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World Baseball Classic 2017: Australia doesn't have stars but could play spoiler
From now until the World Baseball Classic begins on March 6, we’ll be helping you get to know each team involved in baseball’s global tournament. First up: Australia.
Australia will not bring a star-studded team to the 2017 World Baseball Classic, but they will bring a team hopeful of making history.
In their previous three WBC appearances, the Aussies were unable to advance beyond the first round of pool play. In fact, they’ve only recorded one single victory in nine games, which shows just how much ground they will have to make up.
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Those early exits should serve as motivation for a team that hopes to make up for its lack of talent with experience. Australia will feature 10 pitchers currently in MLB organizations. Some you know. Most you don’t. If you know them one month from now, though, that will mean they’ve taken a big step forward.
Schedule details: Australia will open Pool B play on March 8 against Japan in Tokyo. The team will follow with games against China on March 9 and Cuba on March 10.
’13 finish: Went winless in pool play, losing to Chinese Taipei, Netherlands and South Korea by a combined score of 14-2.
Biggest stars: Travis Blackley, Peter Moylan and Ryan Rowland-Smith all have major-league experience, but are now on the downside of their respective careers. Moylan is trying to win a job in the Kansas City Royals rotation this spring, so he’s the closest thing to an established player on the roster.
Notable absence: A’s reliever Liam Hendriks would have been the lone major leaguer on the team, but decided to pull out after the rosters were revealed. Recently retired reliever Grant Balfour will not be returning for the WBC. With 534 major league appearances and 84 saves under his belt, he would have been the team’s most experienced and recognizable player.
Player you should get familiar with: Warwick Saupold has a fantastic name and a fantastic arm. The 27-year-old right-hander appeared in nine games for Detroit last season, but he’s looking for a true breakout while representing his homeland.
Do they have a chance to win? Australia recently rose to 10th in the world rankings, so it can’t be considered a pushover. Still, the Aussies have a very tough draw with Japan and Cuba in the same pool. That means advancing will require a major upset. Any success beyond that would be a bonus.
THREE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT AUSTRALIA
Can the pitching carry them? It almost has to, but there’s reason for concern based on past results. Of the four pitchers with previous WBC experience, only Steven Kent has an ERA below 7.50. That means the entire staff will have to help set a different tone this time around.
In addition to Saupold and Kent, Australia’s pitching staff will feature noted names like Travis Blackley, Peter Moylan and Ryan Rowland-Smith. If they all carry their weight, that’s enough depth to at least make things interesting.
Where will the offense come from? The offense features former major leaguer Trent Oeltjen and a handful of decent prospects, but none that appear destined for notable careers. In other words, scratching out one or two runs looks pretty difficult on paper, but their existence in this tournament will depend on it.
On the plus, they return players that have enjoyed WBC success. Stefan Welch was 3-for-10 with a homer in 2013. Luke Hughes homered and drove in three runs at the 2009 Classic. If those guys or someone else can run into one this time around, maybe it will finally be the difference-maker Australia need.
Can they play spoiler? They absolutely can, and it doesn’t necessarily require winning.
Winning would be preferred, of course, but playing competitive baseball and forcing the opposition to extend their rosters could have a lasting impact beyond that one game. It’s aiming low, but it qualifies as spoiling.
Along those same lines, Australia has faced tough competition during past appearances. Perhaps that’s skewed the results somewhat, or will lead to one of the favorites taking their eye off the ball when they meet in three weeks. If so, this squad seems good enough to take advantage.
Also in this series:
— Canada
— China
— Chinese Taipei
— Colombia
— Cuba
— Dominican Republic
— Israel
— Italy
— Japan
— Korea
— Mexico
— Netherlands
— Puerto Rico
— United States
— Venezuela
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
