The World Baseball Classic will be an appetizer before the start of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just a few short days. The Philadelphia Phillies will begin workouts later next week as they look to build on their 2022 success story. This spring will be a little bit different than most as the World Baseball Classic returns for the first time since 2017 on March 7th.
The official rosters for the event were released recently. Eight Phillies players are representing their respective countries in the international tournament. Given the fact that the tournament has not been held for several years, the impact it may have on players is unclear. The players participating will be playing more meaningful games during their time away from the regularly scheduled workouts. Conversely, many veteran players know how many reps they need during the spring to get themselves prepared for the regular season.
The Phillies who will be missing time in Clearwater to play in the World Baseball Classic include Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber for team USA. Ranger Suarez and Jose Alvarado will represent team Venezuela. Newly acquired starter, Taijuan Walker will pitch for team Mexico. Gregory Soto is committed to the Dominican Republic team. Lastly, Garrett Stubbs will represent Israel. There are four pitchers and four position players who will be playing in the tournament during spring training.
It will be interesting to see how MLB players adjust to playing in the World Baseball Classic. Many have not had the opportunity to do so before. From a fan’s perspective, getting to watch higher leverage games in March will be exciting. The games will have more meaning than the split squad, weekday games of the Grapefruit League. However, teams have to feel a bit uneasy about the risk of injury during the player’s time away. The players participating obviously feel confident enough in their health that they are willing to participate in the event.
The best case scenario for all involved is that players get to grow the game and get valuable preparation time for the 2023 season. The World Baseball Classic is a fun event. It is good to see the best players on the planet participate. Hopefully, it is something that baseball fans around the globe can enjoy and learn about players from different countries that they may never get to see.
