The addition of four new entrants means teams now must play four games to advance out of pool play instead of three, making it a longer road to advance. It also means deeper pools in many cases, creating more possibilities for upsets.
The Dominican Republic faces this acutely. On paper, the Dominicans are the most talented team in the WBC. But they are also in the tournament’s Group of Death, Pool D, and could very conceivably finish behind Venezuela and Puerto Rico in pool play.
While Japan and the United States don’t face quite the same level of threat in their respective pools, the tournament’s heavyweights nonetheless know they are in for their greatest challenge yet.
The Dominican Republic, Japan and United States are the class of this year’s WBC field, but that doesn’t mean they are light years ahead of the competition. Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, South Korea and the Netherlands all boast talented rosters and are serious contenders to finish on the medal stand.
There remains yet more talent beyond that group. Canada’s recent wave of promising young players gives its national team a major boost. The addition of big leaguers to Cuba’s roster should help the longtime power reverse its recent decline. Israel continues to rise on the international baseball scene. Taiwan boasts a competitive roster of professionals from the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
This year’s WBC is loaded with talent. While there is a clear top three teams and a clear second tier of five others, teams throughout the field have enough talent to pull off an upset. That sets the stage for what could be the most thrilling WBC yet.
NEW APPROACH
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Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
