The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) is one week away.
The Korean national team, led by coach Kang-Cheol Lee, will start with their first match against Australia on the 9th, followed by Japan on the 10th, the Czech Republic on the 12th, and China on the 13th. The national team, which was eliminated in the first round in the last two WBCs, had a golden opportunity to head to the full league of the finals again this time. If you are not vigilant, it is not difficult to advance to the next round.
The biggest ambush in the first round of the finals,
there is no second round if you don’t catch Australia.
Excluding Japan, Group B of the Full League is mostly countries that are one step below Korea. However, in the WBC, the national team has a painful memory of being hit by countries that were considered ‘under one move’. In the last two WBCs, the Netherlands/Israel took a hit, but this year, there is also an ambush called ‘Australia’.
Fortunately, Australia does not have full-time major leaguers like the Netherlands or Israel. The only incumbent major leaguer is outfielder Aaron Whitefield (LAA). If the power analysis is done step by step, it is a worthy opponent.
The Australian national team has a total of eight players, including minor leaguers, playing in the United States. Including the quick-witted Whitefield, pitchers Kyle Glogowski (Cincinnati), Blake Townsend (Seattle), Jack O’Loughlin (Detroit), Will Sheriff (Arizona), catchers Alex Hall (Milwaukee), Robbie Glendining (Kansas City) ), and infielder Rickson Wingrove (Philadelphia). Although they are promising prospects who have not blossomed yet, they are not easy opponents as players in their home leagues are showing prominence.
Current high-single-A catcher Alex Hall is one of the men who dominated the Australian league this year. Song Chan-eui (LG) also showed an eye open to hitting in Geelong, but Hall also bombed the league. He hit 8 homers and had an OPS of over 100%. A player who plays such an active role in the short-term WBC should be careful. 메이저사이트
Some players need to be as careful as Alex Hall. It is lobby glending that can digest all positions in the infield. Last year, he hit 19 homers in Double-A under the Kansas City team, demonstrating his power. Since 2019, he has been consistently selected for the Australian senior national team and has been recognized for his long hitting power.
Among the pitching staff, you should pay attention to Saupold, who is from the KBO League, and Esauton, who also boasts rich international experience, throws a ball that can be easily hit. Left-hander Blake Townsend is also promoted to Triple-A and is expected to throw quality balls.
In international competitions held as short-term competitions, you must ‘be full on the first drink’. That’s why the first game against Australia is more important than ever. In the last two WBCs, he failed to catch the first match and was eliminated at the end of the difficult tournament.
