{"id":14959,"date":"2023-02-06T10:15:11","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T15:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/?p=14959"},"modified":"2023-02-14T12:14:14","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T17:14:14","slug":"world-baseball-classic-rosters-betting-picks-predictions-rosters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/mlb\/world-baseball-classic-rosters-betting-picks-predictions-rosters\/","title":{"rendered":"World Baseball Classic Best Picks, Top Predictions, &#038; Team Rosters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The 2023 World Baseball Classic will take place March 8th to March 21st. The teams are split into four groups (pools) and the first round will take place in four locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, and from there four teams will remain where the championship game and runner-up game will take place. Here is a breakdown of the groups and teams as I see it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8216;I&#8217; being Tokyo Brandon, the most successful handicapper around. <\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Check out my WBC picks and get access to the most profitable WBC Classic picks in the UNIVERSE with code WBC55 &#8211; $55 for whole tournament picks. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_30059\"  width=\"870\" height=\"489\"  data-origwidth=\"870\" data-origheight=\"489\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xr9CpzYRAxM?enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=1&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;hl=en_US&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"2023 World Baseball Classic Picks and Predictions - ONLY $55 - Promotion\"  src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Xr9CpzYRAxM\/maxresdefault.jpg\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div><span itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xr9CpzYRAxM\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"2023 World Baseball Classic Picks and Predictions - ONLY $55 - Promotion\"><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"2023 World Baseball Classic Pass - ONLY $55! The 2023 World Baseball Classic will begin on Wednesday, March 8, and conclude on Tuesday, March 21, with the Championship Game in Miami, Florida, and you can bet alongside one of the top international baseball sports bettors on the planet for the ENTIRE tournament for ONLY $55 (yes, really!) Even better, the first 15 buyers will receive the full $55 back in the form of a coupon toward any future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher. While most handicappers know the USA roster, Brandon knows THE WORLD! Brandon was a Major League Baseball scout in Japan for a decade, has lived in Japan for 30 years, and knows international baseball and foreign team rosters better than anyone. Tokyo Brandon&#039;s record speaks for itself, as he has been WagerTalk&#039;s #1 All-Sports Profit Leader for TWO STRAIGHT YEARS and counting! Baseball is his bread and butter; he has picked up +151.17 units in baseball profit and, since joining WagerTalk, sits in the #1 spot over that time in total baseball profit! Get FULL ACCESS to ANY selections from Brandon on the entire World Baseball Classic, including sides, totals, and any props or futures, and of course, any RARE 5% BEST BETS for just $55 using coupon code WBC55 when checking out! * this package will include a minimum of 12 selections (if purchased before the tournament begins) ** the first fifteen buyers are eligible for a $55 coupon good for a future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher \ud83d\udc4d Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to WagerTalk TV, \ud83d\udd14 CLICK the Bell and never miss an episode! \ud83d\udc40 WagerTalk TV, available for viewing on... \ud83d\udcfa Twitch: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/twitch \ud83d\udcfa Apple: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/ios \ud83d\udcfa Android: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/android \ud83d\udcfa Amazon: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/fire \ud83d\udcfa Roku: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/roku \ud83d\udc4d Stay connected with WagerTalk \ud83d\udcfa https:\/\/wt.buzz\/tv \ud83d\udc4d Facebook: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/fb \ud83d\udc26 Twitter: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/tw \ud83d\udcf8 Instagram: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/ig \ud83d\udcf0 reddit: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/rd \u2764\ufe0f iHeart Radio: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/iheart \ud83c\udf4e Apple Podcasts: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/ap \ud83d\udccc Pinterest: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/pin\"><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Xr9CpzYRAxM\/0.jpg\"><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT1M7S\"><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2023-01-20T19:48:13Z\"><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"poolapicks\">World Baseball Classic Pools &#8211; Pool A Teams, Taiwan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Taiwan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Netherlands<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cuba<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Italy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Panama<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cuba is the only team in this group with even a remote shot at remaining in the final four.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are currently at +1400 odds to win it all with no other team in the realm of +3000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Baseball Classic Pool A Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cuba and either Netherlands or Panama should be able to advance easily, but I will not spend much time on this group as there are no powerhouse teams here worth breaking down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"poolbpicks\">World Baseball Classic Pool B Teams, Tokyo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Japan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Korea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Australia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>China<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Czech Republic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Baseball Classic Pool B Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This group has two contenders in it, Japan and Korea.<strong> Japan is currently +450 and Korea is +1400 at DraftKings to win it all.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Australia is the only other team with a shot of advancing but I do not think that chance is high. Japan and Korea should advance with little trouble and in that order, <strong>Japan first, Korea second.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"poolcpicks\">World Baseball Classic Pool C Teams, Phoenix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>USA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mexico<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Columbia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Canada<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Great Britain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Baseball Classic Pool C Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>USA will advance as the first seed with little trouble. <strong>Mexico is the only other possible contender, but their odds to win it all are +3500 while the USA is the current favorite at +225<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other teams in this group are cannon fodder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pooldpicks\">World Baseball Classic Pool D Teams, Miami<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Puerto Rico<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Venezuela<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dominican Republic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Israel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nicaragua<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Baseball Classic Pool D Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the most competitive group of the four. Puerto Rico (+800), Venezuela (+1300) and Dominican Republic (+225) are all contenders, with Dominican Republic being given the same chance to win it all as USA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The battle between Puerto Rico and Venezuela to advance should be great to watch and very competitive. Nicaragua and Israel are mainly American players with threads of connections to these countries who could not make the USA team and simply have no chance to be competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I see the USA, Dominican Republic and Japan as the only real contenders. How does an overall balanced team (USA) fare against teams with better pitching and less hitting (DR, Japan)? This will be must-watch TV. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I personally will be attending the Japan vs Korea game on March 10th in Tokyo and I will be putting out a lot of plays in this tournament. Sit back and enjoy<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 World Baseball Classic Pass &#8211; ONLY $55!<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2023 World Baseball Classic will begin on Wednesday, March 8, and conclude on Tuesday, March 21, with the Championship Game in Miami, Florida, and you can bet alongside one of the top international baseball sports bettors on the planet for the ENTIRE tournament for ONLY $55 (yes, really!) The entire picks for the world baseball classic schedule are open for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Even better, the first 15 buyers will receive the full $55 back in the form of a coupon toward any future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While most handicappers know the USA roster, Brandon knows THE WORLD! Brandon was a Major League Baseball scout in Japan for a decade, has lived in Japan for 30 years, and knows international baseball and foreign team rosters better than anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Brandon&#8217;s record speaks for itself, as he has been WagerTalk&#8217;s #1 All-Sports Profit Leader for TWO STRAIGHT YEARS and counting! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baseball is his bread and butter; he has picked up +151.17 units in baseball profit and, since joining WagerTalk, sits in the #1 spot over that time in total baseball profit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get FULL ACCESS to ANY selections from Brandon on the entire World Baseball Classic, including sides, totals, and any props or futures, and of course, any RARE 5% BEST BETS for just $55 using coupon code WBC55 when checking out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* this package will include a minimum of 12 selections (if purchased before the tournament begins)<br>** the first fifteen buyers are eligible for a $55 coupon good for a future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Baseball Classic Team Breakdowns &amp; Rosters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>USA, Dominican Republic and Japan are the main players and are all taking this tournament very seriously<\/strong>. Here is a breakdown of the rosters as we know them as of the time of writing this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">USA World Baseball Classic Roster &#8211; WBC Roster for the US<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The USA has held back from sending the best players in the past due to fear of injury or MLB contract complications. That is not the case this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a star-studded lineup with good depth and full of names we all know. Here is what the lineup is shaking out to look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies<br>C Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers<br>1B Pete Alonso, New York Mets<br>1B Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals<br>2B Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox<br>3B Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals<br>3B Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals<br>SS Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox<br>SS Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies<br>OF Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers<br>OF Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles<br>OF Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies<br>OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angles<br>OF Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros<br>SP Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks<br>SP Nestor Cortes, New York Yankees<br>SP Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies<br>SP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/player\/brady-singer-663903\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\">Brady Singer<\/a>, Kansas City Royals<br>SP Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals<br>SP Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants<br>RP David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates<br>RP Dillon Tate, Baltimore Orioles<br>RP Devin Williams, Milwaukee Brewers<br>LP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, Mike Trout and Mookie Betts? The USA is not messing around. The rotation with Webb, Kelly, Cortes and Freeland looks solid (if not dynamic) and Kershaw on call for starter or bullpen duty if needed makes for solid pitching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This team should be able to put a lot of runs on the board and the pitching should be good enough to propel them to the championship game. The USA is the most balanced team in the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"551\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dominican.jpg\" alt=\"world baseball classic\" class=\"wp-image-15226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dominican.jpg 551w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dominican-300x230.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 551px) 100vw, 551px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic Roster<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>DR has a Major League roster and certainly has a chance of taking it all on their WBC roster. Here is the stellar rotation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sandy Alcantara<br>Framber Valdez<br>Cristian Javier<br>Luis Castillo<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow that rotation up with these relievers:<br>Bryan Abreu<br>Camilo Doval<br>Diego Castillo<br>Emmanuel Clase<br>Felix Bautista<br>Genesis Cabrera<br>Gregory Soto<br>Jhoan Duran<br>Rafael Montero<br>Seranthony Dominguez<br>Wandy Peralta<br>Yimi Garcia<br>Reynaldo Lopez<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the position players:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary Sanchez<br>Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<br>Jose Ramirez<br>Jeremy Pena<br>Manny Machado<br>Starling Marte<br>Julio Rodriguez<br>Juan Soto<br>Eloy Jimenez<br>Rafael Devers<br>Francisco Mejia<br>Ketel Marte<br>Nelson Cruz (DH)<br>Pedro Severino<br>Robinson Cano (2B)<br>Teoscar Hernandez<br>Wander Franco<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pitching is the strength here and there are stars on the hitting side as well. It will be interesting to see how this pitching-strong team matches with a team like Japan, which is also pitch-reliant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This team does not have the balance that the US has, but there is enough star power to win against anyone in the tournament in any one game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Japan World Baseball Classic Roster<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Japan wants to win this.<\/strong> They want to follow up Olympic gold with a WBC trophy. Asian countries take these international tournaments seriously and this roster is no joke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Japanese rotation will BY FAR be the best rotation in the tournament, hands down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Shohei Ohtani<br>2. Yu Darvish<br>3. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Japan&#8217;s Cy Young winner)<br>4, Roki Sasaki (Japan&#8217;s #2 pitcher)<br>5. Shota Imanaga (Japan Series winner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody will put runs on this rotation, not even the US. Hitting is a different story. Japan will have Cubs hitter Seiya Suzuki and Japan League home run king and record setter Munetaka Murakami, but Asian teams do not hit with power like US players and run production will be the concern with this team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, this team is a shoe-in to make the quarterfinals and has a serious chance of taking it all. The roster is not balanced like the US team, but the pitching is much better and that wins games. If Japan can score 3 runs they can win any game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/samurai-japan-wbc-2023_1pxf8gpvy7p8m1c3u6mx06cibl_720.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/samurai-japan-wbc-2023_1pxf8gpvy7p8m1c3u6mx06cibl_720.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/samurai-japan-wbc-2023_1pxf8gpvy7p8m1c3u6mx06cibl_720-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"poolbpicks\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 World Baseball Classic Pass &#8211; ONLY $55 &#8211; BUY NOW!<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2023 World Baseball Classic will begin on Wednesday, March 8, and conclude on Tuesday, March 21, with the Championship Game in Miami, Florida, and you can bet alongside one of the top international baseball sports bettors on the planet for the ENTIRE tournament for ONLY $55 (yes, really!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Even better, the first 15 buyers will receive the full $55 back in the form of a coupon toward any future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While most handicappers know the USA roster, Brandon knows THE WORLD! Brandon was a Major League Baseball scout in Japan for a decade, has lived in Japan for 30 years, and knows international baseball and foreign team rosters better than anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Brandon&#8217;s record speaks for itself, as he has been WagerTalk&#8217;s #1 All-Sports Profit Leader for TWO STRAIGHT YEARS and counting! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baseball is his bread and butter; he has picked up +151.17 units in baseball profit and, since joining WagerTalk, sits in the #1 spot over that time in total baseball profit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get FULL ACCESS to ANY selections from Brandon on the entire World Baseball Classic, including sides, totals, and any props or futures, and of course, any RARE 5% BEST BETS for just $55 using coupon code WBC55 when checking out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>* this package will include a minimum of 12 selections (if purchased before the tournament begins)<br>** the first fifteen buyers are eligible for a $55 coupon good for a future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tokyo Brandon World Baseball Classic | Team USA Video Preview<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Brandon gives his full Team USA roster breakdown providing in-depth betting info pertaining to how far they may go in this World Baseball Classic tournament. Listen to his preview now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_68488\"  width=\"870\" height=\"489\"  data-origwidth=\"870\" data-origheight=\"489\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jsd9Bclf460?enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=1&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;hl=en_US&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"World Baseball Classic Predictions and Picks | Team USA Roster Preview | March 8th - 21st\"  src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Jsd9Bclf460\/maxresdefault.jpg\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div><span itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jsd9Bclf460\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"World Baseball Classic Predictions and Picks | Team USA Roster Preview | March 8th - 21st\"><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"\u26be\ufe0f The Team USA roster for this year&#039;s World Baseball Classic is more stacked than it has been in year&#039;s past and manager Mark DeRosa should be happy heading into the tournament. This year&#039;s roster will look similar to what an all-star team would look like including position players like Pete Alonso, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper Mike Trout and many more. Pitchers making up the roster include Clayton Kershaw, Nestor Cortes, Logan Webb and Adam Wainwright. WagerTalk&#039;s baseball handicapper Tokyo Brandon breaks down this Team USA roster as a whole offering his betting insights as to how far this team can go in the tournament come March #worldbaseballclassic | #wbcprediction | #baseballpredictions \ud83d\udc4d You can get free Asian baseball picks and betting tips direct from Vegas by following the WagerTalk handicappers on Twitter: \u25ba WagerTalk: https:\/\/twitter.com\/WagerTalk \u25ba Sportsmemo: https:\/\/twitter.com\/sportsmemo \u25ba Tokyo Brandon: https:\/\/twitter.com\/JPBaseballTV \u2663\ufe0f New to the world of sports betting? Not sure where to place your wager(s)? Check out some of these sign-up bonus offers directly from a few of our favorite sports books: \u25ba PointsBet: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/pb \u25ba Caesars: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/caesars \u25ba BetMGM: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/betmgm *Additional terms and conditions may apply, must be 21+, must be physically present in applicable states, new users only. \ud83d\udc4d Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to WagerTalk TV, \ud83d\udd14 CLICK the Bell and never miss an episode! \ud83d\udc40 WagerTalk TV, available for viewing on... \ud83d\udcfa Twitch: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/twitch \ud83d\udcfa Apple: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/ios \ud83d\udcfa Android: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/android \ud83d\udcfa Amazon: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/fire \ud83d\udcfa Roku: http:\/\/wt.buzz\/roku \ud83d\udc4d Stay connected with WagerTalk \ud83d\udcfa https:\/\/wt.buzz\/tv \ud83d\udc4d Facebook: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/fb \ud83d\udc26 Twitter: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/tw \ud83d\udcf8 Instagram: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/ig \ud83d\udcf0 reddit: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/rd \u2764\ufe0f iHeart Radio: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/iheart \ud83c\udf4e Apple Podcasts: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/ap \ud83d\udccc Pinterest: https:\/\/wt.buzz\/pin\"><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Jsd9Bclf460\/0.jpg\"><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT3M54S\"><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2023-01-19T16:54:58Z\"><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2023 World Baseball Classic will take place March 8th to March 21st. The teams are split into four groups (pools) and the first round will take place in four locations. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, and from there four teams will remain where the championship game and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":15,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[6,1341,1346,1347,190,4],"class_list":["post-14959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-baseball","tag-japanese-baseball","tag-japanese-baseball-picks","tag-japanese-baseball-predictions","tag-korean-baseball","tag-mlb"],"basic_html":"\n<p>The 2023 World Baseball Classic will take place March 8th to March 21st. The teams are split into four groups (pools) and the first round will take place in four locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, and from there four teams will remain where the championship game and runner-up game will take place. Here is a breakdown of the groups and teams as I see it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">'I' being Tokyo Brandon, the most successful handicapper around. <\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Check out my WBC picks and get access to the most profitable WBC Classic picks in the UNIVERSE with code WBC55 - $55 for whole tournament picks. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<iframe src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xr9CpzYRAxM?origin=https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com'><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"poolapicks\">World Baseball Classic Pools - Pool A Teams, Taiwan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cuba is the only team in this group with even a remote shot at remaining in the final four.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>They are currently at +1400 odds to win it all with no other team in the realm of +3000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3>World Baseball Classic Pool A Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Cuba and either Netherlands or Panama should be able to advance easily, but I will not spend much time on this group as there are no powerhouse teams here worth breaking down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"poolbpicks\">World Baseball Classic Pool B Teams, Tokyo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3>World Baseball Classic Pool B Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This group has two contenders in it, Japan and Korea.<strong> Japan is currently +450 and Korea is +1400 at DraftKings to win it all.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Australia is the only other team with a shot of advancing but I do not think that chance is high. Japan and Korea should advance with little trouble and in that order, <strong>Japan first, Korea second.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"poolcpicks\">World Baseball Classic Pool C Teams, Phoenix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3>World Baseball Classic Pool C Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>USA will advance as the first seed with little trouble. <strong>Mexico is the only other possible contender, but their odds to win it all are +3500 while the USA is the current favorite at +225<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The other teams in this group are cannon fodder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"pooldpicks\">World Baseball Classic Pool D Teams, Miami<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3>World Baseball Classic Pool D Picks &amp; Predictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This is the most competitive group of the four. Puerto Rico (+800), Venezuela (+1300) and Dominican Republic (+225) are all contenders, with Dominican Republic being given the same chance to win it all as USA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The battle between Puerto Rico and Venezuela to advance should be great to watch and very competitive. Nicaragua and Israel are mainly American players with threads of connections to these countries who could not make the USA team and simply have no chance to be competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I see the USA, Dominican Republic and Japan as the only real contenders. How does an overall balanced team (USA) fare against teams with better pitching and less hitting (DR, Japan)? This will be must-watch TV. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I personally will be attending the Japan vs Korea game on March 10th in Tokyo and I will be putting out a lot of plays in this tournament. Sit back and enjoy<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 World Baseball Classic Pass - ONLY $55!<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The 2023 World Baseball Classic will begin on Wednesday, March 8, and conclude on Tuesday, March 21, with the Championship Game in Miami, Florida, and you can bet alongside one of the top international baseball sports bettors on the planet for the ENTIRE tournament for ONLY $55 (yes, really!) The entire picks for the world baseball classic schedule are open for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Even better, the first 15 buyers will receive the full $55 back in the form of a coupon toward any future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>While most handicappers know the USA roster, Brandon knows THE WORLD! Brandon was a Major League Baseball scout in Japan for a decade, has lived in Japan for 30 years, and knows international baseball and foreign team rosters better than anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Brandon's record speaks for itself, as he has been WagerTalk's #1 All-Sports Profit Leader for TWO STRAIGHT YEARS and counting! <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Baseball is his bread and butter; he has picked up +151.17 units in baseball profit and, since joining WagerTalk, sits in the #1 spot over that time in total baseball profit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Get FULL ACCESS to ANY selections from Brandon on the entire World Baseball Classic, including sides, totals, and any props or futures, and of course, any RARE 5% BEST BETS for just $55 using coupon code WBC55 when checking out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>* this package will include a minimum of 12 selections (if purchased before the tournament begins)<br>** the first fifteen buyers are eligible for a $55 coupon good for a future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2>World Baseball Classic Team Breakdowns &amp; Rosters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>USA, Dominican Republic and Japan are the main players and are all taking this tournament very seriously<\/strong>. Here is a breakdown of the rosters as we know them as of the time of writing this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2>USA World Baseball Classic Roster - WBC Roster for the US<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The USA has held back from sending the best players in the past due to fear of injury or MLB contract complications. That is not the case this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This is a star-studded lineup with good depth and full of names we all know. Here is what the lineup is shaking out to look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>C J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies<br>C Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers<br>1B Pete Alonso, New York Mets<br>1B Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals<br>2B Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox<br>3B Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals<br>3B Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals<br>SS Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox<br>SS Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies<br>OF Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers<br>OF Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles<br>OF Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies<br>OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angles<br>OF Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros<br>SP Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks<br>SP Nestor Cortes, New York Yankees<br>SP Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies<br>SP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/player\/brady-singer-663903\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\">Brady Singer<\/a>, Kansas City Royals<br>SP Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals<br>SP Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants<br>RP David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates<br>RP Dillon Tate, Baltimore Orioles<br>RP Devin Williams, Milwaukee Brewers<br>LP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, Mike Trout and Mookie Betts? The USA is not messing around. The rotation with Webb, Kelly, Cortes and Freeland looks solid (if not dynamic) and Kershaw on call for starter or bullpen duty if needed makes for solid pitching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This team should be able to put a lot of runs on the board and the pitching should be good enough to propel them to the championship game. The USA is the most balanced team in the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dominican.jpg\" alt=\"world baseball classic\" class=\"wp-image-15226\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2>Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic Roster<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>DR has a Major League roster and certainly has a chance of taking it all on their WBC roster. Here is the stellar rotation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Sandy Alcantara<br>Framber Valdez<br>Cristian Javier<br>Luis Castillo<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Follow that rotation up with these relievers:<br>Bryan Abreu<br>Camilo Doval<br>Diego Castillo<br>Emmanuel Clase<br>Felix Bautista<br>Genesis Cabrera<br>Gregory Soto<br>Jhoan Duran<br>Rafael Montero<br>Seranthony Dominguez<br>Wandy Peralta<br>Yimi Garcia<br>Reynaldo Lopez<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the position players:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Gary Sanchez<br>Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<br>Jose Ramirez<br>Jeremy Pena<br>Manny Machado<br>Starling Marte<br>Julio Rodriguez<br>Juan Soto<br>Eloy Jimenez<br>Rafael Devers<br>Francisco Mejia<br>Ketel Marte<br>Nelson Cruz (DH)<br>Pedro Severino<br>Robinson Cano (2B)<br>Teoscar Hernandez<br>Wander Franco<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Pitching is the strength here and there are stars on the hitting side as well. It will be interesting to see how this pitching-strong team matches with a team like Japan, which is also pitch-reliant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>This team does not have the balance that the US has, but there is enough star power to win against anyone in the tournament in any one game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2>Japan World Baseball Classic Roster<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Japan wants to win this.<\/strong> They want to follow up Olympic gold with a WBC trophy. Asian countries take these international tournaments seriously and this roster is no joke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The Japanese rotation will BY FAR be the best rotation in the tournament, hands down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>1. Shohei Ohtani<br>2. Yu Darvish<br>3. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Japan's Cy Young winner)<br>4, Roki Sasaki (Japan's #2 pitcher)<br>5. Shota Imanaga (Japan Series winner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody will put runs on this rotation, not even the US. Hitting is a different story. Japan will have Cubs hitter Seiya Suzuki and Japan League home run king and record setter Munetaka Murakami, but Asian teams do not hit with power like US players and run production will be the concern with this team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, this team is a shoe-in to make the quarterfinals and has a serious chance of taking it all. The roster is not balanced like the US team, but the pitching is much better and that wins games. If Japan can score 3 runs they can win any game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/samurai-japan-wbc-2023_1pxf8gpvy7p8m1c3u6mx06cibl_720.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15735\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"poolbpicks\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 World Baseball Classic Pass - ONLY $55 - BUY NOW!<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The 2023 World Baseball Classic will begin on Wednesday, March 8, and conclude on Tuesday, March 21, with the Championship Game in Miami, Florida, and you can bet alongside one of the top international baseball sports bettors on the planet for the ENTIRE tournament for ONLY $55 (yes, really!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/specialofferdetail\/4613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Even better, the first 15 buyers will receive the full $55 back in the form of a coupon toward any future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>While most handicappers know the USA roster, Brandon knows THE WORLD! Brandon was a Major League Baseball scout in Japan for a decade, has lived in Japan for 30 years, and knows international baseball and foreign team rosters better than anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Brandon's record speaks for itself, as he has been WagerTalk's #1 All-Sports Profit Leader for TWO STRAIGHT YEARS and counting! <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Baseball is his bread and butter; he has picked up +151.17 units in baseball profit and, since joining WagerTalk, sits in the #1 spot over that time in total baseball profit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Get FULL ACCESS to ANY selections from Brandon on the entire World Baseball Classic, including sides, totals, and any props or futures, and of course, any RARE 5% BEST BETS for just $55 using coupon code WBC55 when checking out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>* this package will include a minimum of 12 selections (if purchased before the tournament begins)<br>** the first fifteen buyers are eligible for a $55 coupon good for a future Tokyo Brandon purchase of $99 or higher<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3>Tokyo Brandon World Baseball Classic | Team USA Video Preview<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Tokyo Brandon gives his full Team USA roster breakdown providing in-depth betting info pertaining to how far they may go in this World Baseball Classic tournament. Listen to his preview now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<iframe src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jsd9Bclf460?origin=https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com'><\/iframe>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}