The spectacle that is the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has nearly arrived, as rosters for the tournament will be announced Thursday night. Will reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt be participating?
Reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt to represent Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic
“Goldy”, as he’s known, will join fellow St. Louis Cardinals teammates Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas and Nolan Arenado on Team USA’s roster as they compete for a WBC championship in 2023.
When do Paul Goldschmidt and Team USA play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic?
The tournament begins March 8 with a USA exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale, Arizona. Play will continue on over a (roughly) two-week span until the championship game in Miami on March 21, should Team USA qualify once again.
Is this the first time Paul Goldschmidt has played in the World Baseball Classic?
This won’t be Goldy’s first rodeo. The last time he played in this tournament, he helped lead Team USA to its first ever WBC title in 2017, alongside current Cardinals teammate Nolan Arenado and a host of other MLB stars.
Together, Arenado and Goldschmidt have helped shape a Team USA that should be among the favorites in this year’s tournament.
Speaking with MLB.com about his experience recruiting players to join him at the WBC this year, Goldschmidt seemed pleased with the turnout:
"“Last time, one of the topics was how some of the main guys didn’t play, and because Team USA had never won, a lot of our guys had a chip on our shoulder to be the first to win it and we were able to do that,” Goldschmidt said. “Hopefully that showing motivated more guys to want to play. As I’ve said before, it was one of the greatest baseball experiences I’ve ever had.”"
Here’s hoping for more memorable results from Paul Goldschmidt and Team USA in the upcoming 2023 World Baseball Classic!