World Baseball Classic has its flaws and concerns, but it also has its fun and high drama

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — It’s been three years, but if you love baseball, chances are you remember what could only be described as the perfect sports moment.

It was the once greatest baseball player on Earth facing the current greatest baseball player on Earth with everything on the line. It was an international stage, a championship game, and an exquisite pitch — cinema so enthralling, it should have been scored by Hans Zimmer.

Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout for the final out in the World Baseball Classic, giving Japan its third title in five tries.

Zoom out, and it painted a broader picture. Trout, a first-ballot Hall of Famer whose career is pockmarked by injury and the Angels’ stubborn inability to make the most of his talent, was beginning his decline. Ohtani, who would refuse to languish in Angels purgatory for the rest of his career, jumped ship for the juggernaut Dodgers in 2024.

But it was also this: These two chose to be there despite arguments that they ought not to have been. There was every reason for Trout, who missed almost all of 2021 and a huge chunk of 2022, to decline the invitation to play for Team USA. Ohtani was entering a walk year and was set to command what would for a time be the biggest contract in baseball history.

The WBC is set to return to center stage this week, with exhibition games beginning Tuesday and pool play starting on Thursday, and with that comes many strong opinions about the tournament. But while fans are right to be cautious, they shouldn’t let that sap their enjoyment of one of baseball’s greatest events.

Players are uniquely motivated to represent their home countries, with Mets manager Carlos Mendoza on Sunday noting that when he was a bench coach for Venezuela in 2023, Jose Altuve told him the tournament was more exciting than the Astros-Yankees rivalry. Francisco Lindor, meanwhile, was distraught when he found out he couldn’t play for Team Puerto Rico this year.

It’s not just about growing the game. Baseball is a business and so much of team identity is transactional. Homegrown talents can be discarded, relievers can be used to the point of near abuse, and one phone call can uproot an entire family. Representing your culture, on the other hand, creates a sense of true belonging. Fans of those teams aren’t rooting for laundry, they’re rooting for the kid who might have grown up in their neighborhood, or who likes the same foods, or speaks the same language.

And come on, if you’re Team USA, aren’t you a little annoyed that that you keep getting trounced by Japan in what is ostensibly “America’s pastime”? (For those keeping score, the land of baseball and apple pie has only won the tournament once, in 2017.)

Still, MLB fans have justifiable reason for skittishness.

The Mets have 18 players participating in the WBC, tied with the Mariners for most in baseball, and eight on their 40-man roster. Juan Soto will represent the Dominican Republic, while Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes will suit up for Team USA.

There’s also the fact that the Mets’ 2023 season was basically doomed by Edwin Diaz tearing his right patellar tendon while celebrating a Team Puerto Rico victory. (To quote a Mets team executive at the time: “We knew we were [expletive].”)

The Yankees, meanwhile, have 13 players going to the WBC, including Aaron Judge, who is the captain of Team USA. Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are also on Team USA, while Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are playing for Japan. The star power is immense, and so is the potential for injury — particularly for pitchers, many of whom have had to modify their ramp-ups to be ready for competitive baseball.

And the truth is, while MLB might think that March is the only window to have this tournament, it really creates a series of risks that could be mitigated by better timing. November is too cold and players are too tired. The best option would probably be to have it replace the All-Star Game, much like the NHL did with the 4-Nations Face-Off, but that would require a lot of cajoling.

There’s no perfect solution, but the WBC can at least provide some perfect moments. So starting March 5, try to put your worries aside and enjoy the ride.