The US WBC team is in trouble due to power imbalance. The other line is as strong as the ‘Earth Defense Force’, but the shield is not as strong as I thought. In the midst of this, some players have already given up participating in the tournament.
The United States was the first among the 20 countries participating in the WBC finals to announce the national team list. It was necessary to re-announce the tournament, which was postponed due to Corona 19 and will be held in six years. On July 19 last year (Korean time), ‘Captain America’ Mike Trout was the first to confirm participation, and on the 20th of last month, Clayton Kershaw joined, and 30 people were completed.
However, as the national team members were announced too early, one by one, there were cases where they fell off the horse ahead of the tournament for more than a month.
The beast side is no problem. Bryce Harper (Philadelphia) was replaced by teammate Kyle Schwaber. Trevor Story (Boston) is expected to be filled by Jeff McNeil (Mets).
In an interview with MLB Network on the 18th, American coach Mark DeRosa said, “McNeil can come in. The final decision has not yet been made.” He also added, “Even Mookie Betts (Dodgers) can defend second base.”
If McNeil comes in instead of Story, it’s a power boost. McNeil had a batting average of 0.326 last year, which was first in the major leagues. Story only had a batting average of 0.238. 슬롯사이트
However, the pitching staff is in trouble. There was a power leak for reasons other than injuries.
In fact, compared to the other line from the beginning, the power of the pitcher was less than expected. This is because it is not easy to find a pitcher who can burn with enthusiasm in the pre-season competition.
It improved from the previous year’s power in 2017, when there was only one All-Star pitcher (Andrew Miller), but the ‘decisive shot’ was regrettable. The participation declaration of famous veterans such as Adam Wainwright (St. Louis) and Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) became a hot topic, but they were evaluated as inferior in pitching power compared to their strong rival, the Dominican Republic.
First, we need to find a replacement for Martinez. Director Derosa and general manager Tony Riggins have more work to do. The deadline for submitting the WBC final roster is February 7.