The crack of the bat fills the stadium as the players are warming up before the game starts.
People are arriving at the stadium to watch the World Baseball Classic, where the smell of hot dogs fills the air. This is the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
The WBC is an international tournament featuring the best baseball players around the world. The WBC is officially starting March 5, and you can watch it on Fox Sports, Tubi and fuboTV.
The event is organized by Major League Baseball (MLB) and by the MLB Players Association. The WBC is often described as the Olympics for baseball. However, a controversy is that some people think they should not risk injury to play in the WBC.
“No, I don’t think they should risk injury because they are on contract and they have more of a regular season to work for,” Atticus Joy (9) said.
But some people believe the players should risk injury so they can represent their country and play the sport they have dedicated their lives to.
“I think they should risk playing in the WBC because it’s for their country and it is just like the Olympics,” Kai Anderson (11) said.
There is a lot of great talent in this tournament, but at the end of the day, there can only be one MVP (most valuable player). There are a total of 78 MLB All-Stars participating in the WBC, including the two reigning MVPs. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees will be representing the USA, and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers will be representing Japan.
In total, six former MLB MVPs are playing in the WBC, including Ronald Acuña Jr. (Venezuela), Bryce Harper (USA), Paul Goldschmidt (USA), and Clayton Kershaw (USA). Students share mixed opinions on who they believe will win the MVP.
“I think Ronald Acuña Jr. is going to be the MVP because Venezuela’s going to win and he will be the best player on the team,” Anderson (11) said.
Some people have multiple opinions on who the MVP would be for this kind of tournament, with all the teams coming for one huge tournament.
“I think it’s split between Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. The captain of whatever team wins will probably win the MVP,” Braden McDowell (10) said.
Fans are also excited to get to see their favorite player participate in the WBC. With over 140 active MLB players in the tournament, there will be a lot of excitement throughout the tournament.
