We are just under a month away from the first pitch of baseball in the new year. The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is back, with its last time being played in 2023, where Japan took home the title.
The WBC is the World Cup of baseball; countries from all over the world compete, and some have many MLB players, while others do not.
There have been five World Baseball Classics previously, with Japan winning three, the United States winning one, and the Dominican Republic winning one as well. This game has increased globally and will continue to rise with the amount of star power in this upcoming classic.
Team USA is the favorite team to win the WBC, as they do have the most MLB players on their current roster, they are managed by former MLB player Mark DeRosa, and headlined by both AL and NL Cy Youngs, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. They also have the greatest right-handed hitter of this generation in Aaron Judge, who was awarded the Team USA captain patch.
The rest of the roster is much more star-studded than their 2023 roster; some returners feature Will Smith, Bobby Witt Jr., David Bednar, and Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt is the first player in WBC history to play in 3 different classics: 2017, 2023, and 2026. The USA will also get the arrival of MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, and Pete Crow-Armstrong
A close second to being the favorite team to win and the reigning champion, Team Japan is looking to repeat. They are also star studded, but not entirely from MLB talent. Japan’s MLB players are headlined by the three-headed monster on the Los Angeles Dodgers: 4-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, Cy Young Runner-up Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and former Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Roki Sasaki.
Team Japan will also feature past and present legends such as Munetaki Murakami, who just signed a deal with the Chicago White Sox. Murakami was the hero in the 2023 WBC for Japan as he hit a few monster home runs to help them overcome Team Mexico.
Arguably the most exciting team in the WBC, the Dominican Republic brings in the flashiest but most talented players. The roster has MVP runner-up Juan Soto, Cy Young runner-up Christopher Sanchez, and Fernando Tatis Jr. They also have the best Second Baseman in the MLB by a long shot, Ketel Marte.
Although the talent is as good as any in this tournament, the Dominican Republic has been a disappointment, as they failed to make it out of the first round in 2023. This team is back and better than ever, and is looking for revenge.
The talent pool in the World Baseball Classic is amazing; all 30 MLB teams have at least three players representing their country and their respective team. This tournament will be one for the ages, as it is anybody’s game this year.
