo In, Bae Yeong Seop
Pitchers: Oh Seung Hwan (#21), Song Eun Beom (#64), Lim Chang Min (#45), Lee Sang Min (#15), Kim Tae Hun (#27), Lee Seung Hyun (1991, #20), Denny Reyes (#43), Ariel Jurado, Choi Won Tae (#3), Kim Yun Su (#28), Lee Seung Hyun (2002, #57), Lee Seung Min (#35), Choi Ha Neul (#37), Lee Jae Hee (#59), Kim Dae Ho (#44), Hwang Dong Jae (#61), Yook Sun Yeop (#4), Bae Chan Seung (#55)
Catchers: Kim Jae Seong (#2), Lee Byung Heon (#56), Kim Do Hwan (#42)
Infielders: Park Byung Ho (#52), Jeon Byeong Woo (#34), Ryu Ji Hyuk (#16), Lee Jae Hyeon (#7), Kim Young Woong (#30), Sim Jae Hun, Cha Seung Jun
Outfielders: Kim Hun Gon (#32), Lee Sung Gyu (#13), Yoon Jeong Bin (#31), Kim Ji Chan (#58), Kim Sang Yoon (#39), Park Seung Gyu, Ham Su Ho
Unlike the other teams, the Lions also announced their Future Team Spring Training schedule. They’ll begin training on January 25th and then on February 1st they’ll fly to Okinawa and continuing training there until March 1st. The roster includes:
Manager: Choi Il Eon
Coach: Park Seok Jin, Park Han Yi, Lee Heung Ryun, Jung Byeong Gon, Park Chan Do, Kim Jung Hyuk, Kim Eung Min, Kim Dong Ho
Pitchers: Kim Dae Woo (#17), Choi Sung Hoon (#54), Yang Hyun (#19), Lee Jae Ik, Park Jun Yong (#66), Kim Dong Hyun (#123), Choi Chung Yeon (#51), Jung Min Sung (#67), Hong Won Pyo (#65), Park Joo Hyeok, Kim Sang Kyung (#122), Yang Chang Seop, Yoo Byung Sun (#102), Shin Kyung Min (#110), Choe Ye Han, Kim Baek San, Hong Jun Yeong, Cheon Gyeom, Kim Yoo Hyun, Jin Hee Sung
Catchers: Kang Min Ho (#47), Kim Min Soo (#12), Cha Dong Young (#106), Park Jin Woo (#111)
Infielders: Ahn Joo Hyung (#14), Kong Min Kyu (#9), Lee Chang Yong (#50), Yang Woo Hyun (#63), Lee Hae Seung, Kim Ho Jin (#60), Yang Do Geun (#68), Lee Hyeon Jun (#118), Kang Han Wool (#6), Oh Hyeon Seok (#103), Lewin Diaz (#0), Kim Sang Jun
Outfielders: Kim Tae Hoon (#25), Hong Hyun Bin, Kim Tae Geun, Kim Jae Hyuk (#24), Joo Han Wool (#104), Lee Jin Yong, Kang Min Sung
Rehabilitation: Koo Ja Wook (#5), Baek Jung Hyun (#29), Kim Jae Yun (#62), Won Tae In (#18), Choi Ji Gwang (#40), Lee Ho Seong (#1)
names are spelled according to how they are registered
The Samsung Lions announced via their official Instagram (samsunglions_baseballclub) their 2025 Season Schedule.
UPDATE: JANUARY 25th
Another cute update / photo to come from Spring Training, this time from the Lions camp. Ariel Juardo (left) and Denny Reyes (right) posed for a photo on the 25th, all smiley in Guam~
photo credit: OSEN
A lil bit about Jurado. Jurado is a former Kiwoom Heroes athlete that was picked up by Samsung for the 2025 season, having played with Kiwoom for two straight years (2023 and 2024 season). Jurado has double digit wins and excellent numbers at his new home stadium, Daegu Samsung Lions Park, in the five appearances over last two years with a 3-1 record 2.91 ERA. He has a five pitch versatility and at his new home stadium ranked third in it’s ground ball rate (53.3%) in 2024. He has a durability and command that has helped him throughout his time in the KBO with leading innings pitched (374, with 190⅓ innings 2023 and 183⅔ innings 2024) and QS (43) in two years. Jurado is also known for his generosity and teaching his techniques to younger players since his playing days. He has a love for Chinese food with Daegu having jjamppong and many Chinese restaurants.
Some comments from Manager Park Jin Man:
“Jurado was always a tough pitcher to face. When we played against Kiwoom, I was hoping that Jurado and De Jesus would be the only two pitchers we wouldn’t have to face. Jurado is a steady pitcher, having a foreign pitcher creates a sense of steady and stable situations.”
“This year, the starting rotation is pretty solid. We just need to deepen our bullpen to get closer to our goal of winning. We’re going to be able to utilize our starting pitching resources in the bullpen as we add to our starting rotation, which will help us.”
Some comments from the Samsung players:
Koo Ja Wook: “When we faced Jurado, I felt like the game went by like a bullet. I was impressed with how fast the innings went and how aggressively he pitched to keep the batters tired. There was a lot of stress on how to approach the game, and now that we’re teammates, I’m looking forward to seeing him pitch a lot of innings.”
Won Tae In: “I felt the limitations of my change up and thought I needed to upgrade it, but I’m going to ask a lot of questions from Jurado, who throws a good changeup. He has a great changeup, as well as a two-seam fastball and a curve ball that I’m not good at throwing. I want to learn a lot from him.”
“I heard that Jurado is a big fan of Chinese food. I promised him that I would take him to all the Chinese restaurants in Daegu. He will learn a lot in camp and I will buy him a lot of food when he comes to Korea. He’s a younger player, so I’ll try to get along with him.”
I had one day to prepare, it was a lil slow but now updates from the camps are coming out in rapid speed. It’s hard to keep up a little but bare with me. Another article has come from the Lions camp and it’s an interview done with Lewin Diaz, a Dominican born slugger.
photo credits: OSEN
A lil bit about Diaz~
Lewin Diaz arrived mid 2024 season as a replacement for both David McKinnon and Ruben Cardenas ended the season with a .288 (31-110), 7 home runs, 19 RBI’s and 14 runs in the 29 games. He ended the post season with .305 (12-34), 5 home runs, 10 RBI’s and a 1.202 OPS. He was re-signed for 100,000$ signing bonus 500,000$ in salary and 200,000$ in incentives. He’s excited to reunite with his teammates in Okinawa, Japan. Due to visa issues, he will be training at Gyeongsan Ballpark before travelling to Okinawa on February 1st. He has small connections to Estevan Florial (Hanwha Eagles) and Cole Irvin (Doosan Bears), so will see how much cross-over we see there if any. He also is shown to interact with fans on social media via his Instagram stories, he did a fun AI Predicts Your Performance This Year (a baseball related game). His stats were MVP-caliber with 31-55 173 hits 42 home runs 115 RBI’s and .910 OPS.
Comments From Lions Camp:
Samsung Lions Club Official: “He quickly adapted to the position and showed impressive home run productions and solid first base defense.”
Diaz: “It was a year I’ll never forget, I was so happy.”
“It’s been an unforgettable year, I’m so happy. I came to a good team and had great teammates. I’m very disappointed to have missed the championship, but I’m sure this sure this year will be better than last year.”
“I just wanted to win, no matter what. I just wanted to win at all costs. I think in the U.S. and Dominican Republic, we’re more focused and perform better in the post season than in the regular season.”
“After joining Samsung, I expressed my desire to perform well and re-sign with the team, so it’s great to be here this season. I want to stay healthy and finish the season well, and my biggest goal is to make up for last year’s runner-up finish.”
“Honestly I don’t have a set number of home runs I want to hit. Every year I go into the season and I know I want to hit 25 or more. I have a lot of hitters on my team that are better than me. I’m looking forward to the synergy that comes from having a great group of teammates.”
“(in his Instagram stories about the AI Predictor) That would be an unbelievable performance, and I don’t think I could ask for a better year. My wife is always encouraging me saying ‘You can hit more than 40 home runs’.”
“(about his connections to Estevan Florial and Cole Irvin) We’re not very close, but we (Florial) played against each other a lot in the Dominican Winter League and (Irvin) we played together in Triple-A with the Baltimore Orioles.”
“Personally I think our hitters are very good. Now that we have better pitching, I think we’re a little closer to being a championship contender. I’m especially happy that I won’t have to face Jurado anymore. It’s great to have him in the same uniform.”
“I don’t feel out of place like I did when I first arrived. Everything is familiar and I feel at home here now. So I have high expectations for myself.”
“I just want to be a part of the Lions and help the team win more than my individual performance. I will work hard to win the Korean Series, which I didn’t accomplish last year. My biggest goal is to win the championship.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/109/0005232628
UPDATE: JANUARY 30th
We are back in Guam with our lovely Ariel Jurado again for spring training as the season gets closer and closer by the day.
photo credit: OSEN
A lil bit more about Ariel Jurado~
Ariel Jurado has been a pitcher for the Texas Rangers (2018-2019) and the New York Mets (2020). He has a 12-16 record 5.97 ERA in 45 games in the Major Leagues with a career best record in 2019 (7-11). In the KBO, Jurado is considered one the inning-eaters having two consecutive years of double digit wins. 190⅓ innings in 2024 and 183⅔ innings in 2023. He was with the Heroes for both the 2023 and 2024 season. Another note is, he posted a 21-16 record in 60 career games and a 3.01 ERA (with Kiwoom). He’s leading in KBO innings pitched (374) QS (43) in the past two years with the article noting his durability and command as key factors that have helped him.
Kiwoom did not re-sign him for the 2025 season and other clubs jumped on the line real quick. He went with the Lions, the contract is with $1 million, including a $300,000 signing bonus and $700,000 annual salary. His stats at Samsung Lions Park (Daegu) are pretty- they sayin somethin. Lions Park is a hitter friendly field and in five appearances he goes 3-1 with a 2.91 ERA couple that with his variety of pitches and overall ground ball rate of 53.3% in 2024.. the Lions may be cookin with somethin again this year.
With joining Samsung, he is reunited with former teammates: Lim Chang Min, Kim Tae Hun, Choi Won Tae (pitchers) and Jeon Byeong Woo (infielder). He also has gotten to know and form a bond with teammate Denny Reyes through former Kiwoom teammate Emmanuel De Jesus. Like all the players from each team, he aims to take the Lions all the way to the Korean Series again this year and win the championships.
Comments:
Jurado: “I’m honored to join the team. I hope to do well this season and give the fans something to look forward to.”
“Even in Kiwoom, young players came up to me and asked me a lot of questions. I told them that catching is one of the most important parts of pitching”
“It was great to be with them again. I was with them in my first season in Korea and I’m very happy to start a new season with them here.”
“Jesus (KT Wiz), who I played with on Kiwoom last year told me a lot about Reyes. So I had a good relationship with him and we talked a lot when we met before the game. I’m excited to play with him now.”
“Blue is one of my favorite colors. I’m happy to be wearing the Samsung jersey this season. We did well last year but, we’re aiming to do even better this year.”
“I’m very happy that they are supporting me and I will work hard to entertain them. We will prepare hard to win the championship this season, so I hope they will support us as hard as they did last year.”
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/109/0005233904
UPDATE: JANUARY 31st
An interview with Samsung Lions pitcher Kim Jae Yun was released in the 26th. He's currently at Gyeongsan Ballpark, rehabilitating.
photo credit: OSEN
A lil bit about Kim Jae Yun~
Kim Jae Yun has 180 career saves, with three consecutive 30-save seasons since 2021. The Manager, Park Ji Man, has a lot of trust in him as he is a closing pitcher.
He mentions in the interview, as per the article, he's focusing on rebuilding his body, health and focusing on blown saves (when asked about his goals for 2025).
Comments:
Park Ji Man: "We reviewed last year's season with the front office and coaches. We realized that we need more stability in the bullpen and we need to have a thicker player base. I think we need to prepare well."
"The closer will be Kim Jae Yun. He's in the rehabilitation center right now, so we have to check his physical condition, but we're thinking about him as the closer. Oh Seung Hwan is a player who prepares very well, so we'll have to check him out in camp."
Kim Jae Yun: "The coach has trusted me, so I will prepare well and perform my best from the first game."
"Last year, I was not without pressure because I was competing with great seniors, but it's true that I feel comfortable because my role has been set. It's the role I've been playing, so I'll just have to do what I've been preparing for."
"To make my body more solid. It's warm in Guam, but there's a lot of traveling, so I plan to solidify my body here and then join the Okinawa camp in Japan."
"It's taken me a while to build up my conditioning, so it's important to make sure I'm in the best shape I can be."
"We're also working on new pitches. I think we need to throw them in bullpen pitches, live pitches and practice games to see how hitters react to them. It's important to test it out and see how the hitters react."
"(about Daegu Samsung Lions Park) There were a lot of close games last year, so I tried to throw more carefully because I didn't want to get hit hard at home. I also changed my pitch mix to induce more ground balls, as I have a high fly ball rate. I think I'll be better this season now that I've experienced it last year."
"(about Oh Seung Hwan) I was very disappointed that I couldn't play with him until the end of the season. It must have been hard for him, but he calmly comforted the juniors and said a lot of good things."
"It's good to make a lot of saves, but I want to minimize my blown saves. Closers are important because they are responsible for the end of the game."
"If you have a lot of blown saves, you lose credibility. A blown save is not only bad for the beast, but for the entire team."
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/109/0005233065
Another solo interview out of the Lions, Kim Min Kyu has decided to do a whole battin rebrand this season.
photo credit: MANIA TIMES
A lil bit about Kong Min Kyu~
Kong Min Kyu is an infielder for the Lions, honing a new hitting style to hopefully settle into the majors this season.
He was drafted in 2018 and solidified himself in the Futures League as a power hitter. His rookie year, was a .337 AVG, two home runs in 37 games with further improvement in 2019 (.280 AVG and three home runs in 54 games). His minor league years (off and on 2021 - 2024) he kept a pretty consitent .300. He seems to hit a plateu in the major leagues, according the article and his stats, 0.158 in 2022 and 0.194 in 2023 with 2024 being his worst (1-14 0.071 AVG, 12 games).
Comments:
Kong Min Kyu: "I learned a lot from my coaches in Korea but with the new training, I have a new definition of hitting."
Additional Information from the article:
The infield competition is hot this season. Lewin Diaz (re-sign) will be on first base. Third baseman Kim Young Woong has claimed his spot with 28 home runs in 2024
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/425/0000158615
An interview from the Futures Camp. To quote both the article and Choi Il Eon, he's started his spring camp telling everyone to stay out of trouble.
photo credit: MYDAILY
A lil bit about Choi Il Eon~
Choi Il Eon is a Korean-American former KBO pitcher. He pitched for the OB Bears (Doosan Bears 1984), LG Twins and the Samsung Lions - retiring in 1992. He has a record of 78 wins, 57 losses, 11 saves in 1115⅔ innings, 2.87 ERA and 556 strikeouts in 240 career games.
After retirement in 1993, he started his second career as a very renowned pitching coach. He was the first team coach and trainer for various KBO teams - OB Bears (Doosan Bears), Hanwha Eagles, SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers), NC Dinos, and LG Twins. In 2019, he started to work with the Korean National Team and lead them to both gold in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and a silver in the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC). He returned in 2024 for Premier12.
In the off season he became the Lions future teams head coach/manager. He'll be overseeing the futures team both at Gyeongsan Ballpark and in Okinawa, Japan where they'll continue training. His goal is to nurture and build the athletes skills to make them assets to the first team roster.
Comments:
Choi Il Eon: "(explaining his decision) I had a couple of years after I left the team pitching coach, and I was happy (during that time), so when it first came up, I thought about it a lot. I needed time to discuss it with my family because I'm older, and they said, 'Why don't you do it a little longer,' so I did it."
"The team's goal is to win the championship, if you don't aim for a championship, you don't need a second team."
"The second team should help the first team. Next year, we have rookie players coming in, and we want to develop them and put them in the battlefield of the first team. I think we can only fight well if we have a good development system. Not just this year, but in the future."
"I think Yang Chang Seop, Choi Chung Yeon, and others can come back and make a big impact if they get their skills right."
"There are also players who I think have a sense of power. I think it's my role to make them injury-free and send them to the first team."
"You've put your life on the line playing baseball, and if you get into an accident, whether it's a drunk driver or something, you can lose it in an instant. The closest thing to that is drunk driving. I especially ordered them not to do it. If you work hard and stay out of trouble, the staff will do everything they can to help you."
"Catch ball is the basis of baseball, we want to instill the importance of catching once again. That's why we keep the time long. The infielders made a manual on how to play catch well and asked (the coaches) to teach them. Hopefully, the pitchers will use that time to work on their fastballs and changeups."
"There will be some things that I need to get a clearer picture of the squad when I go to Japan. The younger players need to figure out how to become better than they are now. Once we understand that, we will focus on their strengths. I think it's important to build an image of the players. We'll talk to each other and try to help them do well for a long time."
UPDATE FEBRUARY 11th
I’ll have more updates to publish today :) but currently it’s a small one on the 2025 roster update for the 2025 season. Today, the KBO dropped the rosters, in total (so combining all ten teams) there are 597 players - an increase from last year (588 players, according to the article). Samsung has the most players!!
photo credit: MHNSPORTS
Samsung has the standard one manager / head coach with an additional 29 coaches.
Samsung registered 62 players, 5 rookies, with 31 pitchers (2 rookies), 5 catchers, 16 infielders (2 rookies) and 10 outfielders (1 rookie).
source: https://m.sports.naver.com/kbaseball/article/445/0000272088