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The World Baseball Classic is an opportunity for MLB players to represent their country on the baseball field. The tournament takes place every three to four years and games are played during Spring Training when MLB teams are typically trying to get their players prepared for the 162-game season. There has been some debate about whether the WBC games should be played in lieu of that season’s All-Star game to provide the athletes who are taking part more time to ramp up and prepare for the rigors of a global competition.
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The WBC players often talk about how being selected to play for their country is an honor and for the fans of the players it is fun to see them competing on their respective teams. However, at the end of the tournament, the players all return to their MLB clubs and the missed opportunities to work with teammates and coaches can prove to be problematic. At least that seemed to be the case for the San Diego Padres in years past.
The last WBC was held in 2023 and that was supposed to be the year the Padres were going to coast into the playoffs, blow through the postseason and claim the first World Series Championship in franchise history for San Diego. That proved not to be the case, in fact the Padres struggled to win just 83 games and missed the playoffs completely. The team never seemed to come together under then manager Bob Melvin despite having Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Juan Soto on the roster and in the same lineup.
The concern about Padres players competing in the WBC is not just about how they will mesh with their teammates and makeup for lost time building camaraderie, there are also the overwhelming health concerns. Playing baseball is going to come with a risk of injury but when you have this kind of competition and players pushing themselves to perform at a high level earlier than they normally do, it increases the injury potential. The New York Mets lost their closer, Edwin Diaz, for the 2023 season when he was injured celebrating a win during a WBC contest. He was not doing anything that was inherently hazardous to his health, but he was injured all the same.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the WBC and I will watch the games because its real baseball being played by some of the best athletes in the sport. I will do so nervously if Machado, Tatis Jr., Bogaerts, Mason Miller or any of the other Padres competing for their respective countries has a misstep, an extra circular motion of their arm or a slight wince following a swing.
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It is with this information and these concerns in mind that Gaslamp Ball poses this question for this week’s Padres Reacts Survey. How do you feel about Padres players competing in the WBC? Results of the poll will be posted later in the week.