Will Lee Eui-ri

In Korea, the best right-handers such as Jung Min-tae took charge of the match against Taiwan, and the best left-handers took charge of the match against Japan. I don't know why, but I've always beaten my opponents like that. In the past, the selection against Japan is like a symbol of the best left-hander representing the Republic of Korea, such as Kim Kwang-hyun, Koo Dae-sung, and Bong Jung-geun

Lee Eui-ri, a "one-top left-hander rookie in Korea," overcame the pain of AG's elimination and was ordered to select against Japan. Ryu Joong-il, the national team coach, put forward his left-handed starter Lee Eui-ri in consideration of the characteristics that Japan has many left-handed hitters. Eight out of 14 Japanese fielders are left-handed batters.

Lee Eui-ri started 28 games in the 2023 season and played 131 ⅔ innings, recording 11 wins, 7 losses and a 3.96 ERA. Since his debut, his KBO record has been 25 wins and 22 losses with a 3.83 ERA. Lee Eui-ri, who joined KIA with the first nomination in 2021, is from the "first pitcher rookie award" produced by the Tigers, an original member of the professional baseball league, in 1982.

As an individual Lee Eui-ri, it is also an opportunity to shake off the regret of not being able to join the gold medal journey at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Lee Eui-ri originally joined the Asian Games national team, but was excluded from the entry a day before the convocation training when he was shaken by blisters in his left hand in early September. Since then, however, he has led KIA to victory every time he took the mound with tremendous quality. In fact, KIA won all four games in which Lee Eui-ri took the mound after AG. Also, in the first game against NC, a shutout victory almost came out.

Lee Eui-ri is the only starting resource in Korea that can throw an average of 150 kilometers. In addition to Lee Eui-ri, there is no left-hander who can throw balls this fast and strong and long. Pitchers who can throw more than 150 kilometers are rare even if they exceed 100 pitches. Therefore, Sana Yi-ri is a pitcher who should be a killer against Japan.

Japan is also expected to start left-handed Jihiro Sumida (24, Seibu Lyons). Sumida, considered the best pitcher at a Japanese university, joined Seibu as the No. 1 draft pick in 2022. On March 26, 2022, he started the game against the Orix Buffaloes and enjoyed the joy of his "debut start win" with seven innings of one hit and no run.

However, after suffering from terrible bad luck, he lost 12 consecutive games, the most disgraceful in Seibu's history, from April 2, 2022 to April 12, 2023. Sumida's first-team performance in the first season was 1-10 with a 3.75 ERA. In the 2023 season, Sumida posted a 9-10 record with a 3.44 ERA and made the APBC Japan team.

Sumida also throws fast balls with speeds of 150 kilometers per hour, changeups, curves, sliders, and modified fastballs such as cut fastballs and two-seam fastballs. In particular, he is considered a "left-handed pitcher who is strong against right-handed hitters" due to his excellent change-up pitching.

"Lee Eui-ri is the best left-hander in Korea," national team coach Ryu Joong-il told a press conference after the match against Australia on November 16. "I think if the ball control goes well, it will block the Japanese batters well," he said. He added, "If the ball is well controlled, Lee Eui-ri will be able to catch Japanese batters," adding, "We will focus on watching him."

Even after losing his first game against Taiwan, Moon Dong-ju consistently appointed Moon Dong-ju as the first starter of the national team.

Will Lee Eui-ri be able to create another left-wing dragon by raising him as a Japanese killer in the national team. If Lee Eui-ri makes a great pitch against Japan in the national team, he is expected to be able to release much of the lump in Lee's chest

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