As MLB will organize the fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic next year, Team USA is putting together an extremely competitive roster.
It’s the only way they can aspire to defend the crown they won in 2017: with the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and other top contenders ready to fight for the title, the Americans will need as much talent as they can get.
So far, so good in that department, though.
Catchers JT Realmuto and Will Smith have already stated they will participate, as have infielders Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Trevor Stort, Tim Anderson, and Pete Alonso.
No outfielder in the tournament will be better than Team USA’s, who boast Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Cedric Mullins, and Kyle Tucker.
The newest name to announce his presence is Los Angeles Dodgers’ star shortstop Trea Turner.
Trea Turner is #ALLIN for Team USA in the #WorldBaseballClassic. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tgdnldbMMK
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2022
Turner Should Be A Starter For Team USA In The WBC
Story and Anderson are both excellent infielders, but their talent doesn’t measure up to Turner’s, who should be one of the starters either at shortstop or at second base.
While playing for a new contract (he is slated to hit free agency after the World Series) Turner has had another magnificent season in 2022.
He is slashing .308/.353/.483 with 18 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 82 runs, and 86 RBI.
Oh, and he is also a top defender at both middle infield positions, so he has virtually no weaknesses.
With 5.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), he has been one of the most valuable players in the National League, and a key cog in MLB’s best team.
Team USA will benefit from that kind of production, both on offense and defense.
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