Well, folks, we got exactly what we wanted. The two top dogs of the World Baseball Classic will face off in the Final, as Mike Trout and Team USA takes on Shohei Ohtani and Samurai Japan. The Angels teammates will be on opposing sides on Tuesday for bragging rights and national glory. Speaking to reporters, Ohtani talked about how special it is to face off against not only Trout, but also the entire USA roster, per Jeff Passan.
“Not only Mike Trout, but one through nine in that order is filled with superstars, household names,” Angels star Shohei Ohtani said. “Just excited to face that lineup. It's a great thing for Japanese baseball.”
Indeed, the USA lineup features a murderer's row of hitters from top to bottom. Trout is near the top of the order, obviously, but the Angels star flanked with elite talent. From the Cardinals' timeless duo of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado to Mookie Betts to Pete Alonso, Japan's pitchers will have their hands full. They have Trea Turner batting ninth, for crying out loud!
Japan is equipped with enough talent at the pitching position to deal with USA in the World Baseball Classic, though. Shohei Ohtani is expected to play a relief role, with other talents stepping in to start. And if that fails, well, Japan boasts their own set of talented hitters to go toe-to-toe with the defending champions.
We might even see the two Angels superstars face off in a real game with stakes this time! This is an exciting moment, not only for Japanese or American fans, but for every baseball fan in the world. Who will bring home glory in the World Baseball Classic final?
Follow Us
Subscribe