Everyone in the World Baseball Classic has gotten at least a couple appearances on the field now, and there’s been plenty of lopsided scores alongside some interesting results and upsets. Japan became the first team to officially make it out of pool play with a 3-0 start in Pool C, advancing to the quarterfinals, but there’s a number of teams that look like they could challenge the defending world champs.
There’s a number of undefeated teams still standing in every pool, and there’s still so many
ways this tournament could go. with that in mind, who would you say has impressed you the most thus far? The United States started off a little slow against Great Britain in their second match, falling behind 1-0 after Tarik Skubal’s very first pitch, but their offense has erupted on a dime in both of their games resulting in some one-sided scores when all is said and done. Aaron Judge and company have a lot of work ahead of them, but they’re one of the tournament favorites for a reason and they’ve lived up to expectations as the quarterfinals approach.
They’re far from the only one, though. The Dominican Republic has been on fire to start as well, putting up 12 runs in both of their games fueled by a barrage of home runs. Venezuela started off a little more quietly, putting up a 6-2 win over the Netherlands to start, but an 11-3 win over Israel allowed them to flex their muscles — they even had Luis Arraez launch a pair of bombs! Puerto Rico isn’t at full strength thanks to the insurance issues they faced forcing some of their stars to sit out, but they’ve started out decently with a 2-0 run over Colombia and Panama, the latter of whom upset Canada to show that they’re no joke.
Still, Japan lords above everyone else currently. Shohei Ohtani and company mercy ruled their opening game against Chinese Taipei, but they had to survive nailbiters against Korea and Australia that probably surprised many. Does their status as the favorite of favorites and 3-0 record keep them in first place on your rankings, or do you think they’ve looked a little vulnerable compared to some of the other teams here? Let us know what you think.
Today on the site Sam and Matt lead off with a recap of the WBC action from Sunday, and then Jonathan wishes the skipper a happy birthday while looking back at his iconic moment as a Yankee. Peter previews a critical season for Will Warren as he looks to keep a foothold in the Yankee rotation, and Renee previews the Kansas City Royals’ chances for this season.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Time: 6:35 p.m. EST
Video: Gotham Sports Network
