World Baseball Classic 2022: Examining the star-studded lineup of the highly favored Team USA

The year 2023 will play host to the World Baseball Classic for the first time in five years. Now that the rosters have been announced, we can only theorize who might emerge victorious from the tournament.

The 2023 WBC is set to be played at venues in the USA, Japan and Taiwan between March 8 and 21, 2022. The last tournament was held in 2017 with 16 teams in contention. This year, there will be 20 teams competing.

In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Team USA strode to victory, defeating Puerto Rico in the finals to capture their first title. Based on the 2023 USA roster, it looks like we might be in for a repeat.

"Ken Griffey Jr. will be Team USA's hitting coach for the 2023 World Baseball Classic" - @ FOX Sports: MLB

Team USA will be managed by a cohort of MLB vets, including Mark DeRosa as manager, former All-Star Andy Pettite as pitching coach, and Ken Griffey Jr, as the hitting coach.

On the field, other teams will struggle to measure up. At first base, Team USA will have reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals. He will be backed up by Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.

Boston Red Sox slugger Trevor Story looks to be the penciled-in second baseman while Nolan Arenado and Kansas City Royals prodigy Bobby Witt Jr. will man third base. At shortstop, we are likely to see Chicago White Sox speedster Tim Anderson.

The outfield is another area where the USA looks dominant. Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout will find himself flanked by any combination of Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker and Cedric Mullins. Bryce Harper was originally slated to compete, but will likely miss it on account of his impending Tommy John surgery.

"Team USA Mens World Baseball Classic roster could be one of the best teams we’ve ever seen play together tournament style. Even the coach staff is electric lol" - @ not louie curcio

In terms of pitching, starters such as Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks, David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers are set to start. Big names like Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander will likely sit out on account of not wanting to risk injury on the eve of the 2023 season.

Team USA is good, but will meet some tough competition in the 2023 World Baseball Classic

Although the USA is favored, they may face some tough competition in the form of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the 2017 runners-up. Either way, the World Baseball Classic is a great way to showcase the growing talent around the globe. It is also sure to be full of surprises.