Power ranking 2021 Olympic baseball teams

4. Mexico

If you’re looking for blasts from MLB past, Team Mexico undoubtedly has you covered for the 2021 Olympic games in Tokyo. Former Padres/Red Sox/Dodgers standout Adrian Gonzalez not only is likely to see plenty of at-bats as the first basemen during the tournament but he also serves as the player-manager for his country as well.

Beyond Gonzalez, long-time MLB hurler Oliver Perez will be one of the anchors of the Mexican pitching staff, despite entering the tournament at 40 years old. However, the more key arms to the pitching staff will likely be Manny Banuelos, Sammy Solis, Hector Velazquez and Fernando Salas. Their performances could be the difference between wins and losses for a team on the fringe of medal contention.

Much like the Dominican Republic, though, Mexico is another country outside of the United States that is negatively affected by the lack of current MLB players at the Olympics. They have some solid bats with Gonzalez and Danny Espinosa but would surely love having Alex Verdugo or Alejandro Kirk on the field. In that vein, it’s a bit surprising Khris Davis isn’t on the team.

Regardless, there is still enough veteran talent on the Mexican contingent for them to compete for a medal in Tokyo. However, their prospects of winning the gold seem less than favorable given some of their shortcomings.