'If this squad can't win gold, they should just go to the army,' says ex-MLB player Kang Jung-ho

Former Major League Baseball player Kang Jung-ho has shared his candid thoughts on the South Korean baseball team heading to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Kang laid out the team's schedule, key players and his projected lineup Monday on his YouTube channel "Kang Jung-ho King Kang."

"If they win this time, it will be their fifth gold medal," he said, introducing the roster. "This squad has 24 players, and young players are at the core. The three wild-card picks are Kwak Bin, Moon Bo-kyung and Noh Si-hwan."

Kang said the batting order impressed him more than he expected. "It's not just Noh Si-hwan and Kim Do-young — there's also Kim Ju-won, Park Jun-soon, Moon Hyun-bin and Kim Ji-chan. You've got power hitters, speedsters and guys with a high on-base percentage," he said.

He added that the lineup's strength lies across all nine spots rather than in a single cleanup threat. "From top to bottom, every batter can go off at any moment and has the ability to steal bases," he said. "I think this team can play very aggressively."

Kang's projected starting lineup placed Kim Ji-chan (center field) batting first, Kim Ju-won (shortstop) second, Kim Do-young (third base) third, Noh Si-hwan (designated hitter) fourth, Park Jun-soon (second base) fifth, Moon Hyun-bin (right field) sixth, Moon Bo-kyung (first base) seventh, Jo Hyung-woo (catcher) eighth and Park Jae-hyun (left field) ninth.

On the starting rotation, Kang said Kwak Bin is the clear ace. "He has an ERA in the low 2s, has thrown more than 140 innings and has 160 strikeouts. He has the ability to rack up Ks," he said.

He predicted Kwak would take the mound for the opening game against Taiwan on Monday. "There's no need to deliberate — Kwak Bin will start," he said. "It's actually better to use Kwak in the first game so the rotation comes back around for the final, where he can pitch again. We absolutely have to beat Taiwan."

Kang expressed confidence the team could claim a fifth gold medal, but added a pointed remark: "If this squad can't win gold, well, they should just go to the army — go serve the country." Players who win gold at the Asian Games receive a military service exemption.

Meanwhile, the baseball team — built primarily around KBO League players — is chasing a fifth consecutive gold medal, a streak that began at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.