World Baseball Classic USA vs Japan Final: Where to watch and everything you need to know
Japan could get a third championship, while the United States will try to win their second consecutive title
The 2023 World Baseball Classic is coming to an end. Japan managed to beat Mexico in the semifinals, coming closer to win a third title after the 2006 and 2009 editions. Before that they’ll have to face the U.S. Team, who won the last championship and is looking to win a consecutive title.
After a very exciting semifinal, the world is waiting to see which country will become the world’s best in this clash of titans. Japan is the big favorite, mainly because the U.S. Team lost against Mexico, team that Japan beat yesterday in a very close game, and Cuba -their semi finals adversary- wasn’t a big challenge. Still, the U.S. team have the confidence of winning the previous championship, and some of the best players in the MLB.
When is the final?
The World Baseball Classic final will be played on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. The venue is LoanDeport Park in Miami, Florida.
Where can I watch the game?
The 2023 World Baseball Classic final will be streamed online on the Fox Sports App and on FOXSports.com. The game can also be seen on fuboTV.
What time does the game start?
The 2023 World Baseball Classic will start at 7 p.m ET.
Who will be the starting pitchers?
The starting pitchers will be Merrill Kelly for the U.S. Team, and Shōta Imanaga for Japan.
34 year old Kelly currently plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. He previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays and the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization. On April 1, 2022 Kelly signed a two-year, 18 million dollar contract extension with the Diamondbacks.
That year, Kelly won the National Pitcher of the Month Award for July 2022 after pitching to a 1.21 ERA in six starts, and he won the National League Player of the Week Award for the last week of that month.
29 year old Imanaga is currently a pitcher for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was selected in the first round of the 2015 NPB draft. He also played with the Canberra Cavalry of the Australian Baseball League, where he broke the league records for WHIP, H/9, BB/9 and second best ERA. He’s one of the best players on the Japanese League.
When is the next World Baseball Classic?
The next World Baseball Classic championship will be on 2026, three years from now.
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