Dominicans are very, very good at baseball: that’s not really a surprise.
They have a loaded roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, provided everything goes according to the plan and the event is played.
An MLB insider is considering a Cleveland Guardians star as a big part of that incredibly talented roster.
“Favorite WBC topic: Name your Dominican roster. Vlad at 1B. Jose Ramírez at 2B. Wander Franco at SS. Manny Machado at 3B. Rafael Devers at DH. Don’t forget about Jeremy Peña. Outfield: Soto, J-Rod, Tatís. Alcántara is the ace. Oh. My. Goodness,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweeted.
Favorite WBC topic: Name your Dominican roster.
Vlad at 1B. Jose Ramírez at 2B. Wander Franco at SS. Manny Machado at 3B. Rafael Devers at DH. Don't forget about Jeremy Peña.
Outfield: Soto, J-Rod, Tatís.
Alcántara is the ace.
Oh. My. Goodness. @MLBNetwork @LasMayores
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 7, 2022
Yes, the United States is really talented, and other teams such as Japan, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico are very good, too.
But let’s take a moment to understand just how strong that Dominican lineup would be.
Ramirez Would Fit In Nicely At The Top Of The Lineup
Ramirez and his .285/.369/.570 line in 2022 (and 16 homers, too, plus an AL-leading 63 RBI) would look very, very nice near the top of that lineup, somewhere between second and fourth.
There are several MVP candidates in that group.
Additionally, some other starters and star relievers are not listed by Morosi.
For example, Framber Valdez, Freddy Peralta, Luis Castillo, and Frankie Montas would form a formidable rotation.
They have several closer candidates, too, with fellow Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase being the most obvious one.
The Guardians could also send Andres Gimenez to Venezuela’s roster, and one has to think Shane Bieber would be one of the starters on team USA.
It’s always fun to play around with potential names before a World Baseball Classic.
The Dominicans, as usual, have a very strong roster on paper, led by Ramirez.
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