Foreign pitchers made a disappointing debut in KBO's spring training matches, with Wang Yan-cheng's performance particularly noted for his lack of control.
Foreign players making their KBO League debuts struggled during their first spring training appearances. Taiwanese pitcher Wang Yan-cheng, who plays for Hanwha Eagles, faced off against the Samsung Lions on March 12 at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park. In his three innings of work, Wang allowed two hits and three runs while striking out three batters, but he also issued five walks, indicating significant control issues. He topped out at a velocity of only 148 km/h on his four-seam fastball, with his other pitches also noticeably lacking in precision. Ultimately, Hanwha lost the game 3-12 to Samsung.
Other foreign pitchers also had mixed results. SSG Landers' Anthony Benigiano pitched 3 1/3 innings against the Kia Tigers, giving up five hits and four runs while only striking out one batter. In contrast, Adam Oller, who is entering his second season with Kia, was perfect over three innings, striking out five batters. Another noteworthy performance came from Curtis Taylor of the NC Dinos, who faced LG Twins and allowed a solo home run to Chunsung-ho, alongside three hits and two runs over three innings. Meanwhile, Chris Flexen, returning to KBO after six seasons, recorded a strong showing for the Doosan Bears with three strikeouts and no runs against the Kiwoom Heroes, contributing to a high-scoring game where Doosan managed a 9-7 victory.
