The 2023 World Baseball Classic Rosters Are Out – Tons of Chicago Cubs Involved
The 2023 World Baseball Classic kicks off in one month with pool play, and tonight the countries announced their final rosters for the event.
The Chicago Cubs players and prospects who made the final rosters:
Javier Assad, RHP – Mexico
Marcus Stroman, RHP – Puerto Rico
Nelson Velazquez, OF – Puerto Rico
Curtis Taylor, RHP – Canada
Jared Young, UTL – Canada
Owen Caissie, OF – Canada
Seiya Suzuki, OF – Japan
Roenis Elias, LHP – Cuba
Ben DeLuzio, OF – Italy
Miles Mastrobuoni, UTL – Italy
Vinny Nittoli, RHP – Italy
Matt Mervis, 1B – Israel
Liam Spence, UTL – Australia
Danis Correa, RHP – Colombia
Fabian Pertuz, INF – Colombia
Branden Noriega, LHP – Great Britain
B.J. Murray, INF – Great Britain
Pool play kicks off in one month, and these are the pools:
Pool A (March 8-12)
Chinese Taipei
Cuba
Italy
Netherlands
Panama
Pool B (March 9-13)
Australia
China
Czech Republic
Japan
South Korea
Pool C (March 11-15)
Canada
Colombia
Great Britain
Mexico
United States
Pool D (March 11-15)
Dominican Republic
Israel
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
Venezuela
The top two teams in each pool move on to the single-elimination tournament, which concludes with the championship on March 21. I say Cuba and Panama, Japan and South Korea, Mexico and the United States, and Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico survive the pool round. But upsets are always fun, and highly possible given the nature of baseball.
Some of the notable rosters announcements tonight, including the EXCEPTIONALLY stacked Teams USA, Dominican Republic, and Japan (tons of old friends all around the WBC, too):
