World Baseball Classic: Pool A Preview

The 2013 World Baseball Classic kicks off this weekend, as play begins in Pool A and Pool B.  Pool A features two of the top three ranked teams in the world according to the International Baseball Federation, as Cuba enters the WBC ranked as the #1 team in the world and Japan enters at #3.

The schedule for Pool A is as follows:

Saturday March 2, 4:00 am CT - Japan at Brazil
Saturday, March 2, 9:30 pm CT - Cuba at Brazil
Sunday, March 3 - 4:00 am CT - China at Japan
Monday, March 4 - 1:30 am CT - China at Cuba
Tuesday, March 5 - 2:00 am CT - Brazil at China
Wednesday, March 6 - 4:00 am CT - Japan at Cuba

All games will be shown on television in the United States on the MLB Network.

All games in Pool A will be played at the Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome in Fukuoka, Japan.  The format is simple, each team will play the three other teams in the pool.  The two teams with the best record will advance to the second round, where they will face the two top teams in Pool B.

Here is a brief look at each of the four teams in Pool A.


BRAZIL

P Andre Rienzo

The Brazilian team is making their first World Baseball Classic appearance after upsetting Panama in the qualifiers back in 2012.

Brazil is managed by Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin and enters the tournament ranked as the #20 team in the world according to the IBAF.

Expectations for the Brazilian team pretty low, but with a couple of strong pitchers, this team could sneak out a win against China during pool play.

Andre Rienzo, who is rated as the 7th best prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization, is the team's best pitcher.  Rienzo went 7-3 with a 2.53 ERA during his 2012 minor league season.  Rienzo will be joined by Rafael Fernandes, who won the deciding game against Panama in the qualifying tournament.  Fernandes, who pitches professionally in Japan, has gone 8-8 with a 3.79 ERA in 135 1/3 innings pitched since the 2009 season.

CHINA

3B Ray Chang

China has struggled during the last two World Baseball Classics, hitting just .185 as a team during the 2006 tournament and hitting just .190 during the 2009 tournament.

During that 2009 tournament, China was shutout twice (Japan and Korea), but was able to knock off Chinese Taipei, 4-1.  In that game, third baseman Ray Chang had solo home run and accounted for two RBI.

Chang, who is a member of the Minnesota Twins organization, is expected to be the lone bright spot on a relatively weak Chinese team.  Pitching has been the problem for China, with a team ERA of 9.72 in 2006, and a lower 6.65 team ERA in 2009.


CUBA

1B Jose Abreu

It's always fun to watch the Cuban national team play, no matter what the stage.  And with this team being ranked as the best in the world, the World Baseball Classic could be their chance to really shine.

If you like teams with offensive firepower, you need to make sure and check out Jose Abreu, who is being touted as the best hitter on the planet.  Abreu hit 33 home runs and knocked in 93 runs during 2012, in just 212 at-bats.

But it doesn't stop there, as Alfredo Despaigne hit .326 with 36 homers and 105 RBI during the 2012 Cuban League to win the MVP award.  As always, Cuba will be well disciplined and have solid pitching.  And just like the last two tournaments, one or two of these guys will earn themselves millions of dollars, as major league teams will be trying to steal them away.

JAPAN

C Shinnosuke Abe

When you talk about the World Baseball Classic, the conversation has to begin and end with the Japanese team.  They are the only winners in the history of this tournament, taking home the crown in 2006 and 2009.

Japan won the 2006 tournament in part thanks to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who won the MVP award, and Ichiro Suzuki.  In 2009, it was Yu Darvish's time to shine for Japan as they were able to repeat.

But in 2013, they will not have the services of any players who play in Major League Baseball.  That does not mean however, that the cupboard is bare.

Shinnosuke Abe, who is the catcher for the Japanese team, is a hitting machine, as he hit .340 with 27 home runs and 104 RBI during the 2012 Japanese League season.  He hit a career high 44 homers back in the 2010 season.

Japan may not have Daisuke or Darvish, but they do have Masahiro Tanaka on the mound.  Tanaka was 10-4 with a 1.87 ERA last season with 169 strikeouts in 173 innings pitched.  Tanaka can reach the mid to high 90's with his fastball.

Predictions

I believe it goes without saying who the favorites are to win Pool A, and for good reason.  The match-up early next Wednesday morning between Japan and Cuba is definitely one to watch.  China will not be able to match the weapons Japan or Cuba has, and their lone shot to win a game will be against Brazil next Tuesday morning.  Brazil is the unknown in this pool, making their first appearance in the tournament.  Chances are they will struggle against Japan and Cuba, but they are more than capable of knocking off China.

Here is how I see the standings looking when pool play has ended:

Cuba (3-0)

Japan (2-1)

Brazil (1-2)

China (0-3)