Why Shay Whitcomb is playing for Korea in the World Baseball Classic

Shay Whitcomb -- an infielder for the Houston Astros -- was born in Thousand Oaks, California in 1998 and has two seasons of 40 Major League games under his belt.

And as of publishing this, he's hit two home runs in the 2026 World Baseball Classic against Czechia on Thursday, which has led a lot of folks to wonder: Is Whitcomb Korean? Why is he playing for Korea if he was one of the many players born in the United States but playing for other teams?

Per MLB.com , Whitcomb's mom is Yoonie, and she was born in Korea. Therefore, he's eligible for the team.

“That's honestly one of the things that's making it very special," he said via the site, "is the fact that I get to represent my mom and honor her in that way."

There's your answer!

Why are Dane Dunning and Jahmai Jones playing for Korea in the WBC?

Same deal! Jones' mom, Michele, was born in South Korea, and Dane Dunning's from Korea as well.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why is Shay Whitcomb playing for Korea in World Baseball Classic