Beginning this week, 12 teams will compete for four berths in two double-elimination tournaments one in Germany and one in Panama in preparation for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
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The United States team won’t have to worry about that round since all of the teams from the 2017 WBC automatically qualified for this tournament, which was originally scheduled for 2021 but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic and the MLB lockout. However, this didn’t stop a flood of top baseball players who were born in the U.S. from rushing to join the 2023 team.
The process of assembling Team USA’s 2023 World Baseball Classic roster couldn’t have gotten off to a better start with three-time MVP Mike Trout agreeing to lead the team in July. Since then, they have acquired several players, including Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, who are both MVP candidates for 2022, two additional MVP winners in Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts, and more. Each of the two stars of the St. Louis Cardinals competed for Team USA in the 2017 World Cup.
In July, Mike Trout took over as the team’s captain. Both two-time MVP Bryce Harper and MVP Mookie Betts are participating. What do you call an outfield? Sheesh. Oh, and Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, who is projected to win the NL MVP award in 2022, both signed on.
It’s safe to say that these superstars were recruited without the need for payment. The exact opposite.
Arenado remarked to The Sporting News, “I simply remember when I played in ’17, I didn’t play as well as I wanted to, but I knew after I was done, I said I wanted to be a good player till 2021… so they’d ask me again. I was truly inspired to keep working hard because I wanted to make that team. It feels incredible to succeed again.
Consider that for a moment.
Arenado was due to turn 26 when the 2017 World Baseball Classic came to an end. He had already won four Gold Gloves, two All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards, and was coming off consecutive seasons with at least 40 home runs and 130 RBIs. He placed fifth in the 2016 NL MVP voting.
And he was simply crossing his fingers that he would still be effective enough in four years to be permitted to participate in the WBC once more.
Let that sink in once more. It says a lot, but the quality of the skill pool and how much Arenado and the other players liked the WBC truly stand out.
Arenado ended up being talented enough to “make” the USA team. And because of his talent, he’s certain to place in the top eight for the sixth time in the NL MVP race and the first time with the Cardinals. So yeah, it was simple to say “yes, please” to him.
Arenado was on the Rockies, Goldschmidt was on the Diamondbacks, and now they are teammates in St. Louis. They were teammates on the 2017 World Baseball Classic team.
“Last time, I had a great time. It was one of the best baseball experiences I’ve ever had, if not the best. Goldschmidt told TSN, “I basically just let them know that I’d love to play again if I got the chance. “Made friends for life, had an amazing baseball experience, and everything else that comes with it. I wasn’t sure whether I’d get the chance again, but if I did, I wanted to take advantage of it. My family and I really enjoyed it.
2023 World Baseball Classic United States roster
C J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies
C Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers
1B Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
1B Pete Alonso, New York Mets
2B Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox
3B Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals
SS Trea Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers
SS Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox
OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angles
OF Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
OF Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
OF Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles
OF Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
The 2017 WBC was won by the United States, giving the nation its first championship. The first two WBCs were won by Japan (2006 and 2009), and the 2013 championship was won by the Dominican Republic. Last time, the United States squad fell twice, once to the Dominican Republic in the first round and once to Puerto Rico in the second round, although both times they still advanced as the second team in the pool. A gem from starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who will be representing Puerto Rico in 2023, helped the United States defeat Japan 2-1 in the semifinal and Puerto Rico 8-0 in the final.
2023 World Baseball Classic qualifying schedule
Pool A (March 8-13)
Host: Taichung, Taiwan (Intercontinental Baseball Stadium)
Chinese Taipei
Cuba
Italy
The Kingdom of the Netherlands
TBD (winner of 2022 WBC Qualifier)
Pool B (March 9-13)
Host: Tokyo (Tokyo Dome)
Japan
Korea
China
Australia
TBD (winner of 2022 WBC Qualifier)
Pool C (March 11-15)
Host: Phoenix (Chase Field)
United States
Canada
Mexico
Colombia
TBD (winner of 2022 WBC Qualifier)
Pool D (March 11-15)
Host: Miami (loanDepot park)
Puerto Rico
Venezuela
Israel
Dominican Republic
TBD (winner of 2022 WBC Qualifier)
The semifinals (March 19) and finals (March 21) will both take place in Miami. The quarterfinal rounds will be held in Tokyo (March 15–16) and Miami (March 17–18).
Arenado, who went 2-for-5 in the championship game, said that representing your country was one of the greatest things he had the opportunity to do in 2017. “Playing against the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and those other countries who are also super-passionate about where they’re from is pretty special,” he added.
So, the competitiveness or the companionship, which did you prefer the first time?
“I believe they were on par. You get to play with the top players in the world, learn from them, take batting practice, ground balls, hang around, and go on exciting trips, according to Goldschmidt. The process of getting to know those guys was something I really loved. Additionally, it was a lot of pleasure to compete against the top players in the world in high-stakes games.
