Mike Trout is looking forward to a potential World Baseball Classic matchup against Shohei Ohtani: "He's one of my good friends. It's gonna be fun"

Mike Trout is ready to battle his Los Angeles Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani in the World Baseball Classic. The WBC, which takes place March 8-21, features baseball's best battling for their home countries. Trout has made his commitment to Team USA, while Ohtani will headline a tough Samurai Japan team.

The tournament was originally slated to take place in 2021 but was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was founded in 2006 and runs every four years. Think of this tournament as baseball's version of the FIFA tournament.

"(He's) nasty. Every person I've talked to that faces him says they don't want to be in the box. It's gonna be interesting and I'm lookinh forward to it. He's one of my good friend. It's gonna be fun" said Mike Trout in regards to potentially facing Shohei Ohtani in the WBC.

Shohei Ohtani pitching against Mike Trout would be a dream come true for most baseball fans, and Trout welcomes it. He's not one to back down from a challenge. This could be the only time the two could face each other in their careers (although Ohtani is coming up on free agency).

The matchup will depend on how both Team USA and Samarai Japan do. Team USA is in Pool C, while Samarai Japan is in Pool B. This would mean both teams would have to make it out of their pools, matching them up for a semifinal showdown.

Pool C consists of Great Britain, Canada, Columbia, and Mexico. Pool B consists of Australia, China, the Czech Republic, and South Korea. While it's not guaranteed, there's definitely a chance that the two superstars will meet up in the semifinals.

A Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani would be a site to see

Los Angeles Angels v Seattle Mariners

This year's World Baseball Classic will truly be spectacular. Every team is stacked with elite baseball talent. Everyone is a contender to take home the title.

Team USA won the last WBC title in 2017, and they're looking to repeat it again this year. Aside from Trout, Team USA is led by Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado.

Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Seiya Suzuki, Lars Nootbaar, and Masataka Yoshida headline Samarai Japan. They're the only team to win multiple WBC titles since the tournament was founded in 2006.

If you're a baseball fan, this is one tournament you don't want to miss.