Lee Jung-hoo Confirms Representing South Korea in the Baseball Classic, Will Play Five MLB Warm-up Games to Adjust Form

Lee Jung-hoo, the Korean outfielder of the San Francisco Giants training in the U.S. for the upcoming season, confirmed today at Incheon Airport that he will play for South Korea in the 2026 WBC World Baseball Classic. He mentioned that he will take part in five MLB exhibition games prior to the Tokyo group stage to get into game shape.

According to South Korean media STAR NEWS, Lee Jung-hoo stated: "When I returned to Korea during the off-season, I was already inclined to participate, but had to wait for the team to complete the necessary procedures. Now that I have received official confirmation from the Giants, it fills me with pride and honor to wear the national team jersey again after many years. I will prepare seriously and look forward to joining my teammates in Japan in good health."

Recently, Kim Ha-seong and Song Sung-mun withdrew from the Classic due to injuries, while Kim Hye-seong has already begun the first phase of training camp with the team in Saipan. Lee Jung-hoo’s addition is crucial to South Korea’s team strength.

The Giants’ pitcher-catcher training camp will start on February 11 (U.S. time), with the first warm-up game scheduled for February 21. He will first fly to Arizona for Giants spring training, and based on the team’s warm-up schedule, he is expected to play five MLB exhibition games before heading to Japan. South Korea’s head coach Yoo Jae-yeol hopes he can quickly regain form through these games.

Regarding the shortstop vacancy after Kim Ha-seong’s absence, Lee Jung-hoo believes Kim Joo-won is the most likely candidate to fill the spot and will have a significant opportunity: "This is a great chance for the player who needs to step in at that position."

Last year, Lee Jung-hoo posted a batting average of .266 with 8 home runs and 55 RBIs in the major leagues, but committed 7 errors defensively, resulting in a fielding percentage of .991. He admitted his confidence was affected at the time: "This winter, I especially focused on strengthening my mental game."

Regarding opponents in his group, Lee Jung-hoo specifically mentioned his Giants teammate Logan Webb, who has joined the U.S. team: "It would be interesting to face him! I’ve admired his pitching while playing defense before, but never had the chance to hit against him in a game. I’m looking forward to competing against him as an opponent." He said every Korean player has a "dream opponent list" they hope to face.

With Lee Jung-hoo confirmed to participate, Japanese media have already regarded him as a major threat. A Japanese outlet headlined, "Korea’s Ichiro Confirms Participation," noting he will be one of the toughest competitors for Japan in Group C. This year’s Classic Group C includes Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Australia, and the Czech Republic, with group play starting on March 5 to compete for two quarterfinal spots.