Kyle Schwarber in awe of Team Dominican Republic's star-studded World Baseball Classic roster
The World Baseball Classic is just around the corner. The 20-team tournament is set to kick off on March 8th and will feature a wealth of MLB talent from all corners of the globe.
It is the first such tournament to take place since 2017. Although there was a World Baseball Classic scheduled for 2021, it was postponed by a year due to COVID-19 concerns.
Team USA are the defending champions. Similar to 2017, their roster features some big names. However, some of its players aren't letting themselves get complacent; they have identified a team that could be a major challenger.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber is one of eight players on his team set to play in the World Baseball Classic. When asked about who he views as his team's biggest challenger in the tournament, he was quick to name the Dominican Republic.
Schwarber said:
"When you look around the field there, it's a bunch of All-Stars and some future Hall of Famers."
Is the Dominican Republic the team to beat? 🇩🇴 https://t.co/tjaadoTATW
"Is the Dominican Republic the team to beat?" - @ World Baseball Classic
The Dominican outfield will consist of Juan Soto, Teoscar Hernandez, and Julio Rodriguez. Between the three of them, they hit 80 home runs and nearly 200 RBIs in the MLB in 2022.
Team DR's pitching also looks promising. Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, who won the 2022 NL Cy Young award, will top off the rotation. The rotation will also feature stars like Cristian Javier and Johnny Cueto.
U.S. based venues game schedule for the WBC https://t.co/YTZjSGkHLU
"U.S. based venues game schedule for the WBC" - @ Michael Schwab
If the USA were to play the Dominican Republic, it would not happen until the second round. The USA is in Pool C and will play their group stage games in Phoenix. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic is in Pool D and will play its preliminary matches in Miami.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic will be a telling affair
As this is the first real international tournament in six years, much has happened in international baseball since these teams last took the field. Although the USA is still technically favored to win the tournament, several teams are looking good. The 2023 WBC will be a truly telling measure of which country has the best players in the world.