Here are the top prospects at the World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic places the sport’s greatest on show, however followers with a eager eye will be capable of select a powerful group of future stars on the sector.
In the latest version of the event, in 2017, Team Canada featured a pair of thrilling up-and-comers within the Cardinals’ Tyler O’Neill — then the Thirty sixth-best prospect in baseball — and No. 4 Padres prospect Josh Naylor. Six years later, O’Neill, now a two-time Gold Glove winner, and Naylor’s youthful brother and present Guardians teammate, Bo Naylor, spotlight Canada’s lineup.
Three of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects headline this 12 months’s crop of prime younger skills: Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (No. 30) will go well with up for Team Italy, Mariners catcher Harry Ford (No. 49) returns to Team Great Britain after main them within the WBC Qualifiers and the youthful Naylor (No. 64) follows in his brother’s footsteps with Team Canada.
Here are the opposite prospects ranked inside their group’s Top 30 checklist that may head to the 2023 WBC. (The rankings listed are present as of the top of the 2022 season.)
POOL A (Taichung, Taiwan)
Frelick, the fifteenth general choose within the 2021 Draft, reached Triple-A in his first full season as a professional final summer season and completed within the prime 5 amongst all Minor Leaguers with a .331 common between three ranges. Fletcher discovered comparable success within the higher ranges of the Arizona group, slashing .312/.378/.486 in 133 video games.
The Curacao native impressed in his U.S. debut in 2022, placing out 10.1 batters per 9 within the Florida Complex League. The 21-year-old can attain the higher 90s together with his fastball and may sit there extra persistently as his body fills out.
Herrera’s sturdy offensive observe file earned him a quick look behind the plate within the Majors final season and he may return there as Willson Contreras’ backup this 12 months. Ramos hit 25 residence runs between Single-A and High-A as a 21-year-old earlier than exhibiting off extra spectacular pop within the Arizona Fall League.
POOL C (Phoenix, Arizona)
Naylor isn’t the one notable title supplementing O’Neill and Freddie Freeman on Canada’s roster. Caissie, Clarke and Julien all flashed spectacular energy and velocity throughout each the common season and Arizona Fall League, with Julien successful the circuit’s Breakout Player of the Year Award. Bratt spent his age-18 season in Single-A and pitched like he was a lot older, ending with a 2.45 ERA in 80.2 innings. Lopez obtained 10 at-bats within the Majors over the past two seasons however has spent most of that point as a contact-first shortstop in Triple-A.
Colombia: 1B/3B Jordan Diaz (Athletics No. 9); LHP Luis De Avila (Braves unranked)
Diaz mashed on the higher ranges of the Oakland system, hitting .326/.366/.515 in 120 video games earlier than making 15 appearances within the Majors in September. He ought to profit from sharing a locker room with veteran hitters like Gio Urshela, Donovan Solano and Jorge Alfaro. De Avila did not end the 12 months on Atlanta’s Top 30 however flashed stable stuff over 24 begins in High-A final season and is slated to land on the up to date rankings.
(De Avila is a member of Colombia’s designated pitcher pool, which means he will be added to the roster instead in between rounds.)
Ford, born in Atlanta, qualifies for inclusion on the Great Britain roster since each of his mother and father maintain citizenship within the United Kingdom. At the WBC Qualifiers in Regensburg, Germany, Ford mashed three homers in three video games. Thomas, a Bahamas native, made a transfer to the bullpen in 2022 and posted a 3.02 ERA 37 Double-A outings.
Mexico: RHP Alan Rangel (Braves unranked)
Rangel was on Atlanta’s 40-man roster in 2022 — even spending a couple of days within the Majors, although he did not seem in a recreation — however was non-tendered and subsequently re-signed on a Minor League deal. That dedication, together with sturdy underlying metrics, is anticipated to assist him soar onto the Braves’ Top 30 when it will get up to date for the approaching season.
(Rangel is a member of Mexico’s designated pitcher pool, which means he will be added to the roster instead in between rounds.)
Mostly composed of Jewish-American gamers, Team Israel’s roster options Gelof, a second-round choose in 2021, and Mervis, whose 36 residence runs in 2022 had been tied for the third-most within the Minor Leagues. Horwitz, like the opposite two bats, completed the 12 months in Triple-A, whereas Gordon returned from Tommy John surgical procedure to run a 2.35 ERA between three ranges.
Perez is understood for his protection and plate self-discipline, two instruments that he displayed in 54 video games at Single-A final season. Rodriguez was born in Nicaragua however was drafted out of a junior faculty in Florida in 2021. In his skilled debut final summer season, he pitched to a 3.07 ERA with 129 strikeouts in 107.2 innings as a 20-year-old in A-ball.
Hamel, who has Puerto Rican heritage, was the Mets’ third-round choose within the 2021 Draft and established himself as one of many group’s prime arms in his first full season as a professional. His 3.25 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 119 innings between Single-A and High-A earned him the Mets’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year award.
