The composition of the South Korean representative team in the AFC Champions League is attracting attention. The pitchers may be mainly players who have not participated in international competitions.

The South Korean team won the gold medal at the Nagoya Asian Games. (File photo, Reuters)

[Reporter Lin Youchen/Comprehensive Report] The 2026 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (AFC Champions League) will start on November 12. The three teams of Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Australia will form a team for those under 24 years old or who have been in professional baseball for less than 3 years. They will form a team from their respective leagues, and three "wild cards" under the age of 29 will be opened.

The AFC Champions League is regarded as a stage for young players to hone their skills, and South Korean media reported that since the AFC Champions League is already the third international competition this year after the Classics and the Nagoya Asian Games, and will be held immediately after the professional baseball playoffs, the extent to which the members of the South Korean representative team will change has attracted attention.

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Korean media reported that according to sources familiar with the Korean baseball circle, the Korea Professional Baseball Board (KBO) Strengthening Committee is expected to hold a meeting this week to discuss the composition of the South Korean representative team in the AFC Champions League. The Combat Strength Strengthening Committee has held a meeting before, and it is reported that the general direction of the composition of the representative team has been established. The second meeting is expected to further discuss specific selection criteria and team formation methods.

Local people in South Korea pointed out that if the same player participates in three international competitions within a year, the risk of overload and injury will increase significantly. Especially compared to fielders, pitchers bear a greater burden. The Korean professional playoffs did not end until the beginning of November. Players who participated in the Korean competition were unable to join the representative team in time. Players who participated in the playoffs and quasi-playoffs also had a very tight schedule. Therefore, a significant change in team members is expected to be inevitable. A source revealed: "Basically, the pitchers should be mainly players who have not participated in international matches this year."

The AFC Champions League is coming to its third edition this year. The first edition was in 2017 before the epidemic. Since then, due to the impact of the epidemic, the second edition will not be held until 2023. In the first edition, only Taiwan, Japan and South Korea participated. From the second edition, Australia joined the team. Since the third edition, the top three rankings have been Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.