The World's World Series
This past week marked the return of pitchers and catchers to MLB spring training, bringing about the start of the baseball season for players and fans alike. However, some faces were absent, those who had made the choice to represent their respective countries at the World Baseball Classic. This event is baseball's edition of the World Cup, which is making its return for the first time since 2017. That year, the United States came out on top as the world champions of baseball with an 8-0 win over Puerto Rico in the final.
The tournament, set to begin on March 7 and end on March 21, features games played across four different locations around the world. Powerhouses like the United States and the Dominican Republic will be making their returns, while Great Britain, the Czech Republic, and Nicaragua will be making their debut appearances. However, of the 20 total teams participating on the global stage, there can only be one winner. Below are my predictions for who I believe will advance from each group into the knockout round, and then my pick to win the entire thing.
Group A: Taichung, Chinese Taipei - Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, Cuba, Italy, Panama
While Group A may be the weakest group in terms of team strength, it will still certainly be one to watch (if you happen to be awake at 6 AM EST). These games will take place at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Chinese Taipei, and feature the likes of teams like the Netherlands, one of the most intriguing teams in this year's tournament. With players not just from the European Netherlands but also from the Caribbean islands of Aruba and Curaçao, there are many likable players on this squad, like Didi Gregorius, Xander Bogaerts, and Andrelton Simmons, to name a few. The other team to watch in this group is Cuba - while they are missing the talents of players like Jose Abreu and Yordan Alvarez, they have a solid lineup consisting of Yoan Moncada, Yoenis Cespedes, Luis Robert, and Andy Ibañez. The other three teams are solid, but the Netherlands and Cuba are my picks to advance through the group stage.
Group B: Tokyo, Japan - Japan, Korea, Australia, China, Czech Republic
Group B, whose games are set to take place at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, feature Asian giants Japan and South Korea, as well as the Czech Republic, who will be making their first ever appearance. Japan and Korea, in my opinion, are easily the favorites to advance. Japan has who could very well be the best baseball player on the planet, Shohei Ohtani. His athleticism and pure baseball talent cannot be found in the average professional player today. They could also very well have the best pitching staff in the tournament, with starters like Yu Darvish, Roki Sasaki, and of course, Ohtani, along with a mix of players from the MLB, as well as Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Japan's top-tier league. As for Korea, they have a heavy lineup with players like Tommy Edman, Ha-seong Kim, and Byung-ho Park, plus young KBO talent as well. Japan and Korea will be the teams to watch from this group.
Group C: Phoenix, Arizona - United States, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, Great Britain
This group is one of two that will take place in the United States, with its games being played at Chase Field in Phoenix. Aside from Great Britain, who is making their first ever tournament appearance, the group is made up of American nations with a strong background in baseball. The best team in this group is, without a doubt, the United States. The defending champions are even better in 2023 with some of the best names in baseball, including Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and more. Off the field, they have help from the likes of legends like Ken Griffey Jr, Andy Pettitte, and Brian McCann - the Stars & Stripes could very well find themselves going all the way to the world championship. Finishing behind this team will be Mexico - while not on the same level as the USA, their lineup is stacked in its own way, featuring the offensive talents of Alex Verdugo, Randy Arozarena, and Rowdy Tellez. Defensively they have Luis Urias, Alek Thomas, and Austin Barnes to lock down on the diamond, as well as Julio Urias on the mound. Other notable players from this group include Freddie Freeman, playing for Canada, Gio Urshela, playing for Colombia, and Trayce Thompson, playing for Great Britain. The defending champions and their neighbors down south will be the ones advancing from this group.
Group D: Miami, Florida - Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Israel, Nicaragua
Group D is, without a doubt, the group of death at the WBC. Live from loanDepot Park in Miami, a city flourishing with Caribbean and Latino culture, this will be the most entertaining bunch of countries to watch with Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela all in the same group. While it is absolutely stacked with talent, there's no question that the Dominican Republic will finish on top - the team might just be the greatest the classic has ever seen. In 2013, the DR became the only team to go undefeated throughout the entire tournament, and they can very well do it again this year. Just take a look at their pitching staff, led by reigning NL Cy Young Sandy Alcantara, followed by Cristian Javier, Johnny Cueto, and Roansy Contreras. From the bullpen: Bryan Abreu, Gregory Soto, Camilo Doval, the list goes on and on. Don't even get me started with their offense - imagine a starting lineup with Manny Machado, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, and Rafael Devers one after another. Picking the second team to advance is harder, but I have to go with Venezuela. While Puerto Rico will be a fun team to watch, especially being led by legend Yadier Molina, Venezuela just has a stronger pitching rotation and lineup, featuring players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Jose Altuve, and Pablo Lopez, and led by first-ballot Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera. Aside from the three giants in this group are Israel, managed by Ian Kinsler and featuring players like Joc Pederson, and Nicaragua, who are making their first ever finals appearance. The group of death will certainly capture the most attention of baseball fans worldwide.
After two teams from each group advance into the playoffs, it just becomes even harder to pick one over another. In the end, my prediction is that the Dominican Republic will come out on top to become the international world champions of baseball. Their team is just too powerful to beat, and with the likes of the NL Cy Young and AL Rookie of the Year, the sky's the limit for Los Quisqueyanos. A world championship between them and the United States would be the epitome of baseball for 2023, even more entertaining than this year's World Series. Cuba and the Netherlands are set to face off in the opening game on March 7 - the first of many games along the way to the final game.