With fall baseball long gone, the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) have been reaping the rewards of their young talent this season. The 60-man preliminary roster for the 2024 WBSC Premier12 squad, announced on Dec. 12, included six Lotte players, the most among the 10 clubs.
Catcher Son Sung-bin (22), infielders Ko Seung-min (24), Na Seung-yup (22) and Son Ho-young (30), and outfielders Yoon Dong-hee (21) and Hwang Sung-bin (27) were named to the preliminary roster. Go Seung-min is considered the favorite to make the team, along with Yoon Dong-hee, who was a standout at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) last year.
After showing promise in the infield and outfield last year, but failing to establish himself, Go Seung-min has emerged as the starting second baseman this year. In 113 games, he is batting .457 (138-for-457) with 12 home runs, 81 RBIs, and an OPS of .812. He’s hitting double digit home runs with a triple-digit OBP, exploding his potential as a big-time second baseman.
Add to that the absence of Kim Hye-sung (Kiwoom), who has been the national team’s consistent second baseman. Kim, who won a gold medal at last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, was granted military service, but the Premier 12 overlaps with the four-week basic military training mandated by the Korean Armed Forces.
Along with Kim, Kang Baek-ho (KT) was also removed from the reserve roster for the same reason.
Park Min-woo (NC) and Kang Seung-ho (Doosan) are other options at second base, but they are 31 and 30 years old, respectively. The KBO’s Power Enhancement Committee is planning to build a younger roster centered on players in their 20s with a focus on the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) 파워볼실시간 and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. At just 24 years old, Ko Seung-min is a second baseman who fits the bill.
But there is a catch: his finger. He suffered ligament damage to his left thumb’s phalangeal joint ligament, which required surgery after the season. The injury didn’t keep him out of the game in the middle of the season, but it’s still bothering him.
“Ideally, he will recover for next season, but we will adjust the surgery schedule according to the finalization of the Premier12 roster,” Lotte said. If he makes the final roster, the team is open to pushing back the surgery.
Lotte head coach Kim Tae-hyung believes that an early surgery and rehabilitation will be better for the team’s preparation for next season. “If he has the surgery right away, he can enter next year’s spring training right away,” Kim said of Go Seung-min before the Daejeon Hanwha game on April 22, ”and it would be better than going to the national team and getting a free agency date.”
For young players, international competitions are a chance to gain good experience and take pride in the Taegeukmark.
Go Seung-min has yet to be called up to the national team. If he can build on his performance this season and gain international experience, he can grow even more. The bonus is that he can be compensated until the free agency deadline.
However, if his finger isn“t fully healed, it”s a risky proposition. Delaying the surgery could also affect his preparation for next season. Go Seung-min is cautious, not only for himself, but also because he is now a key player for the Lotte team.
His priority is to make the national team, but either way, he will be disappointed. However, the fact that he is even thinking about it shows that his presence has grown. He deserves a lot of credit for continuing to perform well despite the pain in his finger. We can’t wait to see what he does next year.