Does Spring Training stop for the World Baseball Classic?
By Mark Powell
On Tuesday, March 7, plenty of MLB players will report to their respective country’s roster. But does spring training stop for the World Baseball Classic?
The World Baseball Classic begins on Tuesday, as Cuba face off against the Netherlands at 10 p.m. The timing of the WBC is a bit unfortunate given Spring Training is well underway, but it does provide fans with a taste of competitive baseball as they wait for Opening Day.
The Netherlands, led by San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts, could be a surprise team in this tournament, while Cuba features Luis Robert and White Sox teammate Yoan Moncada.
Does Spring Training stop for the World Baseball Classic?
Spring training will continue during the WBC, and for good reason. The MLB season begins in just over 20 days, and much is to be decided until then. While several star players will be off in Miami — and some overseas — making their countries proud, fringe roster spots will be decided.
Let’s take the Atlanta Braves as an example. Is Atlanta’s No. 5 starter pitching in the WBC? Unlikely. What about those involved in the shortstop and left field battles?
The World Baseball Classic features the best the game has to offer. While some star players were unable to make it due to injury issues, Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Rafael Devers and more will all participate at full strength.
World Baseball Classic predictions
Japan, as well as the United States and Dominican Republic are all among the favorites to win the WBC. Japan has perhaps the strongest rotation with Ohtani, Yu Darvish and more. The United States features the most complete and defensively-sound unit, while the Dominican Republic has a powerful lineup no professional team can match.
Beyond those three teams, it’s a toss up. And we can’t wait to find out what happens.