MLB columnist blasts World Baseball Classic critics: "If it weren’t for players born elsewhere, American baseball would have died years ago"

By all accounts, the 2023 World Baseball Classic was a resounding success. The star-studded tournament was capped off with Shohei Ohtani striking out his Angels teammate Mike Trout to win the tournament for Japan.

Following his performance, Ohtani was granted superstar status in Japan, where more people tuned in to watch the star pitch than tuned in to watch Japan play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Despite the tournament's obvious success, many still view the tournament as an unnecessary charade that only serves to increase the risk of injuries. Criticism of this kind invariably comes from sources within the USA.

No player has fortified this viewpoint better than New York Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz. Diaz, known as one of the best closers in the world, suffered a torn patellar tendon during a post-game pool-stage celebration.

"Edwin Diaz went down with an apparent injury after celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over Dominican Republic. (via @MLBonFox)" - Bleacher Report

Almost immediately, calls to cancel the tournament reached a fever pitch. Popular sports commentator Keith Olbermann even went as far as to demean the tournament, calling it "based on where players' grandmothers got laid.'

In a recent piece for MSNBC, writer Julio Ricardo Varela defended the World Baseball Classic. Varela pointed out the resounding viewership numbers that the tournament had in East Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America, and how much outreach like that does to grow worldwide engagement in the sport.

"If it weren’t for players born elsewhere, American baseball would have died years ago." - Julio Ricardo Varela

Players like Boston Red Sox prospect Yu Chang of Taiwan, who was named the Pool A MVP, has become the most popular man in his homeland. Moreover, nearly all of the players on Team Dominican Republic stated that they would rather win the World Baseball Classic than win the World Series, including Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres.

Varela went on to state that 28% of players on opening day 2023 were of non-American origin. A number that is only expected to grow in the coming years and decades.

World Baseball Classic is likely here to stay

With the MLB clearly seeing the benefits the World Baseball Classic has, the league is very unlikely to fold the tournament. While US-based commentary has been against the World Baseball Classic for several years now, detractors need to realize that baseball's international future is one to be welcomed.