Every few years, several countries get the chance to play in the World Baseball Classic and have their top talent play against some other of the best baseball players in the world.
In the 2017 tournament, the United States beat the Puerto Rican national team in the finals with Marcus Stroman throwing more than six no-hit innings. The U.S. went on to win, 8-0. Since then, tons of young talented players have made their way into the ranks and may have a chance to earn a spot on the rosters.
Let’s take a look at the top players on each team and project how many wins they could secure in a 162-game season.
United States of America
Lineup includes:
Mike Trout
Cody Bellinger
Mookie Betts
Christian Yelich
Pete Alonso
Nolan Arenado
Trevor Story
Pitching includes:
Marcus Stroman
Walker Buehler
Trevor Bauer
Mike Clevinger
Blake Snell
USA has so much more talent on both sides and may never lose a game. This squad is extremely well rounded and immensely powerful.
Projected record: 132-30
Puerto Rico
Lineup includes:
Francisco Lindor
Carlos Correa
Javier Baez
Eddie Rosario
Yadier Molina
Pitching includes:
Jose Berrios
Seth Lugo
Edwin Diaz
Joe Jimenez
Emilio Pagan
This roster has a lot of velocity and many flashy players in the field.
Projected record: 112-50
Dominican Republic
Lineup includes:
Juan Soto
Fernando Tatis, Jr.
Manny Machado
Nelson Cruz
Rafael Devers
Ketel Marte
Pitching includes:
Luis Castillo
Johnny Cueto
Dellin Betances
Jeurys Familia
Hansel Robles
This is a team that is young, powerful, and fiery. This roster includes lots of character and swaggy players.
Projected record: 117-45
Cuba
Lineup includes:
Yordan Alvarez
Yoenis Cespedes
Jorge Soler
Luis Robert
Yoan Moncada
Yasmani Grandal
Jose Abreu
Pitching includes:
Adrian Morejon
Aroldis Chapman
Raisel Iglesias
Roenis Elias
Michel Baez
This team has a ton of star power and can produce lots of home runs and strikeouts on both sides.
Projected record: 114-48
Venezuela
Lineup includes:
Ronald Acuna, Jr.
Jose Altuve
Gleyber Torres
Eugenio Suarez
Willson Contreras
Pitching includes:
Carlos Carrasco
Eduardo Rodriguez
Yonny Chirinos
Brusdar Graterol
Jose Alvarado
This team has so much young talent and will be quite dangerous.
Projected record: 107-55
Israel
Lineup includes:
Ian Kinsler
Ty Kelly
Joc Pederson
Alex Bregman
Ryan Braun
Danny Valencia
Ike Davis
Jason Kipnis
Cody Decker
Pitching includes:
Max Fried
Dean Kremer
Richard Bleier
Craig Breslow
Jeremy Bleich
Josh Zeid
It is hard to predict an exact list here because anyone who is Jewish qualifies for the Israel roster. The squad listed above has veteran presence and could crank out some unexpected wins.
Projected record: 91-71
Verdict
Overall, Team USA has the best roster and to be quite honest, it’s not even close. However, some teams like Venezuela or Cuba are much better than people think which makes for a nice surprise.
