Baseball is back, and the World Baseball Classic is the opening statement.
If you have never watched it, it is World Cup soccer with bats. Pool play is round robin, top two teams advance, then it turns into single elimination where one bad inning sends you home.
This year the U.S. is rolling in with a roster that reads like someone turned roster-building into a hobby. No, baseball does not need a salary cap. Team USA is a superteam and the clear top dog, which is accurate on paper and dangerous in reality.
The format does not care what is on paper. The season is demanding over 162 games. Now compress it into a short tournament with limited pitcher usage, unfamiliar batters, and national pride. Variance becomes the main character.
Samurai Japan is still the final boss. Defending champion, coolest country name, elite arms, disciplined at-bats, and a lineup that does not swing at garbage. If the U.S. is the best roster ever assembled, Japan is the team built for this exact kind of chaos.
If you want the short list of favorites, it is the U.S. and Japan at the top, with the Dominican Republic and Venezuela sitting right there with enough firepower to ruin anyone’s week. My money is Samurai Japan.
Those who know me, know I take this personally. I will have takes. I will have bullpen opinions. I will act calm and then absolutely not be calm.
