The World Baseball Classic championship match is tonight, between the USA and Venezuela. There’s plenty of big names taking the stage tonight, from Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. to Ronald Acuna Jr. and Eugenio Suarez. For the Red Sox, however, there’s no shortage of names. Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, and Garrett Whitlock will make appearances on Tuesday, to name a few. As a matter of fact, the Classic has been dominated by players in the Red Sox organization.
Red Sox Dominance in the World Baseball Classic Final
In total, there are five players between Venezuela and the US who will put on the Boston uniform this season. Anthony was a last-minute addition due to Corbin Carroll’s injury. He has made big waves throughout the tournament, batting .318 and having an OPS of 1.014. He also has two homers, the second one being the go-ahead home run that would send the US to the finals. Abreu had his own go-ahead homer in an iconic moment against the defending champions in Japan.
Whitlock has also been great for Team USA, allowing four hits and striking out five in three innings out of the bullpen. He also has an ERA of 0.00. While Ranger Suarez hasn’t had the greatest Classic with Venezuela, with an ERA of 4.50, he is expected to be a key piece in the deep Boston rotation this year. Along with Suarez, there’s Willson Contreras. While he hasn’t exactly lit it up in this tournament, he is hitting .250. It’s still technically preseason, so hopefully the first baseman can work through this.
Other Standouts in the Tournament
While there’s a ton of talent in the final, the real surprises come from other teams. Jarren Duran played for Team Mexico and has particularly stood out, batting .333 and hitting three home runs. Two of those came against Team USA. Masataka Yoshida has also surprised, hitting .375 in 16 at-bats with two homers. This is a good sign as those two specifically will be switching off at designated hitter. Whether one of them gets traded or not is a different story, but there should be no worry of production at DH if they can keep this up.
Other players who made an impact over the past couple of weeks were Brayan Bello, Nate Eaton, and Greg Weissert. Bello only made one start and a five-inning appearance, but the projected number four starter pitched a one-run ballgame, striking out seven batters in the game against Israel. That type of production from the fourth-best starter is very encouraging, even if it is against one of the weaker teams in the tournament.
Eaton notably had the leadoff homer off Tarik Skubal in the US-Great Britain match in the group stage. He has also been hitting pretty well, hitting .319 in 19 at-bats. As a guy who is arguably fighting for the last roster spot in a utility role, this performance proves that he belongs.
Like Whitlock, Weissert has also been a lockdown reliever, but for Team Italy. He hasn’t allowed a run in three relief appearances, striking out five and walking two. Weissert is projected to be a key rightie in the bullpen this year.
What Does This Success Mean?
While there are certainly other players from Boston participating in these games, these players, for the most part, have had success in the tournament. So how does this translate to the season? For the pitchers, particularly Bello, Whitlock, and Weissert, it translates very well. For Bello, a start like that can’t be expected every time, especially against better competition. As for the relievers, sample size is the determining factor. It’s small, but signs point to a good season from both.
As for the batters, sample size is definitely more of a factor for them. Yoshida’s typically a good hitter, as seen in September of last season. Duran has been having a good Spring Training and WBC, so time will tell how he translates to a full-time DH role. Eaton, as a utility player, should be interesting to watch. And there are big expectations on Abreu if he stays healthy. All in all, if the Red Sox lineup has this level of contribution from these players, it should be a great year.
Main Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
