Matt Johnson
The World Baseball Classic draws to a close tonight in Miami, Florida, with the championship game between the United States and Venezuela. Both clubs have already taken down WBC heavyweights to get here, so this should be a fantastic title bout for baseball’s world crown.
Let’s dive into our predictions for the World Baseball Classic Championship Game.
Ronald Acuña Jr. Hits a Leadoff Home Run
In front of a sold-out crowd in a raucous environment at loanDepot park, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is going to kick off the World Baseball Classic Championship with a bang. He’s hit 34 leadoff home runs in his MLB career thus far, and he’ll carry that over into the WBC, taking Nolan McLean deep to give Venezuela a lead right from the start. It will also send the stadium into pandemonium, making it feel even more like a home game for Venezuela.
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Kyle Schwarber Answers with 1st Inning HR
It won’t take long for the United States to answer the opening salvo by Venezuela. After Bobby Witt Jr. gets a leadoff hit in the bottom of the 1st inning, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber will step to the plate and flip the game’s script quickly. Facing off against Eduardo Rodriguez, Schwarber will drill a hanger from Rodriguez deep into the bleachers to give Team USA a 2-1 lead heading into the second inning.
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Roman Anthony Hits HR in Back-to-Back Games
Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony was a late addition to the Team USA roster, stepping in after the Corbin Carroll injury. He proved instrumental in the win over the Dominican Republic, and he enters Tuesday night with a .318 batting average, 1.014 OPS, and two home runs in the World Baseball Classic. The 21-year-old will only add to his early legacy against Venezuela. Anthony will go deep for the second consecutive game as part of a two-hit effort with multiple RBI. This will be the night that helps propel Anthony into becoming a superstar, and it’ll help him earn his first All-Star Game appearance this summer.
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Maikel Garcia Collects 2 Hits, Steals a Base
Maikel Garcia is rightfully already a fan favorite among supporters of the Kansas City Royals, even more so coming off a breakout season where he earned an All-Star selection and won the Gold Glove Award at third base. He’s made an even bigger name for himself in the World Baseball Classic, coming into tonight leading all players in hits (10) with the second-most stolen bases (three). Garcia’s incredible run continues in the championship, delivering two hits and stealing a base early in the game. He’ll finish with an RBI and two runs scored, proving to be one of the best performers during this entire tournament.
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USA Wins the World Baseball Classic Championship
We’re expecting a high-scoring World Baseball Classic Championship, with both starting pitchers knocked around early and pulled from the game. It’ll set up plenty of fireworks, with each club hitting a pair of home runs in a back-and-forth game. Ultimately, the depth of the Team USA lineup and the willingness of closer Mason Miller to pitch will be the difference-makers. Miller closes it out, with the United States winning the WBC for the first time since 2017.
- Prediction: United States 8, Venezuela 6
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