Sports

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Canada's Votto, Lawrie are some of the players to watch for in Pool D at the WBC

By: Tyler Harper, The Canadian Press

Posted: 03/4/2013 7:35 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 03/5/2013 12:05 PM

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto bunts during spring training baseball in Goodyear, Ariz., Feb. 18, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Paul Sancya

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Canada opens the World Baseball Classic on March 8. Here are some players to watch in Pool D:

Joey Votto: Coming off a season shortened by a knee injury, Votto wanted to be sure he was fit to play and didn't commit to Canada until this week. With 14 home runs, 56 RBIs and a .336 batting average in 111 games last season, the Toronto native is easily Canada's best hitter at the tournament.

Brett Lawrie: Lawrie, then just 19 years old, made an appearance as a pinch runner in 2009 but never had an at-bat for Canada. Now the Toronto Blue Jays' third baseman, Lawrie will try to make his mark at the tournament. The Langley, B.C., native was solid with room to improve last season, recording 11 homers, 48 RBIs, 73 runs and a .273 average in 125 games.

Jameson Taillon: Canada's not-so-secret weapon, Taillon was the second overall draft pick in 2010 behind Washington star Bryce Harper and is expected to anchor the Pittsburgh Pirates' starting rotation in the next few years. Born in the U.S. to Canadian parents, Taillon was recently ranked 15th among 100 MLB prospects. In his spring training debut, he allowed one hit and one unearned run with three strikeouts and a walk in two innings against Boston.

Anthony Rizzo: The 23-year-old Chicago Cubs first baseman is making his WBC debut with Italy. Rizzo, a former highly touted prospect, is still early in his career but showed power in 87 games with the Cubs last season, posting 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and a .285 batting average.

Chris Denorfia: The veteran San Diego Padres right-fielder was key to Italy's lone WBC victory. Denorfia went 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs and a walk against Canada. The 32-year-old isn't a slugger —eight homers and 36 RBIs with a .293 average in 130 games last season — but he gives Italy major-league experience.

Jason Grilli: The 36-year-old returns to close for Italy. Grilli earned a save against Canada in 2009 but was charged with one homer and three earned runs in a 7-0 loss to Venezuela. Grilli signed a two-year deal with Pittsburgh in December and will start the MLB season as the Pirates' new closer after finishing 2012 with a 2.91 earned-runs average.

Adrian Gonzalez: The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman is the centrepiece of Mexico's offence. Gonzalez, a four-time all-star, was dominant in 2009 with 40 homers in the majors. Four years later Gonzalez is starting to show some regression, but his 18 homers, 108 RBIs and .299 batting average last season would still be a career year for most players.

Yovani Gallardo and Marco Estrada: The Milwaukee Brewers starting pitchers are making their WBC debut. Gallardo is Mexico's ace after finishing last season 16-9 with a 3.66 ERA and 204 strikeouts. Estrada is a more likely candidate to face Canada. He went 5-7 with a 3.64 ERA last season.

Sergio Romo: Fresh off a brilliant post-season that ended with his San Francisco Giants winning the World Series, Romo will look to continue that momentum at the WBC. The Giants closer posted an 0.84 ERA in the playoffs and was 4-for-4 on save opportunities, and is a dangerous late option for Mexico in his tournament debut.

R.A. Dickey: The Toronto Blue Jays' new ace is also the No. 1 starter for the U.S. Dickey won the National League Cy Young Award last season on the strength of 20 wins, a 2.73 ERA and 230 strikeouts. The only questions will be how international players react to Dickey's knuckleball and if he can control it.

Ryan Braun: The Milwaukee Brewers' star left-fielder and 2011 NL MVP will be at the centre of the U.S. offence. Braun had 41 home runs, 112 RBIs, a .319 batting average and 30 stolen bases during another stellar year in 2012. He was effective at the last WBC, hitting one homer, two RBIs and two doubles.

Giancarlo Stanton: Stanton is the clear star of the Miami Marlins. The 23-year-old right-fielder had 37 homers, 86 RBIs and a .290 average in 123 games with Miami last season. Stanton is making his WBC debut and will look to make a bigger impression on the world stage.

Factual inaccuracy? Something missing? Help improve our journalism.

Know about news? Share your story suggestions, photos and video.

Spelling error? Punctuation problem? Send us an email if you’ve found a typo.

More Sports

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.