And then there were six: Breaking down the field
The last teams standing are full of MLB star-power.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic started with 20 teams.
Now, the field is down to six. And all teams are either in or will be making their way to Miami’s loanDepot park for the final five games of the tournament:
Two quarterfinals on Friday and Saturday, two semifinals on Sunday and Monday and the championship game Tuesday.
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the United States all advanced out of their respective pools in Miami (Venezuela and Puerto Rico) and Phoenix (Mexico and the United States) to get to the quarterfinals. Japan and Cuba have already advanced to the semifinals after winning their quarterfinal games in Tokyo (Cuba beat Australia 4-3 on Wednesday and Japan beat Italy 9-3 on Thursday).
Here’s a look at the field and what to expect over the next five days.
VENEZUELA (POOL D WINNER)
In what was arguably the toughest opening-round group of the tournament, Venezuela went a perfect 4-0 in pool play with relative ease and is now three wins from its first World Baseball Classic title.
Their starting pitchers combined
to allow just three earned runs through 14 innings. Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo rounded out the group Wednesday with four shutout innings against Israel. Former Marlin Pablo Lopez threw 4 innings of one-run ball against Puerto Rico, Martin Perez allowed one run through 3 innings in the opener against the Dominican Republic and Eduardo Rodriguez gave up one run in two innings against Nicaragua.
The star-studded lineup hit five home runs and had 15 total extrabase hits over the four games at the
pitcher-friendly loanDepot park, with Anthony Santander one of 11 players across the entire World Baseball Classic to hit multiple home runs during pool play. Eduardo Escobar and Eugenio Suarez each hit solo home runs Wednesday against Israel.
PUERTO RICO (POOL D RUNNER-UP)
Puerto Rico rebounded from its 9-6 loss to Venezuela on Sunday by logging a 10-0, mercy-rule,
eight-inning perfect game against Israel on Monday and beating the Dominican Republic 5-2 in a win-or-go-home pool play finale on Wednesday.
Team captain and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor paced the offense with a .467 batting average, five RBI and six runs scored. Javier Baez, Kiké Hernandez, MJ Melendez and Emmanuel Rivera all had four RBI apiece as well.
Marcus Stroman (one earned run through 4 innings against Nicaragua) and Jose De Leon (5 perfect innings against Israel) highlighted the starting pitching, but Puerto Rico’s bullpen took a big hit when Edwin Diaz sustained a likely seasonending patellar tendon tear in his right knee during the team’s celebration after beating the Dominican Republic. They are expected to turn to Jorge Lopez or Duane Underwood Jr. for save situations the rest of the tournament.
MEXICO (POOL C WINNER)
Mexico lost its first game of the tournament
against Colombia before rattling off three consecutive wins — 11-5 against the United States, 2-1 against Great Britain and 10-3 against Canada — to win its pool.
Outfielder Randy Arozarena paced the offense with five doubles, a home run, nine RBI and six runs scored through four games. First baseman Joey Meneses hit two towering home runs against the
United States and had a .474 average overall in pool play.
On the mound, Mexico has four capable starters in Julio Urias, Patrick Sandoval, Jose Urquidy and Taijuan Walker. Giovanny Gallegos and JoJo Romero are two top options out of the bullpen.
UNITED STATES (POOL C RUNNER-UP)
The United States and
its star-filled roster also went 3-1 in pool play, winning 6-2 against Great Britain, 12-1 in seven innings against Canada and 3-2 against Colombia.
The USA’s lineup is nothing short of what can be seen at an All-Star Game: An outfield of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Kyle Schwarber (with Kyle Tucker and Cedric Mullins also options), an infield of Paul Goldschmidt, Tim
Anderson, Trea Turner and Nolan Arenado (with Bobby Witt Jr., Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil also options), and J.T. Realmuto and Will Smith catching.
Pitching is where things, relatively speaking, are questionable. Their starters in pool play were
Adam Wainwright, Nick Martinez, Lance Lynn and Merrill Kelly. Miles Mikolas and Brady Singer are also options. The bullpen features Devin Williams, Ryan Pressly and Adam Ottavino, among others.
CUBA
Cuba won its pool — which included Italy, the Netherlands, Panama and Chinese Taipei — via tiebreaker after all five teams finished 2-2 before advancing to the semifinals with a one-run win over Australia on Wednesday.
Cuba has five players hitting at least .400 — outfielder Roel Santos (.429), infielder Yoan Moncada (.421), designated hitter Alfredo Despaigne (.412), first baseman Yadir Drake (.412) and infielder Yadil Mujica (.400).
Yariel Rodriguez has led the pitching staff, giving up just two runs through 7 1⁄3 innings in his two starts.
JAPAN
Japan, led by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, is a perfect 5-0 in the tournament and has outscored opponents 47-11 in that span.
Ohtani is hitting .438 with three doubles, a home run, eight RBI and seven runs scored and gave up just two runs while striking out 10 over 8 2⁄3 innings in his two starts on the mound.
Outfielder Masataka Yoshida (.400 average, 10 RBI) has also been solid for Japan.
THE SCHEDULE
Friday: Quarterfinal,
●
Puerto Rico vs. Mexico, 7 p.m., FS1
Saturday: Quarterfinal,
● United States vs. Venezuela, 7 p.m., Fox
Sunday: Semifinal,
●
Cuba vs. USA/Venezuela winner, 7 p.m., FS1
Monday: Semifinal,
●
Italy/Japan vs. Puerto Rico/Mexico winner, 7 p.m., FS1
Tuesday: Final, semifinal
● winners, 7 p.m., FS1
Jordan McPherson: 305-376-2129, @J_McPherson1126