Japan vs. USA Prediction, Pick: Will Team USA Win the World Baseball Classic?

Japan vs. USA Prediction, Pick: Will Team USA Win the World Baseball Classic?

Well, this is it, the big game is tonight, and although I do believe these are undisputedly the two best teams in the world, and baseball is a sport in which anything at all can happen in a particular game, there is a stronger side here, and that is the one we have to ride with.

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Japan vs. USA Prediction

Professional baseball in Japan is legit, and there is a reason that some of the best prospects and players in baseball have been plucked from Japan to play in the MLB. Still, that alone tells you an indisputable fact: the best baseball in the world is played in the United States. Around 30% of the players in the MLB come from countries outside of the United States, but those are the cream of the crop, hand-picked best players from those countries for the most part; the other 70% are homegrown ballplayers from the United States.

I am not knocking professional baseball in Japan. They produce some big-time prospects that come overseas to play in the U.S. and have plenty of talent of their own; the guy who started the last game, Rōki Sasaki, was averaging 100mph on his fastball and he was a starting pitcher. That is absurd. The team can hit and has plenty of great arms, it's like I said, any team can win a singular game in this sport, and these guys are by no look a big-time underdog here. I am not going to say much more. I am not an expert on Japanese baseball.

What I am quite knowledgeable in, though, is baseball in the United States, and even if you weren't, it is common knowledge we produce the best baseball players in the world. Even with a plethora of top-level arms opting out (imagine if this team had Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Jacob DeGrom, etc.), they are still uber-talented, and the lineup is absolutely ridiculous.

I have confidence in the pitching, but even if I wasn't, this is the true definition of a juggernaut offense, and there are very few pitchers in the world who could do enough to suppress this offense. 1-9, the entire lineup could be (and most are) the heart of any lineup on any team they play for. Trea Turner has been batting ninth on this team.

I don't know what else can explain how incredible these bats are. Just look at the roster.

Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Kyle Schwarber, Will Smith, Pete Alonso, Tim Anderson, Trea Turner.

This is baseball, guys; remember, even the worst team in the MLB can sweep the best from time to time, but that's the way this game is. Small things can change the game entirely. Japan definitely has a shot tonight, but with what we have seen from this team and the motivation of playing for their country in the Championship Game in their own backyard, my money is on the All-Star team every time.

Japan vs. USA Pick

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Japan vs. USA Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: March 21, 2023
• Start Time: 7:00 pm ET
• Where to Watch: FS1

Click here for Japan vs. USA odds

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