World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Mexico

TEAM MEXICO

Pool D round-robin schedule in Jalisco, Mexico

March 9 v Italy
March 11 v Puerto Rico
March 12 v Venezuela

Tournament history: 7-8 in three previous tournaments, reaching the second round in 2006 and 2009, and upsetting the United States at Chase Field in 2013. But after finishing 1-2 in 2013 with losses to Italy and Canada, Mexico had to qualify for this event — and did so by going 3-0 against Czech Republic and Nicaragua in Mexicali last March.

Manager: Edgar Gonzalez — Adrian’s older brother — is in his first go-round as Team Mexico’s WBC skipper, following Rick Renteria (2013) and Vinny Castilla (2009). Gonzalez took over for the qualifier tournament last March, and played in the 2013 and 2009 WBCs.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Jorge De La Rosa, Yovani Gallardo, Giovanny Gallegos, Jaime Garcia, Miguel Gonzalez, Luis Mendoza, Vidal Nuno, Roberto Osuna, Oliver Perez, Sergio Romo, Fernando Salas, Jake Sanchez, Joakim Soria, Carlos Torres

Catchers:

Xorge Carrillo, Sebastian Valle

Infielders:

Japhet Amador, Daniel Castro, Luis Alfonso Cruz, Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon Laird, Esteban Quiroz, Jose Manuel Rodriguez

Outfielders:

Jose Aguilar, Efren Navarro, Chris Roberson, Alex Verdugo

Projected lineup

LF Chris Roberson
SS Daniel Castro
1B Adrian Gonzalez
DH Efren Navarro
CF Alex Verdugo
3B Brandon Laird
2B Esteban Quiroz
C Xorge Carrillo
RF Jose Aguilar

The rundown: This mismatched roster has very solid pitching, but a thin lineup — especially with the late scratch of Khris Davis, who decided against competing. With or without Jaime Garcia, who still is pondering the decision to participate, the rotation has big-league pedigree with Gallardo, De La Rosa and Miguel Gonzalez. In addition, Marco Estrada and Julio Urias are second-round possibilities from the designated pitcher pool. And the bullpen is one of the deepest in the tournament, with big-leaguers Osuna, Romo, Perez, Soria, Salas, Torres and Nuno.

But lineup-wise, there is no proven big-league protection around star Adrian Gonzalez, who is hoping to participate in his fourth WBC while dealing with an injury of his own.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Shortstop Castro, who is in the Rockies camp this spring, got 226 at-bats with the Braves in 2015-16.

First baseman/outfidler Navarro totaled 256 at-bats with the Angels 2011-15, played 10 minor-league seasons, and finished 2016 in the Mexican League.

Verdugo, 20, is a top Dodgers prospect after being picked 62nd overall in the 2014 draft out of a Tucson, AZ, high school. He slashed .273/.336/.407 at Double-Tulsa as a 19-year-old.

Catcher Valle and center fielder Roberson played for Culiacan — Mexico’s representative in the recent Caribbean Series. Roberson, 37, has played in Mexico for six seasons after nine years in the minors, mostly in the Phillies organization. He totaled 69 at-bats with the Phillies in 2006-07.

Carrillo, another catcher, has played six seasons in the Mets chain, splitting 2016 between Double-A and Triple-A.

Third baseman Brandon Laird — Gerald’s brother — totaled 127 big-league at-bats in 2011-13 with the Yankees and Astros.

Infielder Quiroz has played six seasons for Los Tigres de Quintana Roo. He slashed .335/.449/.522 in 337 at-bats in 2016.

Prediction: A revenge motive (v. Italy in the opener) and homefield advantage could propel Team Mexico into the second round, but it won’t be easy in a tough pool with Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Netherlands

TEAM NETHERLANDS

Pool A round-robin schedule in Seoul, South Korea

March 7 v Korea
March 8 v Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
March 9 v Israel

Tournament history: 7-9 in three WBCs, including trips to the second round in both 2009 and 2013. In 2009, Team Netherlands twice beat the Dominican Republic in the first round before losses to Venezuela and Team USA in the second round. In 2013, Team Netherlands twice beat Cuba before losing to Japan in the second-round finale.

Manager: Hensley Meulens is back after guiding the 2013 WBC team, and serving as a coach in 2009. The longtime Giants hitting instructor was the first Curacao-born player to reach the major leagues.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Mike Bolsenbroek, Robbie Cordemans, Tom de Blok, Lars Huijer, Jair Jurrjens, Diegomar Markwell, Shairon Martis, Jim Ploeger, Tom Stuifbergen, J.C. Sulbaran, Rick van den Hurk, Loek van Mil, Orlando Ynterna

Catchers:

Dashenko Ricardo, Shawn Zarraga

Infielders:

Xander Bogaerts, Yurendell de Caster, Didi Gregorius, Dwayne Kemp, Jurickson Profar, Jonathan Schoop, Sharlon Schoop, Andrelton Simmons, Curt Smith

Outfielders:

Wladimir Balentien, Chris Garia, Randolph Oduber, Kalian Sams

Projected lineup

DH Didi Gregorius
SS Andrelton Simmons
3B Xander Bogaerts
2B Jonathan Schoop
RF Wladimir Balentien
LF Jurickson Profar
1B Curt Smith
CF Randolph Oduber
C Shawn Zarraga

The rundown: Team Netherlands is the far-flung grouping of the Dutch National Team and the MLB-laden group of players from the island of Curacao, which is just off the north coast of Venezuela. Andruw Jones and Roger Bernadina no longer are part of this team, but Gregorius is a notable newcomer, and Profar will play regularly in this event. Kenley Jansen is in the designated pitcher pool for the later rounds, but would have to travel to Tokyo for the second round. How far this team goes likely will depend on a pitching staff with no current big-leaguers, but several with international experience.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Outfielder Wladimir Balentien, 32, holds Japan’s single-season home run record with 60 in 2013 for the Yakult Swallows — breaking the record previously held by Sadaharu Oh, Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera. Balentien hit .221 with 15 home rns and 52 RBI in 559 at-bats over parts of three big-league seasons (2007-09) with the Mariners and Reds.

Jair Jurrjens, 31, went 53-38 with a 3.72 ERA in parts of eight big-league seasons, peaking at 14-10 with a 2.60 ERA with the 2009 Braves. His last MLB appearance was with the Rockies in 2015, and he has battled injuries in recent seasons.

Catcher Shawn Zarraga has played nine minor-league seasons, the last two split between Double-A and Triple-A in the Dodgers organization.

First baseman Curt Smith played six minor-league seasons (2008-14), topping out at Double-A.

Outfielder Randolph Oduber played six minor-league seasons (2010-15) in the Nationals chain, topping out at Double-A.

Right-hander Shairon Martis, 29, pitched a no-hitter against Panama in a 10-0 mercy-rule win in the 2006 WBC. He was 6-7 with a 5.35 ERA in 116 big-league innings with the Nationals (2008-09) and Twins (2013).

Right-hander Rick van den Hurk, 31, went 8-11 with a 6.08 ERA in 50 games and 183.2 IP over parts of six big-league seasons (2007-12), mostly with the Marlins.

Notable by his size if nothing else is right-hander Loek van Mil, 32, who is listed at 7-1 and 260 pounds. He pitched 10 minor-league seasons, posting a 3.48 career ERA, mostly in the Twins organization.

Right-hander Mike Bolsenbroek, 29, pitched three seasons (2008-10) in the Phillies chain, going 2-4 with a 2.55 ERA in 41 games.

Prediction: There should be another trip to the second round for Team Netherlands, and reaching the semifinals is a solid possibility from the weaker of the two halves of the 16-team field.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team South Korea

TEAM SOUTH KOREA

Pool A round-robin schedule in Seoul, South Korea

March 6 v Israel
March 7 v Netherlands
March 9 v Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)

Tournament history: 14-5. Team South Korea won six consecutive games to reach the semifinals in 2006, only to lose 6-0 to Japan, who got seven shutout innings from Koji Uehara and three hits from Ichiro Suzuki. In 2009, Team South Korea reached the championship game, but lost again to Japan, 5-3 in 10 innings, as Ichiro went 4-for-6 and delivered a game-deciding two-run double. But in 2013, Team South Korea didn’t get out of the first round, as they went 2-1 to tie Chinese Taipei and Netherlands, but were eliminated by the run-differential tie-breaker.

Manager: Kim in-Sik guided the very successful first two South Korean WBC entries, going 12-4. He is back for 2017 after being replaced in 2013 by Joongil Ryu.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Woo-chan Cha, Si-hwan Chang, Won-Jun Jang, Hyun-seung Lee, Chang-yong Lim, Seung-hwan Oh, Hee-soo Park, Dae-eun Rhee, Chang-min Sim, Jong-hyun Won, Kyu-min Woo, Hyeon-jong Yang

Catchers:

Tae-gun Kim, Euiji Yang

Infielders:

Kyung-min Heo, Ha-seong Kim, Jae-ho Kim, Tae-kyun Kim, Dae-ho Lee, Jae-won Oh, Suk-min Park, Geon-chang Seo

Outfielders:

Hyung-woo Choi, Yong-kyu Lee, Byung-heon Min, Kun-woo Park, Ah-Seop Son

The rundown: Cardinals closer Seung-hwan Oh is the only current big-leaguer on the roster. Oh, 34, the man with not one, but two great nicknames — The Final Boss or The Stone Buddha, take your pick — emerged at age 34 with 19 saves, a 1.92 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 79.2 innings in 2016.

However, this roster is missing a handful of key MLB players, diminishing chances for a deep run. Notable absentees include Shin-Soo Choo (injury concerns), Hyun-Jin Ryu (coming off surgery), Jung Ho Kang (off-the-field issues) and Hyun Soo Kim, who chose not to compete. Dae-ho Lee, 34, slashed .253/.312/.428 with 14 homers and 49 RBI for the Mariners last season, and currently is with the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization. The rest of the roster are players from the KBO.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Outfielder Hyung-woo Choi, 33, is the highest-paid player in the KBO, signing with the Kia Tigers after nine seasons with the Samsung Lions. He led the KBO in batting average (.376) and RBI (144) last season, and in homers and RBI in 2011.

Left-hander Hyun-jong Yang, 28, is 87-60 with a 3.95 ERA in 10 seasons in the KBO, all with the Kia Tigers.

Veteran left-hander Won-jun Jang, 31, is 112-95 with a 4.08 ERA in 13 seasons in the KBO, the last two with the Doosan Bears.

Outfielder Ha-seop Son, 28, is back after participating in the 2013 WBC. He has a .323 career batting average, 95 homers and 494 RBI in 10 seasons with the Lotte Giants.

Prediction: Despite missing a handful of key MLB players, Team South Korea is expected to take advantage of playing in Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome and reach the second round. But an upset by Israel is a possibility, and chances of getting deep in the tournament seem smaller than in past WBCs. At least their route has them on the easier side of the 16-team bracket.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Cuba

TEAM CUBA

Pool B round-robin schedule in Tokyo, Japan

March 7 v Japan
March 7 v China
March 9 v Australia

Tournament history: 13-7. Team Cuba reached the 2006 championship game at Petco Park, but lost 10-6 to Japan. In 2009, Team Cuba didn’t advance beyond the second round, as they were shut out twice by Japan in games started by Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hisashi Iwakuma. In 2013, it was Team Netherlands who twice beat Team Cuba, keeping them from getting out of the second round once again.

Manager: Carlos Marti just guided Alazenes de Granma in the recent Caribbean World Series, and takes over the WBC squad from Victor Mesa.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Freddy Alvarez, Vladimir Banos, Lazaro Blanco, Noelvis Entenza, Jose Angel Garcia, Vladimir Garcia, Miguel Lahera, Leandro Martinez, Raidel Martinez, Livan Moinelo, Alain Sanchez, Yosvani Torres, Yoanni Yera

Catchers:

Yosvani Alarcon, Frank Morejon, Osvaldo Vazquez

Infielders:

Guillermo Aviles, Alexander Ayala, Carlos Benitez, Jeferson Delgado, Yurisbel Garcial, Yordan Manduley, William Saavedra

Outfielders:

Frederich Cepeda, Yoelkis Cespedes, Aldredo Despaigne, Victor Mesa, Roel Santos

Projected lineup

CF Roel Santos
SS Alexander Ayala
LF Alfredo Despaigne
DH Frederich Cepeda
1B William Saavedra
3B Yurisbel Garcial
2B Carlos Benitez
C Frank Morejon
RF Yoelkis Cespedes

The rundown: Aroldis Chapman, Yoenis Cesdepes, Jose Abreu, Yulieski Gurriel and Yasmany Tomas are part of the talent drain from this roster. In addition, pitcher Freddy Alvarez, a 2013 WBC team member, is out with an injury. The best of what’s left likely is Alfredo Despaigne, a former Cuban league MVP now playing in Japan. Team Cuba currently is touring Asia and playing against other WBC squads, and the results haven’t been great. They lost two games to South Korea, 6-1 and 7-6, and split two with Chinese Taipei (Taiwan).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Outfielder Despaigne, 29, arguably the best hitter on Cuba’s roster, has played in Japan since 2014 — the first three seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, and now for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Starting pitchers Vladimir Banos, 34, and Lazaro Blanco, 31, were part of the Alazanes de Granma team that represented Cuba in the recent Caribbean Series in Culiacan, Mexico, and will be in the WBC rotation.

Outfielder Yoelkis Cespedes is the 19-year-old half-brother of Yoenis. He started in right field for the Alezenes de Granma team that represented Cuba in the recent Caribbean Series.

Outfielder Frederich Cepeda, 36, is in his fourth WBC, and has played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan since 2014 after a long career in Cuba.

Outfielder Victor Mesa Jr., 20, is the son of the longtime Cuban star outfielder and manager.

Prediction: This is a Cuban team short on big-league-caliber talent, and there is a chance of a first-round exit, as Australia is capable of advancing out of the pool along with host Japan.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Japan

TEAM JAPAN

Pool B round-robin schedule at the Tokyo Dome

March 7 v Cuba
March 8 v Australia
March 10 v China

Tournament history: Japan is the most-successful team in WBC history, with championships in 2006 and 2009, a semifinals appearance in 2013 and an overall 17-7 record.

Manager: Hiroki Kokubo hit 413 home runs in a long career in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, and took over as manager of the national team in 2013.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Ryo Akiyoshi, Shintaro Fujinami, Yoshihisa Hirano, Ayumu Ishikawa, Kazuhisa Makita, Hirotoshi Masui, Yuki Matsui, Naoki Miyanishi, Takahiro Norimoto, Toshiya Okada, Kodai Senga, Tomoyuki Sugano, Shota Takeda,

Catchers:

Seiji Kobayashi, Shota Ohno, Motohiro Shima

Infielders:

Ryosuke Kikuchi, Nobuhiro Matsuda, Sho Nakata, Hayato Sakamoto, Kohsuke Tanaka, Tetsuto Yamada

Outfielders:

Shogo Akiyama, Nori Aoki, Ryosuke Hirata, Seiya Suzuki, Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh, Seiichi Uchikawa

The rundown: The only recognizable big-league name is Astros outfielder Nori Aoki, who is back for his third WBC. In addition, an ankle injury is preventing pitching/hitting phenom Shohei Ohtani from participating in this event. But other than Ichiro Suzuki, who already was an MLB superstar when he participated in the 2006 and 2009 WBCs, a handful of Japanese league stars including Daisuke Matsuzaka, Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Hisashi Iwakuma and Kenta Maeda emerged on the worldwide stage in the WBC. Expect that to occur again, as this edition of Team Japan has a handful of 20-something stars with gaudy NPB numbers.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Second baseman Tetsuto Yamada, 24, is the first player in Japan’s NPB to post two consecutive seasons of .300/30 homers/30 steals.

Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, 27, is 44-28 with a 2.34 ERA and 15 complete games in 100 starts over four seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.

First baseman/outfielder Sho Nakata, 27, has averaged 27 homers and 104 RBI over the last three seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Shortstop Hayato Sakamoto, 28, slashed .344/.433/.555 with 23 home runs and 75 RBI in 576 plate appearances in 2016 for the Yomiuri Giants.

Outfielder Seiya Suzuki, 22, slashed .335/.404/.612 with 29 homers, 95 RBI and 16 steals in 2016 for the Hiroshima Carp.

Right-hander Takahiro Norimoto, 26, has posted back-to-back seasons with a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts, averaging 195 innings and 215 strikeouts, for Rakuten.

Prediction: Besides having the strongest team in the two Asian pools, Team Japan will have homefield advantage (the Tokyo Dome) in both the first and second rounds. A fourth consecutive trip to the semifinals is expected, and a third title is a possibility. When it comes to Team Japan in the WBC, assume a deep run until proven otherwise.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Venezuela

TEAM VENEZUELA

Pool D round-robin schedule in Jalisco, Mexico

March 10 v Puerto Rico
March 11 v Italy
March 12 v Mexico

Tournament history: 10-7. Team Venezuela reached the second round in 2006, and went 6-1 on their way to the 2009 semifinals, but was beaten badly by South Korea, 10-2. In a disappointing 2013 showing, they went 1-2 and couldn’t get out of the first round, providing motivation to rebound in this event.

Manager: Omar Vizquel. You may have heard of him. He becomes Hall of Fame-eligible next year after accumulating 2,877 hits and winning 11 Gold Glove awards. He currently is on the Detroit Tigers’ coaching staff and will have four Tigers with him at the WBC, led by Miguel Cabrera.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Jose Alvarado, Jose Alvarez, Omar Bencomo, Silvino Bracho, Jose Castillo, Jhoulys Chacin, Jeanmar Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Felix Hernandez, Wilfredo Ledezma, Martin Perez, Yusmiero Petit, Francisco Rodriguez, Bruce Rondon.

Catchers:

Salvador Perez, Robinson Chirinos

Infielders:

Jose Altuve, Miguel Cabrera, Alcides Escobar, Yangervis Solarte, Martin Prado

Outfielders:

Hernan Perez, Carlos Gonzalez, Odubel Herrera, Ender Inciarte

Designated hitter: Victor Martinez

PROJECTED LINEUP

CF Odubel Herrera
2B Jose Altuve
RF Carlos Gonzalez
1B Miguel Cabrera
DH Victor Martinez
C Salvador Perez
3B Martin Prado
LF Ender Inciarte
SS Alcides Escobar

The rundown: How about that lineup? When Yangervis Solarte and Hernan Perez are on your projected bench, you’ve got a team that can score enough runs to win the tournament. Freddy Galvis was a late scratch due to a groin injury. The question will be starting pitching, and pitching depth in general. Felix Hernandez returns after not participating in the 2013 event. Rangers left-hander Martin Perez is the likely No. 2 starter. The bullpen has a handful of big-league arms, led by K-Rod, who will be the closer. Assuming they advance, Venezuela could add Eduardo Rodriguez, Hector Rondon and Franklin Morales to the pitching staff.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jeanmar Gomez saved 37 games for the Phillies last season, but faded late (8.33 ERA after the All-Star break), and isn’t a lock for the closer role, with Joaquin Benoit and Hector Neris also a part of the projected Phillies pen.

Lefty Jose Alvarez has posted ERAs of 3.49 and 3.45 in the last two seasons in the Angels bullpen, but saw his WHIP rise to 1.50 last season.

Jhoulys Chacin, projected to be part of the Padres rotation, has become the definition of a journeyman since spending his first six big-league seasons with the Rockies. He spent 2015 in the Diamondbacks organization, surfacing for five big-league games, then split 2016 between the Braves and Angels before landing with the Padres.

Former Giant Yusmiero Petit is projected to be a part of the Angels staff, likely as a long-reliever/spot starter.

Deolis Guerra spent much of last season in the Angels pen, posting a 3.21 ERA in 44 games, with a 36-7 K-BB ratio.

Silvino Bracho could be part of the Diamondbacks bullpen again, but will need a strong spring to do so after posting a 5.35 ERA in 39 games over 2015-16.

Prediction: Even in the deepest and most-balanced first-round pool that also includes Italy, Puerto Rico and host Mexico, it’s really hard to pick against Venezuela reaching the second round. And with enough solid starting pitching, this could be a final-four team.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Puerto Rico

TEAM PUERTO RICO

Pool D round-robin schedule in Jalisco, Mexico

March 10 v Venezuela
March 11 v Italy
March 12 v Mexico

Tournament history: 13-8. Team Puerto Rico reached the 2013 championship game in AT&T Park, but was limited to three hits in a 3-0 loss to the Dominican Republic. In both 2006 and 2009, Team Puerto Rico — playing as hosts in Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan — went unbeaten in the first round before going 1-2 and being eliminated in the second round.

Manager: Edwin Rodriguez is back for his second WBC after guiding Team Puerto Rico to the 2013 championship game. The former Miami Marlins skipper (2010-11) now manages in the Indians system.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Jose Berrios, Hiram Burgos, Alex Claudio, Joseph Colon, Edwin Diaz, Joe Jimenez, Jorge Lopez, Seth Lugo, Miguel Mejia, Emilio Pagan, Orlando Roman, J.C. Romero, Hector Santiago, Giovanni Soto

Catchers:

Yadier Molina, Roberto Perez, Rene Rivera

Infielders:

Mike Aviles, Javier Baez, Carlos Correa, Kiké Hernandez, Francisco Lindor, T.J. Rivera, Kennys Vargas

Outfielders:

Carlos Beltran, Reymond Fuentes, Angel Pagan, Eddie Rosario

Projected lineup:

SS Francisco Lindor
2B Javier Baez
3B Carlos Correa
DH Carlos Beltran
1B Kennys Vargas
C Yadier Molina
LF Kike Hernandez
CF Angel Pagan
RF Eddie Rosario

The rundown: Everybody wants to see the trio of young stars — Lindor, Baez and Correa — playing together on the same infield. They will join veterans Beltran, Molina and Pagan — all of whom were part of the 2013 WBC roster. But what’s missing here are frontline starting pitchers, as veteran Hector Santiago is the most proven, reliable arm. Rays prospect Jose De Leon and former big-leaguer Joel Piniero are later-round possibilities from the designated pitcher pool. Edwin Diaz, who struck out 88 in 57.1 IP, and logged 18 saves with the Mariners in 2016, will be the closer. If Team Puerto Rico is going to get deep into this tournament, young arms will have to emerge.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Left-hander Alex Claudio, 25, posted a 2.79 ERA in 51.2 IP out of the Rangers bullpen last season.

Right-hander Seth Lugo, 27, was surprisingly good in 64 IP with the Mets last season following some just-OK minor-league career numbers.

Right-hander Jose Berrios struggled badly (8.02 ERA, 1.87 WHIP) in 14 starts for the 2016 Twins, but at 22, still has plenty of time to develop.

Right-hander Joe Jimenez, 22, compiled 30 saves in three stops in the Tigers organization last season, and will make his MLB debut this season.

Right-hander Hiram Burgos, 29, surfaced for six starts with the 2013 Brewers, and remains in their organization.

Veteran lefty J.C. Romero, 40, last pitched in the majors in 2012.

Prediction: As exciting as the Lindor-Baez-Correa trio should be, this team seems a bit short on quality big-league pitching to pull off a repeat of its deep run in the 2013 tournament.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Israel

TEAM ISRAEL

Pool A round-robin schedule in Seoul, South Korea

March 6 v South Korea
March 7 v Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
March 8 v Netherlands

Tournament history: This is Team Israel’s first appearance in the 16-team main draw. They qualified in Brooklyn last September by beating Great Britain, 5-2, and then Barry Larkin’s Brazil squad, 1-0. They then defeated Great Britain again, 9-1. Right-handed pitcher Corey Baker threw five shutout innings to get the win in the 1-0 game, and veteran major-leaguer Jason Marquis threw four perfect innings in the 9-1 clincher.

Manager: Jerry Weinstein is in charge again after leading the 2016 qualifying squad. Weinstein, 73, has been in college or professional baseball since 1966 as a coach, manager, instructor and front-office member, and will manage the Rockies Double-A Hartford team this season — his 11th in that organization.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Dylan Axelrod, Corey Baker, Jeremy Bleich, Craig Breslow, Danny Burawa, Gabe Cramer, Tyler Herron, Jake Kalish, Alex Katz, Dean Kremer, Shlomo Lipetz, Jason Marquis, Troy Neiman, R.C. Orlan, Josh Zeid

Catchers:

Ryan Lavarnway, Nick Rickles

Infielders:

Scott Burcham, Ike Davis, Cody Decker, Nate Freiman, Ty Kelly, Tyler Krieger

Outfielders:

Zach Borenstein, Sam Fuld, Blake Gailen, Mike Meyers

Projected lineup:

RF Zach Borenstein
C Ryan Lavarnway
DH Nate Freiman
1B Ike Davis
3B Cody Decker
LF Sam Fuld
2B Ty Kelly
SS Scott Burcham
CF Mike Meyers

The rundown: Most of the roster has big-league organization ties, either presently or in the recent past. Longtime big-league backup outfielder Fuld and infielder Kelly, who surfaced for 58 at-bats with the Mets last season, are additions to the roster since the qualifying tournament. Fuld, 35, missed last season due to rotator cuff surgery.

Reds right-hander Scott Feldman is among the designated pitcher pool possibilities for the second round. So is lefty Richard Bleier, who posted a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings for the Yankees in 2016.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

First baseman Ike Davis is in the Dodgers’ camp this spring after getting only 14 at-bats with the Yankees in 2016 — his eighth big-league season.

Right-hander Dylan Axelrod posted a 9-15 record with a 5.27 ERA in 228.2 innings in parts of five big-league seasons, the last in 2015.

Lefty setup man Craig Breslow, 36, who pitched with the Marlins in 2016, has a 3.35 ERA in 12 big-league seasons.

Catcher Ryan Lavarnway, 29, hit .198 in 373 at bats with the Red Sox and Braves 2011-15, and caught last season in the Braves’ chain.

First baseman/DH Nate Freiman totaled 9 home runs and 39 RBI in 277 big-league at-bats with the A’s in 2013-14.

Right-hander Josh Zeid totaled 48 big-league relief appearances for the Astros and Red Sox in 2013-14, posting a 5.21 ERA, and pitched in the Mets chain in 2016.

Infielder Cody Decker has played eight minor-league seasons, and had a hitless 11-at-bat cup of coffee with the Padres in 2015.

Prediction: There is enough talent and experience here for Team Israel to win a game, and possibly even two, in arguably the weakest of the four first-round pools.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Colombia

TEAM COLOMBIA

Pool C round-robin schedule at Marlins Park in Miami

March 10 v USA
March 11 v Canada
March 12 v Dominican Republic

Tournament history: This is Colombia’s first appearance in the 16-team main draw, and it came as a bit of a surprise. They qualified last March by beating Spain, 9-2, and then host Panama twice — 6-3 and 2-1 — at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City.

Manager: Luis Urueta took over Team Colombia for the 2016 qualifier event after being a coach on the 2013 squad. He has been in the D-backs minor-league system since 2007, serving as a coach, manager and field coordinator.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Horacio Acosta, Nabil Crismatt, William Cuevas, Dayan Diaz, Ernesto Frieri, Tayron Guerrero, Ray Marimon, Guillermo Moscoso, Greg Nappo, Javier Ortiz, Yohan Pino, Jose Quintana, Julio Teheran, Karl Triana

Catchers:

Jorge Alfaro, Jhonatan Solano, Meibrys Viloria

Infielders:

Dilson Herrera, Mauricio Ramos, Reynaldo Rodriguez, Adrian Sanchez, Donovan Solano, Giovanny Urshela

Outfielders:

Efrain Contreras, Tito Polo, Jesus Valdez, Oscar Mercado

Projected lineup:

2B Dilson Herrera
SS Donovan Solano
C Jorge Alfaro
DH Jhonatan Solano
3B Giovanny Urshella
1B Reynaldo Rodriguez
CF Tito Polo
LF Jesus Valdez
RF Efrain Contreras

The rundown: Colombia’s slim hopes of advancing to the second round rest on Quintana and Teheran. But with first-round pitch limits, the big-league standout starters won’t be able to go past five innings or so, leaving Colombia vulnerable to the USA and Dominican lineups in the later innings. The roster is filled almost entirely by players with current or past big-league affiliations. The lineup has been upgraded significantly since the qualifier tournament, with the additions of the Solanos, Alfaro and Urshella.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Donovan Solano led the International League in hits in 2016 before a September call-up to the Yankees. He also spent three seasons as a utility infielder with the Marlins 2012-14.

Brother Jhonatan Solano has accumulated 103 at-bats in parts of three big-league seasons with the Nationals and Marlins.

Jorge Alfaro got 16 late-September at-bats with the Phillies, and figures to log more big-league time this season after starting at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Dilson Herrera’s eighth-inning homer was the deciding run in Colombia’s qualifier finale victory over Panama. He went from the Mets to the Reds last season in the Jay Bruce deal.

Karl Triana pitched six hitless innings in a qualifier win over Panama.

Giovanni Urshela hit .225 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 267 at-bats with the Indians in 2015, and spent all of last season at Triple-A Columbus.

Polo was one of two minor-leaguers the Yankees received from the Pirates last July 31 in the Ivan Nova deal. Polo hit a combined .289 with 16 home runs and 66 RBI in 447 at-bats at three Class-A levels in 2016.

Prediction: Quintana and Teheran…and pray for rain. It’s hard to envision Team Colombia advancing out of Pool C to the second round instead of either Team USA or Team Dominican Republic.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Dominican Republic

TEAM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Pool C round-robin schedule in Marlins Park

March 9 v Canada
March 11 v United States
March 12 v Colombia

Tournament history: 14-4. The 2013 team is the only one in tournament history to go through unbeaten, winning eight consecutive games on the way to the championship. That followed a disappointing 2009 tournament, when Team Dominican Republic was eliminated in the first round, losing two one-run games to Team Netherlands. In 2006, Team Dominican Republic went 5-1 on their way to the semifinals, then were beaten by Cuba, 3-1.

Manager: Tony Pena is back after leading the way to the 2013 title. Pena, the 2003 American League Manager of the Year with the Royals, has been on the Yankees coaching staff since 2006.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Dellin Betances, Santiago Casilla, Alex Colome, Johnny Cueto, Samuel Deduno, Jumbo Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Carlos Martinez, Hector Neris, Wily Peralta, Hansel Robles, Fernando Rodney, Enny Romero, Edinson Volquez

Catchers:

Welington Castillo, Alberto Rosario

Infielders:

Adrian Beltre, Robinson Cano, Manny Machado, Jose Reyes, Carlos Santana, Jean Segura, Jonathan Villar

Outfielders:

Jose Bautista, Nelson Cruz, Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco, Mel Rojas Jr.

Projected lineup

SS Jonathan Villar
3B Manny Machado
2B Robinson Cano
DH Nelson Cruz
RF Jose Bautista
1B Carlos Santana
CF Starlin Marte
LF Gregory Polanco
C Welington Castillo

The rundown: Even without Hanley Ramirez — and Adrian Beltre a 50/50 proposition to participate due to a strained left calf — this lineup is stacked. There are a handful of ways manager Tony Pena can go with his batting order, and all of them should be productive. Newly-added Jean Segura also figures to get at-bats and play shortstop.

And if Team D.R. has a lead by the sixth inning, good luck facing the gauntlet of Betances, Casilla, Rodney, Colome and Familia out of the bullpen. In fact, no fewer than eight relievers who earned MLB saves in 2016 are on this staff, as Hector Neris had two and Hansel Robles and Enny Romero earned one each. Carlos Martinez is the ace, as Johnny Cueto isn’t expected to pitch in the first round, and possibly not at all. That leaves Edinson Volquez and Wily Peralta as likely first-round starters. In the designated pitcher pool for later rounds are Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova and Luis Severino.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Outfielder Mel Rojas Jr., 26, the son of the former MLB reliever, hit .253 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI at two stops in the Braves organization in 2016. He played left field for the Dominican entry in the recent Caribbean Series.

Right-hander Samuel Deduno, 33, threw five shutout innings in the 2013 championship game win over Puerto Rico. He was 16-20 with a 4.38 ERA in 83 big-league games, last appearing with the 2015 Astros.

Alberto Rosario, 30, finally made it to the major leagues with the 2016 Cardinals after 11 years in the minors. The Dominican Winter League veteran will be the backup to Welington Castillo.

Prediction: Team Dominican Republic is almost certain to advance to the second round in San Diego. The loss of Hanley Ramirez — and possibly Adrian Beltre and Johnny Cueto — will lessen chances for a title repeat, but that certainly remains a possibility, as no roster is deeper or more balanced.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team USA

TEAM USA

Pool C round-robin schedule at Marlins Park

Friday, 6 pm ET v Colombia
Saturday, 6:30 pm ET v Dominican Republic
Sunday, 7 pm ET v Canada

Tournament history: 10-10. That .500 record speaks volumes about the disappointing string of Team USA finishes in a tournament many originally thought they would dominate. At least they’ve been consistently mediocre, going 3-3 in 2006 and 2013 — both times, being eliminated in the second round — and 4-4 in 2009, when they reached the semifinals and were beaten by Japan, 9-4.

Manager: Jim Leyland is the fourth Team USA skipper in four events, following Joe Torre, Davey Johnson and Buck Martinez.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Chris Archer, Tyler Clippard, Danny Duffy, Sam Dyson, Mychal Givens, Luke Gregerson, Nate Jones, Jake McGee, Andrew Miller, Pat Neshek, Tanner Roark, David Robertson, Marcus Stroman

Catchers:

Buster Posey, Jonathan Lucroy

Infielders:

Nolan Arenado, Alex Bregman, Josh Harrison, Brandon Crawford, Paul Goldschmidt, Eric Hosmer, Ian Kinsler, Daniel Murphy

Outfielders:

Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen, Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich

Projected lineup

RF Andrew McCutchen
2B Ian Kinsler
C Buster Posey
3B Nolan Arenado
1B Paul Goldschmidt
DH Giancarlo Stanton
CF Adam Jones
LF Christian Yelich
SS Brandon Crawford

The rundown: With Colombia and lefty Jose Quintana as Team USA’s first opponent, the above projected lineup is right-handed-dominant. But Leyland also will have the luxury of using left-handed bats Hosmer and Murphy against an almost all-right-handed Dominican Republic pitching staff, as well as Lucroy in a very strong catching platoon.

Archer will start the opener, Stroman will start another game, and Roark and Duffy also will log key innings in the first round. The later-round starting-pitcher options include J.A. Happ, Drew Smyly and Michael Fulmer, but no longer Sonny Gray. Miller is the key reliever, and Leyland’s quality bullpen options are plentiful. Still, one can’t help but think about what if? when it comes to Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant, Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner, Chris Sale and a handful of other superstar no-shows.

Prediction: This is arguably the deepest Team USA roster, while some of the other title contenders are missing key MLB presence they have had in past tournaments. And as usual, Team USA won’t have to leave the country — but will have to go from Miami to San Diego. So the stage is set for a second trip to the semifinals, where anything can happen. That said, getting past a second-round field in San Diego that likely will include the favored Dominican Republic, as well as Venezuela and Puerto Rico, won’t be easy.

2017 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC'S BEST 8

Which teams are near-locks to advance? We make some educated guesses.

Japan

Japan won the first two Classics in 2006 and 2009 and reached the semifinals in 2013, by far the best overall showing of any of the 18 teams to participate in the tournament thus far. That's not terribly surprising. Nippon Professional Baseball features the second-highest level of play in the world after the Major Leagues, and the Japanese roster is a veritable NPB All-Star team. Sadly, Japan will be without 22-year-old two-way phenom and 2016 Pacific League MVP Shohei Ohtani due to a right ankle injury. However, Japan's Classic roster does include two of the past three Central League MVPs in second baseman Tetsuto Yamada and right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano. Meanwhile, shortstop Hayato Sakamoto and outfield sluggers Seiya Suzuki and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo put up some eye-popping numbers in the Central League in 2016, and the pitching staff behind Sugano is deep, as one might expect given that top-flight pitching has been Japan's primary export to the Major Leagues.

Indeed, the two players from the last Japanese Classic team to make their way to the Major Leagues were that team's best pitchers, Kenta Maeda and Masahiro Tanaka. That 2013 team had no active Major Leaguers on its roster. This year's team has just one, new Astros left fielder Norichika Aoki, but he is almost an afterthought on a roster this deep and talented. Indeed, more compelling than Aoki's participation is speculation over which members of this year's Team Japan will don a Major League uniform in the next few years.

Cuba

The Classic's first round is split into four pools of four teams, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the second round. Of those four, Pool B is the most heavily stratified, with Japan and Cuba leaps and bounds better than their first-round rivals. Those other two teams, China and Australia, are two of the three teams, along with Canada, to participate in each of the first three Classics without ever advancing past the first round. Cuba, meanwhile, has never failed to make it out of the first round and made it all the way to the finals in 2006, where it lost to Japan.

The recent influx of Cuban stars to the Major Leagues has illustrated how well performance in Cuba's Serie Nacional translated, and despite those defections, the Cuban roster once again appears to be stacked. Catchers Yosvani Alarcon and Osvaldo Vazquez hit .371/.457/.645 and .294/.450/.539, respectively, in the most recent CNS season. Shortstop Yurisbel Gracial hit .326/.440/.562 with 25 steals in that 90-game season. First baseman William Saavedra hit .336/.426/.540. Despite those gaudy batting figures (Cuba's projected lineup includes just one batter who had an on-base percentage below .398 in the 2015-16 CNS season), the Cuban pitching staff is loaded with pitchers who had sub-3.00 ERAs that season, including four who had a sub-2.20 mark. Not included in that projected lineup is the 19-year-old half-brother of Yoenis Cespedes, Yoelkis Cespedes, a highly regarded talent who may one day decide to follow his older sibling to the United States.

Team USA

One of the criticisms of the Classic has been Team USA's consistently disappointing showing in the tournament. The U.S. reached the semifinals just once in the first three tournaments, and on that occasion, in 2009, lost 9-4 to Japan. Still, the U.S. has never failed to escape the first round and once again boasts one of the best rosters in the tournament.

What might undermine the U.S. once again, however, is the reluctance of the country's top pitchers to participate. Team USA's All-Star lineup boasts Paul Goldschmidt, Ian Kinsler, Brandon Crawford, Nolan Arenado, Buster Posey, Giancarlo Stanton, Andrew McCutchen, Daniel Murphy, Matt Carpenter, Christian Yelich and Jonathan Lucroy, but its starting rotation lacks comparable star power. That's not meant as a criticism of those pitchers who are participating, a group that includes Chris Archer, Andrew Miller, Danny Duffy and David Robertson, with Michael Fulmer among those available if necessary for Round 2. But the U.S. clearly isn't putting its best men on mound for this tournament.

Puerto Rico

Four teams have advanced to the second round in each of the first three Classics: Japan, Cuba, the United States and Puerto Rico. In the last tournament, in 2013, Puerto Rico beat Japan in the semis only to lose 3-0 to the Dominican Republic in the final. This year, Puerto Rico will be led by the thrilling young infield trio of Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez (playing third, short and second, respectively, one assumes), with veterans Yadier Molina behind the plate and Carlos Beltran in the heart of the lineup, and young Mariners fireballer Edwin Diaz in the bullpen. The rest of the Puerto Rican roster, however, would seem to fall short of the other top four teams listed here, particularly the starting rotation which is led by Twins lefty Hector Santiago and Mets rookie Seth Lugo.

Dominican Republic

The defending Classic champions lost Hanley Ramirez to a shoulder injury on Thursday, but their deep roster already had a quality replacement at first base: Cleveland's Carlos Santana. The D.R. should be among the top favorites again this year with a lineup that includes Robinson Cano, Manny Machado, Jose Bautista, Nelson Cruz, Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and possibly Adrian Beltre, depending on his recovery from a mid-February calf strain, a starting rotation led by Carlos Martinez and Edinson Volquez, and a bullpen that includes Dellin Betances (born in New York City to Dominican parents), Alex Colome and Jeurys Familia (whose domestic violence suspension isn't expected to be handed down until after the tournament).

Korea

Only three countries made the semifinals twice in the first three Classics: Japan, the Dominican Republic and South Korea. Korea lost a thrilling 10-inning final to Japan in the 2009 tournament, then shockingly failed to make it out of the first round in 2013. That last was the result of a tiebreaker. Korea, Chinese Taipei and The Netherlands all went 2-1 in first-round play that year, but Korea scored the fewest runs of the three and thus failed to advance. That was a particularly odd result given that run production is typically Korea's strength. Indeed, of the nine Korean-born players to appear in the Major Leagues last year, seven were hitters, including veteran slugger Dae-ho Lee, who will once again play for Team Korea in this Classic.

With Lee having returned to the Korea Baseball Organization, however, the only active Major Leaguer on Korea's roster is Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh. Still, Korea has significant firepower in first baseman Tae Kyun Kim, who hit .359/.471/.544 for the KBO's Hanwha Eagles last year, third baseman Sok-min Park, who hit .305/.395/.559 with 28 home runs for the NC Dinos, catcher Euiji (sometimes anglicized as "Ui-ji") Yang, who hit .306/.393/.550 for the Doosan Bears and outfielder Ah-seop Son, who hit .322/.420/.475 with 40 stolen bases for Lee's Lotte Giants.

Venezuela

Venezuela lost to Korea in the 2009 semifinals, but failed to get out of the first round due to a tough pool assignment in 2013. This year, however, Venezuela has a clearer path to Round 2, as it finds itself in Pool D with Puerto Rico, Mexico and Italy.

Mexico made it to the second round in each of the first two Classics thanks to an easy pool in 2006. In 2013, however, it failed to take advantage of another seemingly easy draw, losing to both Canada and Italy, the latter of which advanced only to go winless in the second round.

Venezuela should advance easily this year, and could even return to the semis with a team led by Miguel Cabrera, Jose Altuve, Carlos Gonzalez, Salvador Perez, Ender Inciarte, Odubel Herrera, Martin Prado, Victor Martinez, Felix Hernandez and Francisco Rodriguez.

Netherlands

Drawing heavily on its Caribbean constituent countries, the Netherlands has emerged as a surprise team in the past two Classics, beating the Dominican Republic twice in pool play to advance to the second round in 2009 and beating Cuba twice in Round 2 in 2013 to make it all the way to the semifinals, where the D.R. got its revenge. The heart of this year's Dutch team is its young Caribbean infielders: Aruba's Xander Bogaerts and Curaçao's Andrelton Simmons, Didi Gregorius (born in the Netherlands to professional baseball and softball players), Jonathan Schoop (whose older brother Sharlon is also on the Netherlands' roster) and Jurickson Profar. Among the other Curaçaoans on the roster is Nippon Professional Baseball slugger, and former Major Leaguer, Wladimir Balentien, who set the NPB single-season home run record with 60 dingers in 2013.

The Dutch roster is a fascinating combination of accomplished Major Leaguers, Japanese leaguers (including former Major Leaguer Rick van den Hurk, who posted a 6.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13 starts for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks last year), Minor Leaguers (Sharlon Schoop, catcher Shawn Zarraga, a non-roster invitee in Reds camp this spring, and righty J.C. Sulbaran, among others), independent leaguers (former Cardinals farmhand Curt Smith hit .331/.403/.548 for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association last year), Dutch Major Leaguers from the wonderfully named Honkbal Hoofdklasse (which translates to Major League Baseball) such as pitchers Lars Huijer and Orlando Yntema, and curiosities such as 42-year-old Dutch pitching legend Rob Cordemans, and 7-foot-1 reliever and occasional Twins Minor Leaguer Loek Van Mil. Manager Hensley Meulens, another Curaçaoan, took a similarly constructed Dutch team to the semifinals in 2013, but he'll have to get past Pool B powerhouses Japan and Cuba in the second round to return there this year.

Everything you need to know about the World Baseball Classic

The week in baseball is a true Classic.

It begins with elite teams from all over the globe working out and playing each other in first-round pool play of the 2017 World Baseball Classic in sites in four different countries.

Early Monday morning, we've got Israel and Korea duking it out in the first round in Pool A from Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, and that game -- along with all other WBC '17 games and many of the pre-tournament exhibitions -- can be watched live on MLB Network and MLB.TV.

"I think the Classic is great for baseball," said Astros outfielder Carlos Beltran, who has played for his native Puerto Rico in the first three tournaments and will be one of 20 players to play in all four Classics so far.

"As a player, you play for your country, and no one wants to lose. So every player that has the opportunity to play in a [meaningful] game, we're always going to give what we have."

Seven days from now, the brilliant and intense quadrennial competition will be narrowed down from 16 to eight teams and two locales, as two teams will emerge from each of the four first round pools (more on that below).

Here is everything you need to know about the international baseball extravaganza that will touch all corners of the globe this week:

POOL A (Seoul, Korea): Chinese Taipei, Israel, Korea, the Netherlands

World Baseball Classic action begins Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. ET with the first game, Israel vs. Korea. This will start the round robin, as each team will play the other three in its pool, with the two best records advancing to the next round of pool play.

The other two teams in Pool A are Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands, which features big leaguers Xander Bogaerts, Andrelton Simmons and Didi Gregorius. Chinese Taipei plays its first game against Israel on Monday at 10 p.m. ET, while the Dutch take on the host nation on Tuesday at 4:30 a.m. ET.

Korea, which lost to Japan in the final of the 2009 Classic, is a favorite to advance out of this pool, and if two advancing teams have not emerged by the end of round-robin play, a tiebreaker game will be held Friday at 4 a.m. ET.

Pool B (Tokyo, Japan): Australia, China, Cuba, Japan

It figures to be a raucous Tokyo Dome, with powerhouses Japan and Cuba, plus underdogs Australia and China ready to resume their international rivalries.

Official Pool B games begin Tuesday with a much-anticipated opener between Cuba and Japan at 5 a.m. ET, a rematch of the finals of the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, which Japan won. Cuba's roster is highlighted by MLB prospects such as Victor Victor Mesa and Yoelkis Cespedes, the half-brother of Yoenis Cespedes. Japan, winners of the first two Classics, will again prove tough even in the absence of wunderkind Shohei Ohtani, who is sidelined with a right ankle injury. In Ohtani's absence, Nippon Professional Baseball stars Tomoyuki Sugano and Shintaro Fujinami front Japan's rotation.

China plays its first game againt Cuba begin at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday and that is followed by Japan and Australia playing at 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Pool C (Miami): Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, USA

This foursome, which will play official Classic games at Marlins Park in Miami, might be the most loaded pool in the whole tournament, with Team USA and the defending champion Dominican Republic headlining and upset-ready Canada and Colombia filling out the bill.

Team Dominicana (at Pirates camp in Bradenton) and the Canadian contingent (at Blue Jays camp, naturally) will work out on Monday, and fans can see the stacked Dominican team that includes MLB heavyweights Adrian Beltre, Robinson Cano, Manny Machado, Jean Segura, Jose Bautista, Starling Marte, Nelson Cruz and more.

"It means a lot," Mariners shortstop Segura said. "Not just to me, but my family and my country, too, the people that love watching us play baseball. It's an honor to be a Dominican boy representing my country in the World Baseball Classic. It's going to be awesome."

The U.S. team, with Nolan Arenado, Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, Buster Posey and many other All-Stars, will hit the field for its first workout on Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla., at Red Sox camp alongside Colombia (Twins camp). Julio Teheran and Jose Quintana front Colombia's formidable rotation.

The early part of the week near South Beach will be dominated by more workouts and exhibition games against Grapefruit League opponents, starting with the Dominican Republic against the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla., on Tuesday with the Canadians playing the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., on that day as well. That Canada-Toronto game can be seen on MLB.TV.

Colombia (against the Rays in Port Charlotte) and the U.S. (Red Sox in Fort Myers) will start their exhibition slates on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. ET and 7:05 p.m. ET respectively. The U.S. will play another exhibition on Wednesday against the Twins at 7:05 p.m. that is available on MLB.TV.

On Thursday, Colombia will play the Twins at 1:05 p.m. ET in Fort Myers, the same time Team USA will finish up its exhibition schedule against the Red Sox, also in Fort Myers.

Classic play begins Thursday at Marlins Park with Canada -- which features big leaguers Freddie Freeman and Justin Morneau, plus retired veterans Ryan Dempster and Eric Gagne -- against the Dominican Republic (6 p.m. ET), and on Friday, the U.S. team makes its WBC 2017 debut against Colombia at 6 p.m. ET. Saturday's slate features the most anticipated game of the first round, Team USA vs. the Dominican Republic, set for 6:30 p.m. ET.

Team USA did not win any of the first three Classic tournaments, while the Dominican broke through with its first title in 2013 after going 8-0. It's not surprising, then, that the Americans want to win. Rangers closer Sam Dyson, for example, is competing for the U.S. despite a sprained wrist, and he didn't hesitate to explain why.

"You're playing for people that have fought for you in the military," Dyson said. "You're playing for your family, you're playing for pretty much everyone that lives here as a part of the U.S."

Pool D (Jalisco, Mexico): Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

The last four teams will begin the week in Arizona working out and playing exhibition games against Cactus League teams before heading down to Mexico, where they'll compete at Estadio Jarros de Jalisco.

On Tuesday, Team Italy will play the Cubs in Mesa, Ariz., at 3:05 p.m. ET and Mexico will play the Padres in Peoria, Ariz., at 3:10 p.m. ET (on MLB.TV). Wednesday's slate of exhibitions features Mexico against the D-backs at 3:10 p.m. ET at Salt River Fields and also on MLB.TV.

Cactus League exhibitions for Classic teams will conclude Thursday, highlighted by Venezuela against the Rangers in Surprise, Ariz., at 3:05 p.m. ET, also via MLB.TV.

Team Mexico, with big leaguers Adrian Gonzalez, Khris Davis, Marco Estrada and Julio Urias among the big names on the roster, will have home-field advantage, but Venezuela (Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Jose Altuve, Carlos Gonzalez, Felix Hernandez and more) and Puerto Rico (Francisco Lindor, Beltran, Yadier Molina, Javier Baez) won't make it easy. There's also Team Italy, with big leaguers Chris Colabello, Francisco Cervelli and Drew Butera to potentially make things interesting.

The first Classic competition of Pool D will take place on Thursday evening, with Mexico taking on Italy at 9 p.m. ET, and Venezuela and Puerto Rico will begin their Classic schedule at 9 p.m. ET on Friday.

The weekend will be wall-to-wall action, with twinbills on Saturday (Venezuela vs. Italy at 3 p.m. ET, Puerto Rico vs. Mexico at 9:30 p.m. ET) and Sunday (Italy vs. Puerto Rico at 3:30 p.m. ET, Mexico vs. Venezuela at 10 p.m. ET) to possibly determine which two teams will move on.

Second-round emotion: A fast-paced week will pick up even more steam in Tokyo, when the four teams that advanced from the Asian-based first-round pools (Pool A in Korea and Pool B in Tokyo) will begin second-round play. The Pool A winner will play the Pool B runner-up Sunday at noon local time (10 p.m. ET Saturday) and the Pool B winner playing the Pool A second-place finisher Sunday at 7 p.m. Tokyo time (6 a.m. ET Sunday). There will be workouts on Friday and Saturday in Tokyo preceding the Sunday doubleheader depending on the results of the previous round.

The World Baseball Classic runs from Monday through March 22. In the U.S., games will air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN will provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. will have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament will be distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium.

Dawn deal: World Baseball Classic has begun!

Israel beats host Korea in extras to open WBC '17
Bases-loaded walk in 2nd, RBI infield single in 10th lead to victory

SEOUL, South Korea -- The 2017 World Baseball Classic began in dramatic fashion on Monday, with Israel beating Pool A host Korea, 2-1, in 10 innings in the tournament's opening game.

With MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in attendance at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Israel finally broke through in the top of the 10th. With runners on first and third and two outs, Scott Burcham stepped in against Korea's Chang-Yong Lim and slapped a two-strike grounder up the middle. Korean second baseman Geonchang Seo made a sliding stop to keep the ball in the infield but had no play on any of the runners, allowing the go-ahead run to score.

Josh Zeid closed out the game for Israel, including striking out Korea slugger Dae-Ho Lee -- who hit 14 homers for the Mariners last season -- to end the game.

Right-hander Jason Marquis started for Team Israel -- which was playing its first Classic game -- and pitched three scoreless innings. The 15-year Major League veteran allowed two hits and struck out three before leaving with Israel holding a 1-0 lead.

Korea's starter, left-hander Won-Jun Chang, kept Israel's bats mostly in check over four innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out five, thanks mainly to an effective slider. But some control issues in the second inning led to an Israel run -- Chang walked three in the frame, including Tyler Krieger with the bases loaded.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Oh dominates: Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh, Team Korea's only Major League player, came in in a critical situation and overmatched the Israeli hitters. With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning, and the game still tied at 1, Korean manager In-Sik Kim called on Oh, who rang up Burcham to end the inning. Oh remained in the game for the ninth and pitched a scoreless frame, including two more strikeouts. The 34-year-old has now pitched in all four World Baseball Classics.

Missed opportunities: Israel loaded the bases three times in the game, but came away with only one run, on Krieger's walk in the second. With two opportunities to break open a tie game late, the Israelis came up empty. In the seventh inning, they loaded the bases with two outs against Hyun-Seung Lee. Blake Gailen worked a 3-0 count, and after taking a strike, thought he had drawn a go-ahead walk as Lee's offering came in on the low border of the strike zone. But the pitch was called a strike, and on 3-2, Gailen lined out to end Team Israel's threat.

An inning later, Israel left the bases loaded again. With one out, Changmin Lim induced a check-swing grounder from Krieger on a full count, and Korea got the force at home. Then Korea brought in Oh, who kept the game tied.

Seo ties the game: Seo came through for the home team in the fifth inning with a game-tying base knock. Facing a lefty-lefty matchup against Jeremy Bleich with one out and runners on first and second, Seo jumped on the first pitch he saw and sliced a clean shot through the left side. The single scored Kyoung-Min Hur for the Pool A hosts' first run of the tournament.