2026 World Baseball Classic

[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

[andyb]

Lorenzen did well against the U.S. the last time around I suppose. I always figured they would stick with Lorenzen since Nola historically is better on more rest (today is 4 days, tomorrow would be 5).

Guessing this is as much Nola's call as anyone else and maybe it took a minute to get the Phillies to OK it.

[xogfog]

I'm wondering if Skubal will pitch the championship game, he was originally slated to only start one game, but he was with the team last night, maybe the Tigers agreed to let him pitch again.

[zambonir]

He won't, he's not on the roster. Just hanging out.

[andyb]

He won't, he's not on the roster. Just hanging out.

Well they do get to replace pitchers every game so rosters are really pretty meaningless. Agree he won't pitch though. He is just a $300 million dollar arm that is going to be worth 5 decent prospects to the Tigers at the deadline. No insurance could adequately cover that.

Luzardo is actually part of Venezuela's designated pitcher pool. I have not heard of any push to get him for the final but it is at least possible.

[zambonir]

I thought the roster was by round not game, though I suppose even if that were true there's probably injury provisions. But yeah, the decision was made at the time he left (and resumed his work with the Tigers), and it's not necessarily the team that is stopping him either.

The Phillies did pretty much keep Luzardo from pitching in it, it sounds like.

https://www.mlb.com/news/jesus-luzardo-won-t-pitch-for-venezuela-in-world-baseball-classic