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Spring training is ramping up and the 2023 MLB season is just around the corner, but first, the baseball world will be focused on the World Baseball Classic that begins Tuesday.
The tournament hasn’t been played since 2017 but promises to bring fireworks when it does. Players are beaming with national pride during the tournament, and guys who are teammates in the majors become enemies for a couple of weeks. The United States is the reigning champion, having defeated Puerto Rico in the last iteration of the event six years ago.
World Baseball Classic Odds
But the favorite to win it in 2023 is the team that had won the WBC previously: the Dominican Republic. Their roster features some of the best players that today’s game has to offer. Juan Soto and Julio Rodriguez are two of the outfielders, and Manny Machado, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers are just a few of the names gracing the in-field. Their rotation is impressive as well, headed by Sandy Alcantara, the reigning Cy Young award winner.
The Dominican Republic is listed as a +210 favorite, but the United States and Japan aren’t far behind. Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, and Trea Turner are some of the batters for the US, and Japan has Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, and others. The US is listed at +250, while Japan comes in at +275.
It is essentially a three-team race as far as the odds are concerned. There are no other teams with designations even close to those at the top, with Venezuela coming in a distant fourth at +1000, followed by Puerto Rico rounding out the top-5 at +1100.
Games for the 2023 WBC will be played in four different venues across three different countries. Games in Taiwan will be played in Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, and ones in Japan will be hosted at the Tokyo Dome. There will be games played in the United States as well, as both Chase Field in Arizona and Loan Depot Park in Miami will host games.
The tournament begins on March 7th with Cuba facing the Netherlands in Taiwan. The semi-finals and finals will be played at Loan Depot Park from March 19th through the 21st.
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