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The World Baseball Classic will get underway this March. Although it was scheduled to take place in 2021, the 20-yeam tournament was rescheduled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tournament is the fifth one to occur since 2006, when it was devised after a controversial decision by the IOC to remove baseball as an Olympic sport. Since then, international fans have always looked forward to the WBC to witness international competition. Today, we are looking at some of the top players ever to make their mark in the World Baseball Classic.
Top World Baseball Classic Performances
3. Michael Saunders, 2013
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When a player hits .300 or even .350 over the course of a postseason, they are held up as a hero for their team. However, Canadian outfielder Michael Saunders made those averages look like they were below the Mendoza Line.
"Congrats to Michael Saunders (.727, HR, 7 RBI) on being named to the 2013 MetLife All-World WBC Team." - Seattle Mariners
Saunders hit a whopping .727 in the 2013 tournament for Team Canada. The then-Seattle Mariners star also led the tournament in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS with a staggering figure of 2.042 in the latter category.
2. Marcus Stroman, 2017
Chicago Cubs and New York Mets ace Marcus Stroman is regarded as one of the finest arms in the MLB. With 972 career strikeouts over 1,167 innings, the former Golden Glover knows what he is doing.
"All of America to Marcus Stroman. #wbc2017" - SportsBlogNewYork
Stroman was on fire for Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He made three starts, posting an ERA of 2.35 over 15 1/3 innings. To boot, Stroman hurled six scoreless innings to lift the USA over Puerto Rico in the championship game. Stroman was named the MVP of the tournament on account of his prolific pitching.
1. Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2009
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was proof that the NPB, Japan's premier baseball league, is able to compete against those in the MLB. There was no better example of that than pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
"The only pitchers to record 3 wins in a single #WBC are Daisuke Matsuzaka (2006 & 2009) and Pedro Strop (2013)." - Michael Lu
The former Rookie of the Year Award winner of the NPB's Pacific League had a brief five-year stint in the MLB for the Mets and Red Sox, but always found his way back to the NPB. Matsuzaka entered the 2009 WBC as the three-time NPB win leader and four-time NPB strikeout leader.
Matsuzaka compiled a 2.45 ERA in 14 2/3 innings, helping his team beat South Korea and win the tournament's MVP Award. With the win, Matsuzaka became the first player to win a World Baseball Classic and a World Series.
