By Will Cheney – Last Word On Baseball
Team USA has experienced a love/hate relationship with the World Baseball Classic. Although sprinkled with a few magical moments throughout the first three tournaments, they came up short every time. As the country that started the tournament (and features the highest level of competition), not bringing home a WBC title in three tries can, frankly, be classified as a disappointment.
For the fourth edition of Team USA looks to succeed where the three previous rosters fell short. The 2017 roster certainly does not lack anything in the talent department. Manager Jim Leyland will have to do some shuffling to get every player a healthy number of at-bats – because after all, this is taking place during spring training.
World Baseball Classic: Team USA Breakdown
Catchers
Buster Posey, Giants
Jonathan Lucroy, Rangers
A.J. Ellis, Marlins
Team USA is carrying three backstops (a combined 25 years of big league experience between them) in 2017. Posey is a proven winner and has shown the ability to handle a pitching staff and is one of the best hitting catchers the game has ever seen. Lucroy is among the best in baseball and framing pitches and is no stranger to doing damage at the plate, as well. Ellis brings a veteran presence to the team and can provide a calming influence to the team’s young pitchers. After all, he meant the world to former Dodgers battery mate Clayton Kershaw.
Infielders
Nolan Arenado, Rockies
Alex Bregman, Astros
Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
Brandon Crawford, Giants
Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks
Eric Hosmer, Royals
Ian Kinsler, Tigers
Daniel Murphy, Nationals
At first glance, the thing that stands out about this group of infielders is defense. Team USA brings 12 Gold Glove Awards to the infield in 2017 (Arenado 4, Hosmer 3, Crawford 2, Goldschmidt 2, Kinsler 1). Catching the baseball is paramount when playing against the best players in the world. That said, they also bring the lumber to the ballpark. This group averaged a 125 OPS+ in 2016. Once again, at-bats may become a factor during the tournament. Carpenter is moving to first base for the Cardinals in 2017 and may struggle to see innings over there in close ballgames. Kinsler is a superior defender at second base and could take innings away from Murphy, who has statistically been one of the worst second basemen in the game. Look for Arenado to anchor the hot corner, being spelled from time to time by Bregman, and Crawford at shortstop. Bregman will surely see innings at short, as well. Carpenter and Murphy will most likely gain at-bats from the DH role.
Outfielders
Adam Jones, Orioles
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
Christian Yelich, Marlins
This group of outfielders is going into 2017 with something to prove. McCutchen just endured a tumultuous offseason in which the Pirates were openly shopping him and eventually booted him out of center field. He will certainly look to kick off this season with a strong WBC performance. Stanton has played in 150 games only once in his career, so staying healthy will be a major concern. Yelich will be moving from left field to center for the Marlins this season, so he’ll probably see the bulk of his innings up the middle. The metrics say Jones has lost a step, but the four-time Gold Glover has been one of the most consistent players in the game over the last seven years. He will be an asset to this team with his performance on the field and his presence in the clubhouse.
Pitchers
Chris Archer, Rays
Tyler Clippard, Yankees
Sam Dyson, Rangers
Mychal Givens, Orioles
Luke Gregerson, Astros
Nate Jones, White Sox
Jake McGee, Rockies
Andrew Miller, Indians
Pat Neshek, Phillies
David Robertson, White Sox
Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays
The group of pitchers for Team USA goes with the theme of young starters and veteran relievers. Archer and Stroman provide electric stuff and the elusive intangibles to the staff, while a deep bullpen can hope to ensure late leads won’t crumble in games as they have in past tournaments. Miller is coming off an historic postseason in which he was Terry Francona’s Swiss Army knife out of the bullpen. Look for him to be used whenever necessary by Leyland. A plethora of late-inning arms highlight this bullpen. Team USA could very well go as far as Dyson, McGee, Robertson and Gregerson can take them.
Designated Pitcher Pool
Bret Cecil, Cardinals
Danny Duffy, Royals
Michael Fulmer, Tigers
Sonny Gray, Athletics
J.A. Happ, Blue Jays
Tanner Roark, Nationals
Drew Smyly, Mariners
Alex Wilson, Tigers
Each team may name up to 10 pitchers to a Designated Pitcher Pool. These pitchers are eligible to participate; however, no more than two of the 10 may be on the active roster at one time. This and the complete list of WBC rules for 2017 can be seen on MLB.com. What this rules accomplishes is flexibility with starting pitching while (fingers crossed) limiting the possibility of injuries, which can be prevalent in Spring Training without October-like games.
The list of breakout starters for Team USA could prove invaluable. Duffy, Fulmer, Gray, Happ and Roark aren’t exactly Scherzer, Bumgarner and Kershaw, but it would be foolish for other teams to look past them. Outside of the deep list of starters in the pool, Cecil could prove to be an asset against strong lefty bats in late innings (Carlos Gonzalez, Robinson Cano, Rougned Odor, etc.).
Verdict
This roster, compared to past USA rosters, features some of the most young talent the tournament has ever seen. The same could probably be said for several nations. With young, electric starting pitching, followed by an experienced bullpen and what looks to be one of the two or three deepest lineups in the world, Team USA can once again be penciled as one of the favorites to win it all. Pool C also features the Dominican Republic, Canada and Colombia, so Team USA will be put to the task of proving themselves from the very beginning.
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