Verlander’s high 10 World Baseball Basic groups

The countdown to the World Baseball Classic is on!

The match begins two weeks from Wednesday (with FOX serving because the unique broadcast companion), pitting most of the sport’s finest gamers in opposition to one another on the worldwide stage for the primary time in six years. Rosters for every of the 20 groups collaborating within the match were released earlier in February. 

Now that we all know who might be taking part in, let’s rank which nations have the very best squads getting into the match!

Julio Urias & Mexico headline Verlander’s 6-10 rankings of high WBC groups

Ben Verlander shares which groups he ranked 6-10 within the World Baseball Basic.

10. Cuba

Cuba’s a rustic that all of us anticipate to be good, however which may not be the case this time. There are a variety of Cuban gamers in Major League Baseball, however not a ton are taking part in. There are some notable names taking part in: Luis Robert, Yoan Moncáda and Yoenis Céspedes. I do not understand how that is going to go, however he’s taking part in. I am an enormous fan of Robert’s sport.

9. Canada

Canada has some notable guys taking part in for them — Freddie Freeman, Tyler O’Neill, Nick Pivetta, Matt Brash, Cal Quantrill, Bo Naylor. They’ll be fairly good. They’ve a stable squad.

8. Korea

Korea’s massive power is up the center with Gold Glovers Ha-Seong Kim and Tommy Edman. In addition they have some guys that may pitch. Kwang Hyun Kim is on the group, as properly. Korea is a sneaky, sneaky good group.

7. Netherlands

The Netherlands have traditionally been good and they will be good this 12 months. They’ve Xander Bogaerts, Kenley Jansen, Jonathan Schoop, Didi Gregorius, Andrelton Simmons, Pedro Strop, Jair Jurrjens. Their pitching is weak, you have to get to Kenley Jansen. However the offense might be fairly good. Do not sleep on the Netherlands.

6. Mexico

Mexico goes to be actually good. Julio Urías, José Urquidy, Patrick Sandoval, Taijuan Walker, Alejandro Kirk, Alex Verdugo, Randy Arozarena — these are simply the massive names. There are many others you’ll know and know properly and are nasty. Be careful for Workforce Mexico.

Shohei Ohtani & Japan headline Verlander’s 3-5 rankings of high WBC groups

Ben Verlander expects Shohei Ohtani to point out out on the World Baseball Basic, however that alone would not make Japan a top-two group getting into the match.

5. Puerto Rico

José Berríos, Edwin Díaz — the nastiest nearer in baseball — Jorge López, Marcus Stroman, Francisco Lindor, Javy Báez. It should be electrical. Báez and Lindor up the center, we have seen it earlier than in a WBC and we noticed it with the Mets on the finish of 2021. They’ll be enjoyable to look at up the center.

4. Venezuela

This group is loaded with major-leaguers — José Altuve, Salvador Perez, Miguel Cabrerea, David Peralta, Anthony Santander, Pablo López, Ranger Suárez, Gleyber Torres, Andrés Giménez. 

3. Japan

We all know a variety of guys on this group. The lineup contains Shohei Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki and Lars Nootbar. 

However there are some names you may not be tremendous accustomed to that you’ll turn out to be very accustomed to. Munetaka Murakami is unbelievable. He simply broke the all-time single-season house run report in Japan. He is simply 23 years outdated and might be a stud when he involves MLB. He’ll have the ability to be posted in two years, I consider. There’s additionally Masataka Yoshida, who simply came visiting and signed with the Red Sox. This lineup, which I predict might be Nootbar, Ohtani, Suzuki, Murakami and Yoshida on the high, is fairly nasty.

On the pitching facet, Japan has maybe the very best rotation within the WBC. Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Roki Sasaki, Youshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga are the projected starters. That is unbelievable. Sasaki hasn’t been posted but, however he might be coming to the US sooner or later. He throws 103 mph. He threw back-to-back excellent video games in Japan final 12 months.

Workforce Japan is the true deal.

Workforce USA or Workforce Dominican Republic?

Workforce USA and the Dominican Republic every have loaded lineups, however pitching may be the deciding issue between the 2 loaded squads.

2. USA

Workforce USA is unbelievable. 

All of it revolves round their lineup. This is what I challenge Workforce USA’s lineup to be, and it may be the best lineup that is ever existed:

1. SS Trea Turner
2. LF Mookie Betts
3. CF Mike Trout
4. 3B Nolan Arenado
5. RF Kyle Tucker
6. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
7. DH Pete Alonso
8. C J.T. Realmuto
9. 2B Jeff McNeil

McNeil simply gained a batting title and I’ve him batting ninth. 

The most important knock on Workforce USA has been with their pitching. I disagree. The group beneath must be sufficient:

1. Lance Lynn
2. Adam Wainwright
3. Merrill Kelly
4. Brady Singer
5. Devin Williams
6. Ryan Pressly
7. David Bednar

This pitching is healthier than what Workforce USA had once they gained the 2017 match. The beginning pitching is enough, however within the bullpen you will have two of the very best late-inning relievers within the sport of baseball in Williams and Pressly. Signal me up for that.

Workforce USA’s pitching is sweet sufficient to win.

1. Dominican Republic

That is the very best roster on paper within the WBC. If Workforce USA’s lineup is the very best that is ever existed, Workforce Dominican Republic is correct behind it. This is how I challenge it to look:

1. OF Julio Rodríguez
2. OF Juan Soto
3. 3B Manny Machado
4. DH Rafael Devers
5. 2B Wander Franco
6. 1B Vlad Guerrero Jr.
7. OF Teoscar Hernández
8. SS Jeremy Peña
9. C Gary Sanchez

The lineups are shut, however I nonetheless assume Workforce USA’s is healthier. With that stated, the Dominican Republic has higher pitching than the US. There is not any method round it.

Listed here are their pitchers:

1. Sandy Alcántara
2. Cristian Javier
3. Johnny Cueto
4. Bryan Abreu
5. Roansy Contreras
6. Gregory Soto
7. Camilo Doval
8. Rafael Montero

Alcántara and Javier as your No. 1 and No. 2 is unbelievable. There is a good again finish of the bullpen, too.

With that pitching, I gave the Dominican Republic the nod for the general finest roster within the tourney. Let the video games start.

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