The World Baseball Classic will begin March 8, roughly three weeks before the regular season begins. The Mariners will be well represented, with ten total players participating in the event. For team Dominican Republic, the Mariners will have Julio Rodriguez, Teoscar Hernández, and Diego Castillo representing them. All three players will most likely play a good amount, with Julio rumored to be the leadoff batter in the DR’s lineup. With the Dominican Republic having such a stacked team this year, they will be a heavy favorite in their pool as well as win the whole tournament. Right-hander Matt Brash will play for Team Canada, where he will most likely come out of the bullpen. With a great rookie season last year, Brash could see some high-leverage situations for the team up North, which will provide a great experience for him. Eugenio Suarez will be playing for team Venezuela rounding out the major leagues for the Mariners that will be playing in the WBC.
However, another exciting face that we will see in the WBC is top prospect Harry Ford, who will play for Great Britain. Ford is still a young prospect, but the competition he will face will be greater than anything he has seen in the minors, and it’s a great opportunity to see how he competes with above-average talent. Playing for your country is always a great honor, and we should expect Ford to play well for Great Britain and prove why he is the next young star to come through Seattle’s system.
It’s been five whole years since the WBC has been played, and fans are eager to watch their favorite players and countries compete. A different energy is brought to the baseball field when players get to represent their home countries where most of their families and friends are from. Athletes play at their highest level, and it’s a great experience to get right before the season starts.
Northwest Sports Desk 