Jahmai Jones, Dane Dunning, Shay Whitcomb honor their mothers by representing Korea
South Korea’s roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic boasts an impressive roster of six US-based players. Among them, three in particular stand out: They neither speak Korean fluently nor have ever been part of the Korean Baseball Organization.
For Jahmai Jones of the Detroit Tigers, Dane Dunning of the Seattle Mariners and Shay Whitcomb of the Houston Astros, joining Team Korea is about honoring their mothers’ homeland.
With the trio included, this marks the largest group of foreign players of Korean descent ever assembled for the national team's WBC roster.
Riley Chun-young O'Brien of the St. Louis Cardinals, who also has a Korean mother, had planned to join, but a calf injury he suffered in spring training changed those plans.
Their inclusion comes as the national baseball team stepped up efforts to welcome foreign players with Korean heritage abroad ahead of the tournament. Manager Ryu Ji-hyun and coach Kang In-kwon even traveled to the US to meet the athletes in person, assess their condition and discuss their willingness to represent Korea.
The WBC has flexible eligibility rules that allow players to represent a country based on their birthplace, the nationality of their parents or grandparents or eligibility for citizenship — even if they do not currently hold that country’s passport.
During an open training session on Monday at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Jones, a 28-year-old outfielder and second baseman in the Tigers organization, told reporters that he “loves Korea” and that his mother would visit Tokyo to watch the games. He ended the interview by removing his cap and bowing — a gesture of gratitude and respect deeply rooted in Korean etiquette.
Jones said Korean culture was part of his upbringing — especially Korean food, which he described as “one of his favorite things” in an interview with World Baseball Network during spring training in Florida in February. He said he wanted to play for Team Korea to honor his mother and everything she has meant to him.
“So the fact that Korea, you know, chose me to do it after I expressed some interest in doing it means everything to me,” Jones said.
For Dunning, 31, a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, the opportunity carries special meaning. He had hoped to represent Korea at the 2023 WBC, but was forced to withdraw due to injury.
“I was disappointed that I couldn’t make it last time,” Dunning said after an exhibition game ahead of the WBC on Tuesday. “Now that I’m here, it’s exciting. I’m really happy to finally have the chance.”
Whitcomb, 27, also made his presence felt at the plate. The versatile Houston Astros infielder, who led the minor leagues in home runs in 2023, launched a solo homer to left field in the fifth inning against the Orix Buffaloes after being held hitless in his first two at-bats.
South Korea is competing in Group C at the tournament, with four group-stage games at Tokyo Dome against Japan, Taiwan, Australia and the Czech Republic. Only the top two teams advance to the quarterfinals.
Team Korea is looking to advance to the knockout stage for the first time since 2009.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
