2026 World Baseball Classic

[phillychuck]

The vitriol wasn't that they got beat

Depends where you read... Some newspaper/new media reporters called it embarrassing or disgraceful.

[julio]

The vitriol wasn't that they got beat

Depends where you read... Some newspaper/new media reporters called it embarrassing or disgraceful.

It's entertainment. It's very close to "made for TV," or "as shown on TV." It is, by definition, not important. If reporters get worked up about it... that's because they're trying to get clicks, or eyes; i.e., attention.

[zambonir]

I mean, it's baseball. You can lose to Italy once the same way the Dodgers can lose to the Colorado Rockies once or twice. "Disgraceful," that's a Stephen A Smith or Skip Bayless word. Not serious people.

[andyb]

actually think he’s pretty close to making the top 100 list given his defense and progress. Love to see him at Reading most of the year. Posting a high OBP with an 800-ish OPS this season would probably move him to the 100 list.

Agree with this on Nori. If he did get to 15 HR power in Reading he could do that but it is still a stretch that he could do it. Remember last year he had 21 weeks in Low A (OPS 743), 2 weeks in High A (OPS 722), and 1 week in AA (OPS 513). The Arizona League for hitters is really hard to judge as it is an extreme offensive environment against lesser pitchers. It is high A at best and maybe not even that level.

A 750 OPS in Jersey Shore would probably equate to 800 in Reading for someone like Nori and that would be great. He just is not top 100 until he does that and he really has not done it at Jersey Shore either. I am not knocking Nori as a prospect because the speed and defense is real. He just has not shown much offensively to go with that yet at high levels.

Edit - Well MLB.com disagrees with me and thinks Nori could be our number 1 prospect after Crawford, Painter, and eventually Miller all graduate. I'd probably bet on Wood but I suppose it is possible (and Renteria in the DSL might not have much of a chance to raise his prospect rank because of the competition).

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/prospect-predictions-for-each-mlb-team-2026?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

[Philsmania]

Can't really say I care if the US backs into the quarters at this point. Mexico probably more fun (and deserving as a "World" baseball country.. A team of Italian-American MLB journeymen and Nola, not so much, though obviously I would like to see Nola pitch well.

It's remarkable to me how many of these "Italian" players have ML or MiL experience, by far the majority.

[andyb]

It's remarkable to me how many of these "Italian" players have ML or MiL experience, by far the majority.

Italy was probably the most fake team in the WBC if you are counting the ratio of players actually Italian citizens to non-citizens. But it's fun nevertheless. I assume you could put together really good teams for other countries with this philosophy. Ireland could be pretty good.

The one saving grace with Italy is that they DO have a significant local Serie A league that has been playing for decades. Netherlands does also. Britain is starting to do that. I doubt Ireland has much of a local league to try to develop in comparison.

[zambonir]

I guess the question is, what grows the game more (and gets more people in those countries to watch it), a more competitive team of people who have never even been to Italy or a team that loses by 15 runs but is more legit. The Olympics will be different, in any case.

[Philsmania]

It's remarkable to me how many of these "Italian" players have ML or MiL experience, by far the majority.

Italy was probably the most fake team in the WBC if you are counting the ratio of players actually Italian citizens to non-citizens. But it's fun nevertheless. I assume you could put together really good teams for other countries with this philosophy. Ireland could be pretty good.

The one saving grace with Italy is that they DO have a significant local Serie A league that has been playing for decades. Netherlands does also. Britain is starting to do that. I doubt Ireland has much of a local league to try to develop in comparison.

Ireland, Poland, Greece, Germany...perhaps even the Scandanavian countries with all the ballpayers who hail from places like Minnesota.

What holds Ireland back is Baseball Ireland having a strict quota on the number of dual citizens on the team. https://irishbaseball.org/2026/03/06/media-release-why-isnt-ireland-in-the-world-baseball-classic-the-answer-may-surprise-you/

[zambonir]

Kind of ironic that it's extremely easy to get dual citizenship but it doesn't get you on the team.

I guess the tangible benefit in funding you get from being in the WBC makes using ringers worth it. But if Italy were to somehow knock off Puerto Rico or Venezuela or Japan, did they really prove their country was better at baseball than those countries?

Also wouldn't Team USA be unbeatable if Puerto Rico was a state?

[andyb]

Sanchez starting for the Dominican in the quarters tomorrow against Korea. Suarez starting on Saturday for Venezuela against Japan.

[andyb]

Sanchez pitched well. Ranger gave up 5 yesterday against Japan (Ohtani HR was one of them). But Venezuela comes back to win.

US vs Dominican tonight. Skenes vs Severino.
Venezuela vs Italy tomorrow with the finals on Tuesday. The magic Italy ride continues and the dominoes are falling to where they have a chance. Probably Lorenzen pitching in the semis and saving Nola for the finals (where the U.S. might be starting McLean who got hit hard in his previous outing).

[LoneStarPhan]

Unlike the last time, I have taken an interest this time. I have watched several games and will be watching through the final game.

[xogfog]

That was an absolutely one of the best games I've seen, incredibly tennse right to the end, it rivaled a World Series game it was that intense, great pitching, great fielding, our old friend Gregory Soto gave up the home run that ended up being the ballgame. Just a great game.

[andyb]

I kind of wish the last strike was not a blatantly missed call.

[phillychuck]

I kind of wish the last strike was not a blatantly missed call.

Great argument for ABS. I agree that it takes away from the game when that kind of thing happens.

[LoneStarPhan]

Clearly, the USA team got a break on that call, but what happens if the call was correct is something we will never know.

To me, the challenge system is saying we know there are mistakes and here is a way to get a few of the mistakes corrected. Why not strive to get every call right? I think ultimately that will somehow happen.

[zambonir]

It's unfortunate they didn't get the WBC onto the ABS system this year. It will be by the next one, perhaps the Olympics. For sure, we have no idea if the DR would have had a challenge left, and that AB could have still ended in a K or an out (or the next one might have) with no change to the score. But they deserved the chance, just like Sanchez deserved the chance against the Dodgers.

[phillychuck]

And, of course, there were missed calls that went against the USA earlier in the game. We just don’t remember a missed 1-0 pitch from the 3rd inning...

[flyers19rw]

Where the ball was when it crossed the front of the plate and where it was when Smith caught it were two different levels. Too close to take. Should have swung. As the Dominicans often say, “You can’t walk off of the Island.”

[zambonir]

I think this is right. Can't save him for a game you're not guaranteed to play.

Italy starting Aaron Nola in WBC semis vs. Venezuela, not Michael Lorenzen