The knockout stage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic begins Friday night in Miami with Korea facing the Dominican Republic in a quarterfinal matchup. Korea earned its place in the bracket after advancing out of Pool C with a 7-2 victory over Australia, while the Dominican Republic rolled through pool play and arrives as one of the tournament favorites. The Dominican lineup has produced big offensive numbers throughout the tournament and enters this game Korea vs Dominican Republic game unbeaten, creating a difficult assignment for a Korean club relying on veteran pitching and timely hitting.
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Korea vs Dominican Republic
- Date & Time: Friday, March 13, 6:30 PM
- Starting Pitchers: Hyun Jin Ryu vs Cristopher Sánchez
- Stadium: loanDepot Park, Miami
- Broadcast: FS1
Key Storylines
The biggest storyline going into this matchup is the bracket. The winner of this game will face the winner of the matchup between the United States and Canada later on Friday night. It is expected that DR will advance here, but the Americans and Canadians will hope for an upset from the Korean team to make their path to the final a little less daunting, while still challenging.
Pitching matchup
- Hyun Jin Ryu takes the ball for Korea. The veteran left-hander provides experience and command, but he faces one of the most dangerous lineups in the tournament.
- Cristopher Sánchez starts for the Dominican Republic. The lefty enjoyed a strong recent MLB season and has been part of a pitching staff that has supported the Dominican offense throughout pool play.
- Korea will likely rely heavily on its bullpen if Ryu runs into trouble against the Dominican power hitters.
- The Dominican staff has allowed limited scoring during the tournament while receiving significant run support.
Key Players
- Fernando Tatis Jr. has been a driving force for the Dominican Republic offense, highlighted by a grand slam and multiple extra-base hits during pool play.
- Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. anchor the heart of the Dominican lineup, giving the team elite power and ability to reach base.
- Julio Rodríguez adds speed and run production to an already loaded Dominican batting order.
- For Korea, Hyeseong Kim has delivered key hits and a home run during the tournament.
- Bo Gyeong Moon produced three hits and four RBI in the crucial victory over Australia that secured Korea’s advancement.
Korea vs Dominican Republic Pick & Model Projection
- Score Projection: Dominican Republic 7 – Korea 3 ATS PRO
- Pick: Korea +4.5 ATS PRO
- Confidence: 2 out of 5 ATS PRO
- Win Probability: Korea 32%, Dominican Republic 68% ATS PRO
The pitching duel between Ryu and Sánchez provides an interesting starting point, yet the overall lineup strength favors the Dominican Republic in a clear way. Korea has competed hard throughout the tournament and showed strong execution in its win over Australia, but the Dominican offense represents a much bigger threat than what Korea faced during pool play. With power hitters scattered throughout the order, the Dominican Republic can change the game quickly with one swing.
I expect DR to win this contest and advance to the semifinals. But I am going to take the 4.5 runs with Korea on the runline, as they should be able to prevent the dam from breaking at least for the early innings before DR starts to create separation late.
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