There’s nowhere better in the world to be a baseball fan this month than the Valley. Not only is greater Phoenix hosting its usual slate of Cactus League spring training games, but the World Baseball Classic is coming back to Chase Field this week, with 10 games in town between Saturday and Wednesday.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is the WBC?
The WBC is an international baseball tournament that was created in 2006 after the International Olympic Committee removed the sport from the Summer Games. Subsequent editions have been held in 2009, 2013 and 2017. This year’s tournament was supposed to take place in 2021 before it was delayed two years due to the pandemic.
Despite featuring star-studded teams, the U.S. struggled in the first three editions, only making one semifinal appearance and never reaching the championship. In 2017, though, the U.S. broke through, winning it all with an 8-0 blowout of Puerto Rico in the championship game. That tournament was most memorable for Adam Jones’ home run robbery of Manny Machado in an intense group-stage game against the Dominican Republic. That win sent the U.S. into the knockout rounds.
This year, the U.S. has the second-best odds to win the tournament, per DraftKings. The Dominican Republic is listed at +210, with the U.S. at +250 and Japan at +275. There’s a steep drop-off after that before Venezuela and Puerto Rico round out the top five at +1000 and +1100, respectively.
What’s the WBC schedule?
The tournament expanded from 16 to 20 teams for this edition. There are four round-robin groups of five, with two teams from each advancing to the quarterfinals. Group play is taking place in Taichung, Taiwan; Tokyo; Miami and Phoenix. The knockout rounds are all in Miami, finishing with the championship game on March 21.
So where does that leave Phoenix? The group coming to town is Pool C — an exciting group with the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Colombia and Great Britain. The U.S. is the runaway favorite to win the group. Mexico is favored to finish second, with Canada and Colombia also expected to be competitive. Great Britain advancing would be stunning.
Here’s the schedule of games at Chase:
March 11: Mexico vs. Colombia, 12:30 p.m.
March 11: United States vs. Great Britain, 7 p.m.
March 12: Great Britain vs. Canada, 12 p.m.
March 12: Mexico vs. United States, 7 p.m.
March 13: Colombia vs. Great Britain, 12 p.m.
March 13: Canada vs. United States, 7 p.m.
March 14: Canada vs. Colombia, 12 p.m.
March 14: Great Britain vs. Mexico, 7 p.m.
March 15: Mexico vs. Canada, 12 p.m.
March 15: United States vs. Colombia 7 p.m.
Which top players are coming to Phoenix?
The U.S. team is stacked with big bats, most notably Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado and Trea Turner. Mexico’s biggest stars are on the pitching side, where they can call on Julio Urias and Taijuan Walker. Joey Votto isn’t playing for Canada, but Freddie Freeman, whose parents are both from Ontario, will be.
There are also a few Diamondbacks’ players to watch. Merrill Kelly will suit up for the U.S., while Alek Thomas, whose mother is Sonoran, will play for Mexico. Ketel Marte is playing for the Dominican Republic, but those games are in Miami.
Ten Diamondbacks’ minor leaguers will play in the tournament as well. Only one of those — Gunnar Groen for Great Britain — is on a team playing at Chase Field. Groen, who was born in London, is a 24-year-old pitcher who spent last year with the Diamondbacks’ Arizona Complex League team.
How can I buy WBC tickets?
Tickets are available starting at $15 at mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/tickets/phoenix. The game between the U.S. and Mexico is sold out.
What is the WBC’s impact on spring training?
For MLB teams, the WBC should cause minimal disruption. Many clubs are losing important players to the tournament, but players will continue on their spring training workout plans. That means that starting pitchers will not yet be worked up to full workloads, creating a conundrum for WBC managers.
Many of the sport’s top pitchers — such as the Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen — elected to skip the tournament and preserve their health. Most top hitters are participating.
One other notable aspect of the tournament is that it will not feature MLB’s new rules — the pitch clock, the ban on overshifts and the larger bases.
Theo Mackie covers Arizona high school sports and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and on Twitter @theo_mackie.