World Baseball Classic Full Team Power Rankings

The Cinderella team of the 2017 tournament might be generously ranked 14, but they’ve got more talent this time around. Joc Pederson has come aboard to lead this lineup that contains some veterans and a few very talented MLB prospects. Veterans Danny Valencia, Alex Dickerson, and Garrett Stubbs will all bring experience with them. This lineup will feature two top-10 prospects at their respective positions, Matt Mervis and Zach Gelof. The pitching staff is led by Dean Kremer and some high-upside prospects while the bullpen features a trio of MLB relievers. They’ll hope to repeat their 2017 performance but may struggle in their loaded group.

The Italian team is on the rise in world competitions and will look to make it past the group stage for the second time. The offense will be better than in the past as rising star Vinnie Pasquantino will hit the heart of the order. He’s joined by his teammate Nicky Lopez and utilityman David Fletcher. They’ve got highly-regarded prospect Sal Frelick in the outfield too. The pitching staff is thin but Matt Harvey brings plenty of experience and Andre Pallante is a quality young arm. Italy has the best chance to advance amongst these bottom-tier teams given their talent and easier group.

This team is missing the infamous Australian, Liam Hendriks, as he battles non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This group is ready to play for Liam and put their best effort forward this year. They’ve got a pair of former MLB players Warwick Saupold and Aaron Whitefield. They both have experience at this level and will lead the way. Prospect Robbie Glendinning is a name to watch as he’s flashed serious power in the minor leagues. They have competed in every WBC, but haven’t made it past the first round. They’re unlikely to do so in a group with Japan and Korea, but we’ve seen crazier things happen.

The highest-ranked team making their first appearance in the WBC will be Nicaragua. They put it together in qualifiers to make their tournament. The offense is fairly lackluster as Cheslor Cuthbert is the most experienced hitter in the lineup. They’ve got a few young minor-league prospects with a chance to make a name for themselves. The pitching is their strength as MLB relievers Jonathan Loáisiga and Erasmo Ramírez will give them a quality bullpen. Prospect Carlos Rodriguez figures to be a primary starter. Making it to the tournament is a big accomplishment for this team and they’ll look to gain valuable experience.

Another first-time team in the WBC, Great Britain looks to start their world baseball era on a good note. They feature minimal MLB talent, but they showed out in qualifiers and will look to continue that. Trayce Thompson is the only established MLB hitter and should lead the lineup. Catcher Harry Ford is a top-100 prospect in baseball and will be an important bat for the British squad as he nears the MLB level in the coming years. Former MLB pitcher Vance Worley is likely to lead the rotation while Ian Gibaut is a current MLB reliever that is likely to close games. This team has a very small chance of advancing but will surely enjoy their first WBC.

The last of the three consecutively ranked first-time competitors in this event is the Czech Republic. This team has been receiving plenty of love on social media due to many the majority of their roster having full-time non-baseball jobs in the Czech. But they’re here to play baseball and give it their best. Eric Sogard is the only MLB-experienced player and will play a pivotal role while the number one prospect in Europe, Michal Kovala, will be another star. Catcher Martin Cervenka nearly made the MLB but returned to the Czech Republic after ample time in Triple-A. This team is one of the best stories and will look to make their first WBC a memorable one.