World Baseball Classic 2017: Team China is just looking for a win

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. Today’s entry: China

As the 2017 World Baseball Classic is set to begin, Team China is keeping expectations low. “We come in here with the thought that we need to win a game,” manager John McLaren told MLB.com in January.

That sounds depressing, but it’s realistic. After going winless during the first WBC, China has won exactly one game in each of the past two, and they seem just fine with that result.

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The truth is, there’s just not a lot of talent on the roster. Former Kansas City Royals pitcher Bruce Chen is the only player with major-league experience. There are some players on the roster who have minor-league experience, but none of them have a future in the majors.

With that in mind, China’s goal should remain small. They’ll take on some formidable opponents in Round 1, so winning one game would be a significant accomplishment. If they can somehow steal a second win, China could advance past Round 1 of the WBC for the first time.

Schedule details: China is part of Pool B, and will play the first round of the tournament in Tokyo. Their first game is against Team Cuba, and will take place Tuesday, March 7 at 10 p.m. ET. After playing Cuba, they’ll take on Team Australia March 9 and Team Japan March 10.

’13 finish: China went just 1-2 in 2013, with their only win coming against Team Brazil. They were defeated by both Cuba and Japan, who they’ll have to play again in 2017. Team China’s 1-2 finish was not enough to push them past Round 1 of the tournament.

Biggest star: There’s only one player on Team China with major-league experience, and that’s former Kansas City Royals pitcher Bruce Chen. The 39-year-old played for 11 different clubs over his 17-year career in Major League Baseball, six of which came with the Royals. Chen had a few solid seasons, but was never a standout player. He finished his MLB career with a 4.62 ERA over 1,532 innings.

Notable absence: St. Louis Cardinals infielder Kolten Wong is the biggest name missing here. He’s never participated in the tournament before, however, so his absence shouldn’t come as a surprise. On top of that, Wong isn’t guaranteed a starting spot with the Cardinals this spring. The team needs to find playing time for him, Jedd Gyorko, Jhonny Peralta, Matt Adams and Matt Carpenter. It makes sense for Wong to stay back with the team and prove he deserves to be the full-time second baseman.

Washington Nationals pitcher Vance Worley is also missing from the roster. He’s not assured of a spot on the Nationals’ 25-man roster, and would probably benefit from staying in camp and showing the coaches he belongs.

Player you should get familiar with: First baseman/outfielder Gui Yuan Xu. Unless Chen decides to go the Eric Gagne route and attempts a comeback, Xu stands the best chance of eventually making the majors. The 21-year-old spent 2016 with the Baltimore Orioles Gulf Coast League team. He hit .247/.271/.284 over 85 plate appearances.

Infielder Ray Chang and shortstop Joey Wong also have experience in the minors leagues, but both players are currently free agents.

Do they have a chance to win? Nope. Team China’s main focus will likely be advancing past the first round. If they can do that, their appearance will be considered a success.

THREE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT CHINA

Can they play the underdog? There’s no way to sugarcoat it: No one expects anything from Team China. Their own manager said the goal is about winning one game in the tournament. One win would be huge for them, but it won’t be enough to advance them past the first round. If Team China can somehow pull out a second victory, they would easily be the best underdog story in the WBC. That would be a lot of fun, even if it’s unlikely.

Does Bruce Chen have anything left? Admittedly, this isn’t all that exciting. There aren’t a lot of people clamoring for Bruce Chen to make a comeback, especially considering he posted an 8.07 ERA over his last 54 2/3 innings in the majors. But with Eric Gagne talking about a return, maybe Chen will get the itch to try and get back to the majors. Crazier things have happened, right?

Why should I watch this team? Well, everyone loves an underdog. If Team China pulls off a win, you can enjoy the entire team celebrating as if they won the World Series. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching a team overcome gigantic odds. On top of that, there’s always potential to see history or some type of fun fact. Did you know Wei Wang, the team’s catcher, was the first player to hit a home run in the WBC? He’s now 38 and still playing for the club. Perhaps another player will make history with a strong showing?

Also in this series:
— Australia
— Canada
— Chinese Taipei
— Colombia
— Cuba
— Dominican Republic
— Israel
— Italy
— Japan
— Korea
— Mexico
— Netherlands
— Puerto Rico
— United States
— Venezuela

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik