MLB Stars Ohtani, Trout to Feature in The World Classic
Including Othani and Trout, there are 8 mega names winning at least a Major League Baseball MVP award in their careers are announced to play in this year’s World Baseball Classic as rosters among the 20 playing teams.
The famous Japan’s Shohei Ohtani, and the outstanding US captain Mike Trout and three Cuban-born Major League Baseball exceptional players are among the stars named Thursday to roster spots for next month’s World Baseball Classic.
The fifth edition of the global titans’ showdown runs March 8-21 with 20 gigantic rival teams contesting in duals in Japan, Taiwan and the United States.
The defending champion United States team will be having five of these superstars sparked by three-time American League Most Valuable Player Mike Trout, a 31-year-old shinning outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels.
The 2022 National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt and Los Angeles Dodgers standouts Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are the three-time American League MVP will be part of a potentially fearsome lineups. The Clayton Kershaw, another daring Dodger and former NL MVP, that is likely to add a pitching force as the U.S. intends to repeat its victory in the most recent of all WBC held in 2017.
USA squad also starred Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado and Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt — National League MVP for the very last year.
A double-edge razor cutter, Angels teammate Ohtani, a danger as a pitcher and outfielder who was the 2021 AL MVP, will participate for two-time Classic champion Japan. Japan also features veteran Yu Darvish, a 36-year-old right-hander for the San Diego Padres, who just given consent to a $108 million six-year agreement extension this Thursday.
The same Darvish who assisted Japan defend the Classic crown in 2009.
Japan, the single state having won more than one WBC championship, will be presented by Trout’s Angels colleague and heavyweight player the two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. The 2021 AL MVP is also joined by the ruling Nippon Baseball MVP Munetaki Murakami for the 2006 & 2009 champions.
If both teams USA and Japan reach at the semifinals then the war will be fought for an exceptional fight for glory between Ohtani and Trout at the battleground.
The Group C bracket includes USA, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, the first-time participant Great Britain. They will play their first-round games in Phoenix.
Japan will be the host nation for Group B play, which will take place in Tokyo with South Korea, Australia, China and the Czech Republic are also fall in this Group B pool.
The oil rich, Venezuela will move to Miami to be kin the pool of a rich Group D field that surrounds tournament gambling popular pick Dominican Republic with the giant 2013 and 2017 runner-up Puerto Rico.
The Dominicans also have some fascinating number of superstars lineup for them. The Dominicans, who have won the title in 2013, features 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara atop its pitching squad and leading AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez among a star-studded collection of position players including sluggers Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Rafael Devers and Wander Franco.
First-round play is scheduled to take place from March 8-15 with the winning highest two countries from the 4 groups proceeding to the quarterfinals, which will be played in Tokyo from March 15-16 and Miami on March 17-18.
There will be Cuban-born MLB talent on the roster for the first time. Representing the Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada, who left Cuba in 2014 with state approval to pursue career in MLB, and an outfielder for White Sox Luis Robert, who departed from Cuba in 2016.
