The Dominican Republic, Korea's quarterfinal opponent in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), has claimed first place in all eight team batting categories among the 20 participating nations.
According to the WBC website on the 13th, the Dominican Republic leads all 20 countries that competed in the pool stage in team batting average (.313), runs scored (41), home runs (13), RBIs (40), walks (33), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.672), and OPS (1.130).
As the statistics indicate, the Dominican Republic bombarded opposing pitching staffs throughout their four pool-stage games. They secured their quarterfinal berth with a perfect 4-0 record, powered by their formidable offense. They scored in double digits in three of their four pool games, excluding the Venezuela match (7 runs). Their average runs per game reached 10.3.
Every player in their lineup from first to ninth can drive in runs with home runs. Juan Soto (New York Mets), who signed the first $1 billion contract in world professional sports history, along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays), Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres), Oneil Cruz (Pittsburgh Pirates), and Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays) each hit two home runs. Austin Wells (New York Yankees), Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), and Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks) added one each.
Their strength extends beyond the lineup. The pitching staff has also performed well. Dominican pitchers allowed just 10 runs in four pool games, ranking third in team runs allowed. They ranked fourth in ERA at 2.38, fifth in hits allowed with 23, tied for fourth in home runs allowed with 2, and fifth in walks plus hit batters with 12. However, Cristopher Sánchez (Philadelphia Phillies), the scheduled starter against Korea, has struggled in this tournament. In his start against Nicaragua on the 7th, he recorded 1⅓ innings pitched, 6 hits allowed, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 3 earned runs.
Korea's lineup has also shown strong performance. While ranking eighth overall with a .243 team batting average, they placed fifth in runs (28), home runs (7), and RBIs (27). Moon Bo-kyung (LG Twins) and Shay Whitcomb (Houston Astros) hit two home runs each, while Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers), Kim Hye-seong (Los Angeles Dodgers), and Jermaine Jones (Detroit Tigers) contributed one each. Moon Bo-kyung (11 RBIs) leads all players from the 20 participating nations in RBIs. However, no other Korean player has exceeded 10 RBIs.
Korea's pitching staff, which will face the tournament's most powerful offense, is tied for first in home runs allowed. They have surrendered 9 home runs in this tournament—a stark contrast to the Dominican Republic, which leads in team home runs. Korea's team ERA stands at 4.50, ranking 12th, while their 28 hits allowed ranks ninth.