Here are the 10 Twins slated to play in this year's World Baseball Classic
After a six-year hiatus, the World Baseball Classic is back. The 16-team international tournament is scheduled to begin on March 7 and like most teams, the Minnesota Twins are well represented.
A total of 10 Twins will play for their home country in the tournament and it could have been more if Carlos Correa had not opted out as he is expecting the birth of his second title. With several former Twins including Nelson Cruz, Luis Arraez and José Berrios, there will be plenty to follow in Minnesota.
Here's a look at which Twins will play in this year's tournament.
Emilio Pagán (Puerto Rico)
Twins fans aren't thrilled that Pagán is coming back to Minnesota after signing a one-year contract this past offseason, but he'll take part in a Puerto Rico bullpen that is loaded with Twins' arms.
Pagán went 4-6 with a 4.43 ERA last season, but his metrics suggested he deserved a better fate. According to Baseball Savant, Pagán's chase rate was in the 83rd percentile and his whiff rate was in the 84th percentile. While he also had a fastball spin rate in the 94th percentile, he struggled with walks (3.7 BB/9 last season) and home runs (12 HR in 63 innings).
Pagán pitched better down the stretch but the WBC will be his first chance to show that he'll bounce back in 2023.
Jorge López (Puerto Rico)
López is another Twins reliever that will play for Puerto Rico after being acquired at last year's trade deadline.
The 30-year-old was an All-Star for the Baltimore Orioles in the first half of the season, collecting 19 saves while going 4-6 with a 1.68 ERA in 48.1 innings. He didn't have the same success after he was acquired for three minor league pitchers, however, posting a 4.37 ERA and just four saves in 22.2 innings for the Twins.
Like Pagán, walks were a big problem as he allowed 5.6 walks per nine innings with the Twins and 3.2 BB/9 with the Orioles. While he was able to keep the ball in the park, Twins fans will be looking to see if López can find his control during the tournament.
Christian Vazquez (Puerto Rico)
It's not just Twins pitchers who will be suiting up for Puerto Rico as Vázquez is one of two position players that will represent the Twins.
Vázquez signed with the Twins this past offseason and is expected to form a platoon with Ryan Jeffers behind the plate last season. While he hit just .250.278/.308 with one homer in 35 games after being traded to the Houston Astros, his biggest strength is his defense.
Vazquez is tied for fifth among catchers since the start of the 2019 season with +22 defensive runs saved and hit .274/.315/.399 with 9 homers in 119 total games last year. If he can continue to hit, the Twins will have some consistency behind the plate for the first time since Joe Mauer moved to first base.
Jose Miranda (Puerto Rico)
While Pagán, López and Vázquez are veterans, Miranda will be one of the players Twins fans are most focused on during the tournament.
Miranda had a strong rookie season, hitting .268/.325/.426 with 15 homers in 125 games. Those numbers are even better in a historical context as Miranda ranked eighth in doubles (25), 10th in RBI (66), 11th in home runs, 14th in OPS and 19th in batting average among Twins rookies since the team moved to Minnesota in 1961.
That performance convinced the Twins to trade Gio Urshela this offseason, leaving Miranda to take over third base. Correa said during Twinsfest that Miranda "looks sexy" after altering his diet over the offseason and Twins fans will hope that leads to another breakout this upcoming season.
Pablo López (Venezuela)
López was the centerpiece of the trade who sent Luis Arraez to the Miami Marlins after going 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA last season. While seeing López throw competitively could be a good thing, his innings limit could be another.
Lòpez threw a career-high 180 innings for the Marlins last season, which was way past his previous career high of 111.1 in 2019. With the Twins counting on him to solidify the top of the rotation, many people could be holding their breath when he takes the mound in the tournament.
Other Twins in the WBC
- The Puerto Rico bullpen is where most Twins will reside during the WBC as Jovani Moran, minor leaguer Dereck Rodriguez and free-agent signing José de León will join Pagán and López.
- Fellow minor league free-agent signing Carlos Luna will be playing for Panama after posting a 5.35 ERA in 109.1 innings with Double-A Biloxi in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
- Top Twins prospect Èdouard Julien, who ESPN's Kiley McDaniel described as "a positionless Canadian-born hitting robot sent from the future" will play for Canada.
