The NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) are set to hold camp in Taiwan for the first time since 2014. The Changwon-based franchise opened their preseason camp in Tucson, Arizona, on January 30 and will depart for Kaohsiung on February 19.
After a brief layover in Incheon, the team will travel straight to Taiwan on February 21. There, they will embark on an action-packed ten-day stretch, taking on all six teams from the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in a series of highly anticipated exhibition matchups.
NC won its first and only Korean Series title in 2020 but has only made the postseason in one of the past four seasons. The Dinos finished ninth out of ten teams in the KBO last year with a poor 61-81-2 record despite only having a run differential of -28.
They struggled with a 5.00 team ERA, unable to recover from the loss of 2023 MVP Erick Fedde, who signed with the Chicago White Sox. Legendary slugger Ho-joon Lee, who joined the Dinos as an expansion team in 2013, took over as skipper in 2024.
KBO's NC Dinos will face 6 CPBL teams during their 2025 spring training camp in Taiwan.
FEB 24 vs TSG Hawks
FEB 25 vs Fubon Guardians
FEB 26 vs Uni-Lions
FEB 27 vs CTBC Brothers
MAR 1 vs Rakuten Monkeys
MAR 2 vs Fubon Guardians
MAR 3 vs CTBC Brothers
MAR 4 vs Wei Chuan Dragons pic.twitter.com/KtGuzsNb5c— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) February 15, 2025
Beginning on February 24, the Dinos will take on the TSG Hawks, followed by matchups against the Fubon Guardians on February 25 and March 2, the Uni-Lions on February 26, the CTBC Brothers on February 27 and March 3, the Rakuten Monkeys on March 1, and finally, the Wei Chuan Dragons on March 4. The intense schedule of exhibition games abroad is a slightly unconventional approach to spring training, but new manager Lee hopes it will pay off in preparing them for the upcoming campaign.
Lee has repeatedly emphasized his desire to help develop young prospects. For pitchers, notable youngsters include 20-year-old Ji-hoon Mok, 23-year-old Min-gyu Kim, and 25-year-old Ju-hyeon Park. On the position player side, Lee has pointed out 23-year-old Jae-hwan Han, 24-year-old Beom-jun Kim, and 24-year-old Seung-hwan Song.
Another focal point of the CPBL tour will be the team’s off-season import signings of pitchers Riley Thompson and Logan Allen. The new duo joins slugger Matt Davidson, who smashed a KBO-best 46 home runs last season after hitting only 19 long balls with Hiroshima Carp in 2023. Allen also reportedly drew interest from a Nippon Professional Baseball team before ultimately signing with NC.
Some established players like Young-kyu Kim and Min-heyok Shin, who are recovering from injuries, as well as those preparing to fulfill their military service commitments, will not be traveling with the team. 30-year-old veteran Jae-hwan Cheon, who had a .740 OPS last season, will also reportedly remain in Korea.
As the Dinos look to bounce back from a disappointing ninth-place finish in 2024, the CPBL tour will be a pivotal stage in building momentum before the regular season. While a postseason berth may be unrealistic, manager Lee’s fresh ideas and the influx of new talent have fans hopeful for a brighter showing in 2025.
