The Korean national baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Joong-il, won 3-2 in the first round of the APBC 2023 qualifying round against Australia at Tokyo Dome in Japan. South Korea, which won its first game despite a rough process, has increased its chances of advancing to the finals for two consecutive tournaments. Choi Seung-yong's performance as a relief pitcher was one hit, two outs, four strikeouts and no runs in one ⅔ inning.
Starting pitcher Moon Dong-ju worked five ⅔ innings, and the national team operated the bullpen from the top of the sixth inning. Kim Young-kyu, Shin Min-hyuk and Choi Ji-min came to the mound in turn. Shin Min-hyuk was replaced without catching a single outcount, but Kim Young-kyu and Choi Ji-min each did their part while the team was losing 1-2 with no runs in ⅔ innings. Despite the crisis of loading the bases with one out in the top of the seventh inning, the national team did not allow a single point to Australia.
Choi Seung-yong took over the mound before the top of the eighth inning. Initially, head coach Ryu Joong-il classified Oh Won-seok and Choi Seung-yong as starting candidates and expressed his intention to leave many innings to the two pitchers. However, as Moon Dong-ju dragged more than five innings as planned, the starting resources did not come to the mound early.
Choi Seung-yong struck out Christopher Burke, the leadoff hitter, in the top of the eighth inning, and then induced Luke Smith, the follow-up hitter, to strike out swinging, and quickly made two outs. In addition, defense also contributed. During Mitchell Edwards' long hit, left fielder Moon Hyun-bin threw the ball to second base accurately after the fence play, and infielders drove Edwards to a rundown, leading to a tag-out. Naturally, the inning ended.
Choi Seung-yong also took the mound in the top of the ninth inning and struck out leadoff hitter Brilli Knight. The walk of Liam Spence and Aaron White Field caused a scoring crisis, but Rickson Wingrove struck out swinging to take a breather. After that, Choi Seung-yong handed over the mound to Jung Hae-young, and Jung Hae-young struck out Alex Hall. Choi Seung-yong's good pitching, which did not allow even a tiny gap in the second half of the game, provided an opportunity for a come-from-behind victory.
Choi Seung-yong, who joined the Doosan Bears as the 20th pick in the second round in 2021, recorded a 3.93 ERA in 15 games and 18 ⅓ innings in the first division in his first year of debut, and showed a possibility of winning, losing, and losing, and losing, with a 5.30 ERA in 93 ⅓ in 48 games the following year.
This year, Choi Seung-yong showed stable control over the season, earning satisfactory results with 3 wins, 6 losses, 1 save and 3.97 ERA in 311 innings in 34 games. For Doosan, which lacked young left-handers, Choi Seung-yong's growth was welcome. Not only his team but also the national team are paying attention to Choi Seung-yong's skills.
Considering his ability to digest innings and bullpen experience, Choi Seung-yong is likely to be used in important moments in the rest of the game. It remains to be seen whether Choi Seung-yong, who does his best in a given position regardless of starting and bullpen, will be able to make a stronger impression once again.