The Korea Baseball Organization(KBO) has finalized the 30-member roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic(WBC) set to kick off on March 8.
The KBO secretariat on Wednesday unveiled the list, which includes three major leaguers such as San Diego Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong and Tommy Edman from St. Louis Cardinals.
The KBO must submit their roster by February 8 Korea time. Changes are possible until the deadline, but a KBO official said the announced roster is effectively final.
Tommy Edman born to a Korean mother and an American father in Michigan is the 2021 National League (NL) Gold Glove winner at second base for the St. Louis Cardinals. He recently notified the KBO of his intent to play for the Korean national team as the WBC allows players to compete for countries of their parents' birth, even if the players themselves weren't born there.
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Choi Ji-man was also included in the roster.
Pitchers were all selected from current players of the Korean pro league. They include SSG Landers' Kim Kwang-hyun, Kia Tigers’ Yang Hyeon-jong and NC Dinos’ Lee Yong-chan.