World Baseball Classic 2017: Mexico has something to prove this time around
When last we saw Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, we saw disappointment. Team Mexico, which had advanced to the second round in the first two tournaments, was knocked out in pool play in the 2013 WBC. So as we approach the 2017 tournament, Mexico certainly has something to prove.
They’re a fascinating team for a couple of reasons — namely they’ve got a lot of major-league talent. Adrian Gonzalez leads the way and is their most important player. But on the pitching side, they’ve got a lot of options, such as Yovani Gallardo and Jorge De La Rosa plus a bullpen that includes Sergio Romo, Joakim Soria and Miguel Gonzalez.
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What Mexico has in pitching, though, it lacks in offense. Beyond Adrian Gonzalez, things get a little bit sketchy. It’s what makes Mexico a good but not great team and what could mean an early exit from the tournament again.
Schedule details: Mexico is playing in Pool D on its home turf in Jalisco. Its first game is against Italy on March 9, then it plays Puerto Rico on March 11 and Venezuela on March 12.
’13 Finish: Team Mexico went 1-2 in the 2013 tournament, beating the U.S. team but losing 6-5 to Italy and 10-3 to Canada. It didn’t advance out of pool play.
Biggest stars: Adrian Gonzalez remains the “face of the franchise” for the Mexican team. Even though he’s been battling injury, he’s remained committed to representing his country in the tournament. In the 2013 version of the WBC, he homered and had three hits in three games.
Notable absences: The loss of Khris Davis hurts. The Oakland Athletics slugger — he of the 42 homers last season — was originally supposed to play for Mexico in the tournament, but recently bowed out, saying he needs more time to train for the 2017 MLB season. Since Mexico is a team in need of offense, Davis’ bat would have been a huge help.
Player you should get familiar with: Alex Verdugo, another of the Dodgers on Team Mexico. While he hasn’t cracked the big-league roster yet, Verdugo has a chance to make an impact in the WBC. As we’ve established, Mexico’s offense is lacking. That’s a good opportunity for Verdugo — an outfielder who is L.A.’s No. 2 overall prospect, according to MLB.com — to make an impact.
Do they have a chance to win? It’s an outside chance. Mexico has big-league quality pitching, so this is a story we’ve seen play out in MLB — good pitching and so-so offense can prevail. It’s not a safe bet at all, though. Venezuela look like a monster and Puerto Rico will be tough too.
THREE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT MEXICO
Can they make it out of the first round? If the answer is yes, Team Mexico’s prospects get a lot better. Both Julio Urias, the young Dodgers star, and Marco Estrada, the veteran Blue Jays starter, could join Mexico if it makes the second round. Both would be welcome additions.
Where’s the offense going to come from? Yes, that’s the big question with Mexico. The lineup just isn’t as potent as some others in the tournament. So that means a lot rests on Adrian. With a good pitching staff, Mexico is the kind of team that could advance with just a few timely hits from its All-Star slugger. Specifically, hits of the over-the-fence variety.
Can Mexico beat Puerto Rico? Venezuela is the obvious favorite in this pool, so the question really becomes whether Mexico or Puerto Rico can grab the second spot, which makes Game 2 for Mexico all the more important. Puerto Rico has a lot of young MLB star power in Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez, but it doesn’t have a lot of pitching. So it’s basically the opposite of Mexico. The winner of that March 11 game between the two countries has the best chance to move on.
Also in this series:
— Australia
— Canada
— China
— Chinese Taipei
— Colombia
— Cuba
— Dominican Republic
— Israel
— Italy
— Japan
— Korea
— Netherlands
— Puerto Rico
— United States
— Venezuela
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
