The best player at each position in the Classic
The first World Baseball Classic in six years is across the nook, and with it comes a gaggle of star gamers from across the globe which may be one of the best within the historical past of the event.
But amongst that constellation of stars, that are one of the best of one of the best? The selections have been made not simply based mostly on observe report and stats, but in addition based mostly on the intrigue and pleasure of watching these gamers take the sector for his or her respective international locations.
Here’s a have a look at a pre-tournament All-WBC Team. Games will likely be broadcast stay on FOX, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes and Tubi.
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, United States
Honorable mentions: Alejandro Kirk, Mexico; Salvador Perez, Venezuela; Will Smith, United States
Realmuto, who was already extensively thought-about to be one of the best catcher in MLB coming into the 2022 season, had a profession yr to assist the Phillies attain the World Series, hitting .276/.342/.478 with 22 residence runs, 21 steals, an MLB-leading 44 % caught-stealing charge and a career-best 6.5 Baseball Reference WAR. Realmuto will likely be making his WBC debut for Team USA.
First base: Freddie Freeman, Canada
Honorable mentions: Paul Goldschmidt, United States; Pete Alonso, United States; Vinnie Pasquantino, Italy
Freeman returns for his second WBC with Team Canada after batting .182 in three video games in 2017. He’s coming off one other nice season, his first with the Dodgers, main MLB with 199 hits and 47 doubles, and main the National League with a .407 on-base share and 117 runs scored. After profitable the 2020 NL MVP Award with Atlanta, Freeman completed fourth in ’22, his fourth top-five end throughout his profession.
Second base: Jose Altuve, Venezuela
Honorable mentions: Jeff McNeil, United States; Luis Arraez, Venezuela; Andrés Giménez, Venezuela
Altuve is coming off his most interesting season since being named American League MVP in 2017. He hit .300/.387/.533 with 28 homers and 18 steals for the World Series champion Astros, and he’ll look to start 2023 by choosing up proper the place he left off. He hit .259 (7-for-27) within the 2017 WBC for Team Venezuela.
Third base: Manny Machado, Dominican Republic
Honorable mentions: Nolan Arenado, United States; Rafael Devers, Dominican Republic; Munetaka Murakami, Japan
Machado completed runner-up to Paul Goldschmidt in NL MVP voting final yr, shifting into the next gear towards the top of the season — from Aug. 9 by the top of the common season, he hit .314/.376/.588 with 13 homers to guide the Padres into the postseason. He then hit .357 with a double and a homer within the NL Division Series in opposition to the Dodgers to assist elevate San Diego to its first NL Championship Series in 24 years. He’s no stranger to the WBC — in 2017, he hit .269 with two doubles and a homer (to not point out one which was robbed in an iconic play by Adam Jones) for the D.R.
Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts, the Netherlands
Honorable mentions: Francisco Lindor, Puerto Rico; Trea Turner, United States; Wander Franco, Dominican Republic
Before he takes the sector for the Padres for the primary time after inking an 11-year, $280 million contract with San Diego, Bogaerts will play in his third WBC for the Netherlands after a ultimate season with the Red Sox by which he posted an .833 OPS with 15 homers and 5.8 Baseball Reference WAR, his second highest in any season of his profession (6.3 in 2019).
Outfielders: Mike Trout, United States; Mookie Betts, United States; Jung-hoo Lee, Korea
Honorable mentions: Juan Soto, Dominican Republic; Julio Rodríguez, Dominican Republic; Luis Robert, Cuba; Ronald Acuña Jr., Venezuela; Kyle Tucker, United States; Cedric Mullins, United States
The U.S. is basically sturdy on this space. After all, when Trout is your heart fielder and Betts is your proper fielder … want we are saying extra?
Trout will likely be participating in his first WBC, an thrilling improvement provided that he has been extensively thought-about one of the best participant in MLB for a lot of the previous decade. He’s sadly been unable to play in additional than 140 video games throughout a season over the previous six years, however he’s been simply as productive as ever when he’s been within the lineup. Last season, he posted a .999 OPS with 40 homers in simply 119 video games for the Angels.
Betts, in the meantime, was tied with Freeman for the NL lead for runs scored, with 117 final season. He posted an .873 OPS with a career-high 35 homers for the Dodgers and received his sixth Gold Glove Award in proper subject.
Lee is probably not one of the best of the remaining outfielders within the WBC this yr, however he’s one of the intriguing gamers to observe on this yr’s event. The 24-year-old outfielder is the reigning MVP of the Korean Baseball Organization after he hit .349/.421/.575 with 23 homers in 142 video games for the Kiwoom Heroes.
The Heroes have mentioned they’ll honor Lee’s request to be posted so he can play in MLB following the 2023 season. The WBC will likely be a global stage on which Lee can introduce himself to the broader baseball world, and that’s an thrilling prospect.
Designated hitter: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dominican Republic
Honorable mentions: Joc Pederson, Israel; Eloy Jiménez, Dominican Republic; Kyle Schwarber, United States
Guerrero didn’t replicate his unimaginable 2021 marketing campaign, when he completed runner-up to Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP voting, however an .819 OPS with 32 homers isn’t something to shrug your shoulders about. Vladdy Jr. stays one of the feared sluggers in MLB, and his status will precede him when he steps to the plate for the D.R. within the WBC, making his debut within the event.
Right-handed beginning pitcher: Sandy Alcantara, Dominican Republic
Honorable mentions: Yu Darvish, Japan; Roki Sasaki, Japan; Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Japan
In 2022, Alcantara actually confirmed the broader baseball world what the Marlins knew all alongside — this man is likely one of the elite pitchers in baseball. The workhorse right-hander received the NL Cy Young Award due to an incredible marketing campaign by which he posted a 2.28 ERA and led the Majors in innings (228 2/3) and full video games (six). No one has thrown extra innings than Alcantara’s 673 2/3 since 2019. He’ll be pitching within the WBC for the primary time.
Left-handed beginning pitcher: Julio Urías, Mexico
Honorable mentions: Clayton Kershaw, United States; José Quintana, Colombia; Nestor Cortes, United States
Though he doesn’t have the {hardware} to indicate it (but), Urías has been one of many best possible beginning pitchers in baseball the previous three seasons, over which he had a 2.66 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 415 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. He’s an enormous purpose Los Angeles received the World Series in 2020, and has been capable of climate accidents that depleted the beginning rotation throughout that interval. The third-place finisher in 2022 NL Cy Young Award voting will likely be taking the mound for his native Mexico for the primary time within the WBC.
Relief pitcher: Edwin Díaz, Puerto Rico
Honorable mentions: Jonathan Loaisiga, Nicaragua; Devin Williams, United States; Ryan Pressly, United States
Díaz is coming off one of the overpowering seasons a more in-depth has turned in. The hard-throwing right-hander posted a 1.31 ERA and struck out an unimaginable 50.2 % of the batters he confronted. It’s no surprise the Mets signed him to a record-breaking contract for a reliever, $102 million over 5 years. Díaz pitched for Puerto Rico through the 2017 WBC, showing in 4 video games (5 1/3 innings), giving up two runs on two hits whereas strolling 4 and putting out 9. He additionally picked up two saves.
Two-way participant: Shohei Ohtani, Japan
We’d embody honorable mentions right here, however there’s an issue: Ohtani is a unicorn. He’s merely one in every of a form, a lot in order that we’ve by no means seen anybody like him. Comparisons fail when you’ve gotten a man who, over the previous two seasons within the Majors, has mainly been the equal of Freeman on the plate and Carlos Rodón on the mound. It goes to be past thrilling to observe Ohtani compete for Japan on this yr’s WBC.
