World Baseball Classic Tickets

2017 World Baseball Classic

The finest baseball countries in the world will come together to fight it out for supremacy in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The fourth iteration of the tournament will take place from March 6 to 22. 16 teams and 16 days of hard-hitting, intriguing baseball and an incredible display of star power – that’s what the 2017 World Baseball Classic is all about. Out of these 16 teams, 14 are making their fourth appearance; whereas, Israel and Colombia will be making their WBC debut this year.

The opening game will be played between Israel and South Korea, the latter hosting the faceoff at the Gocheok Sky Dome. Baseball fans are rushing for World Baseball Classic tickets as they don’t want to miss competitiveness at its best, and that too live at a stadium.

Tight Odds Near The Top – Projected Favorites

Dominican Republic: The defending champion is once again among the favorites to win the tournament. The team has returned with their all-star roster and stellar hitters that include big names like Adrian Beltre, Manny Machado, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz. Together they form one of the fiercest lineups in the tournament. Dominican Republic’s offensive power, talented starting rotation and two of the game’s best relievers – Alex Colome and Dellin Betances, make them the likely contender for the 2017 contest.

Japan: Two-time winners of the World Baseball Classic, Japan is also among the hot favorites this season. The team medaled in all three editions of the tournament, winning the title in 2006 and 2009, and finishing with a bronze medal in 2013. Loaded with elite players, a strong team has been put together by the manager Hiroki Kokubo. The fans are quite excited to see the 22 years old Shohei Otani, who is the most talented non-MLB affiliated player in the sport right now. A dual threat, he has dominated both as a pitcher and hitter, developing a cult following at such a young age. Japan’s deep roster also features several players with previous WBC experience.

United States: For a country whose favorite pastime is baseball, the US is yet to make an impression in the WBC. Team US only made it to the semi-finals once, back in 2009 and since then has struggled at the tournament. This year however, things are looking up for the side and they have put together a lineup that includes the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Daniel Murphy. Looking at their roster, maybe this could be the year when the team finally makes a breakthrough in the championship.

The Dark Horses

Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Korea pose a reasonable threat to the favorites. The veteran duo Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina are back on team Puerto Rico, hoping to bring their experience to the tournament. Mexico’s experience lies in its pitching staff and the new pitching rule for the 2017 season gives them an edge. According to this new rule, “WBC organizers have created a 10-member ‘designated pitcher pool,’ from which national teams may add up to two pitchers following each round of the tournament”.

Korea’s roster boasts of many experienced players including the trio Shin-Soo Choo, Dae-Ho Lee and Hyun Soo Kim. Team Korea will hopefully have no problem advancing into the second round, and once they get there, who knows – they might end up in the finals.

Anticipation and excitement is at its peak for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Don’t miss it for anything.

Fourth Edition

The fourth edition of the World Baseball Classic is just around the corner. Taking place in March, the Classic will pit the world’s best international teams against each other. The tournament will be hosted in four countries (Japan, Mexico, South Korea and US) and will feature the top five ranked international baseball teams in the world. The last edition of the tournament took place in 2013 and the Dominican Republic emerged victorious. Their strongest challengers will be the first ranked Japan, second ranked US and third ranked South Korea. To catch all the action from the games taking place in the US, get World Baseball Classic tickets today. 

US crowned champions

The World Baseball Classic was recently concluded with the United States emerging victorious for the first time in the competitions history. The US, along with Japan, The Netherlands and Puerto Rico reached the tournament’s championship round, where the US and Puerto Rico progressed to the deciding game. The United States capped off the tournament with a dominant 8-0 victory over the South Americans and won their first title. Marcus Strowman, who pitches for the Toronto Blue Jays was named as the tournament’s MVP. This year’s tournament is over but you can catch games from the next edition by getting World Baseball Classic tickets.