South Korea will have a dream middle infield at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) starting next week, with two of the top defenders in Major League Baseball (MLB) patrolling on either side of the second base bag.

At second base will be Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals, the 2021 National League Gold Glove winner and a finalist at the position last year. The half-Korean star will be playing for the country of his mother's birth for the first time.

Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres will be the shortstop, fresh off a sophomore MLB campaign in which he was a Gold Glove finalist at the position.

The duo finally had their first practice together on Thursday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. They missed the national team's training camp in Tucson, Arizona, due to club commitments, but after arriving here Wednesday, they jumped right into action some 24 hours later.

The early part of Thursday's workout was held behind closed doors, and by the time the media were allowed in the dome, both Kim and Edman were in batting practice.

To hear Kim tell it, his first day with Edman couldn't have gone better.

"He's such a great player, and he's really quick," Kim said. "I found it comfortable and easy to play defense next to him."

On paper, Kim and Edman should give South Korea one of the best defensive middle infields in the tournament. And Kim said he wants to live up to pre-WBC hype.

"Hopefully, Edman and I will help our pitchers and gobble up ground balls," Kim said. "That should lift pressure off our pitchers' shoulders and give our team a better chance to win."

Before signing with the Padres prior to the 2021 season, Kim spent seven years with the Kiwoom Heroes, who use Gocheok as their home. Thursday was a homecoming day of sorts for Kim.

"It felt good to be back on my old stomping grounds," Kim said with a smile. "I am close with a lot of the guys on the team, and it was also great to be able to speak in my own language on the field."

Source: Yonhap News Agency