Who is the most important player on each team of the 2023 World Baseball Classic?

As the World Baseball Classic gets up and running, the excitement grows around each of the twenty nations who are competing and their lineups. Some teams are loaded with MLB players, others are filled with amateur players.

And of course, there are Japanese league, Korean league, and Taiwanese league players who are no stranger to high-stakes games, but no matter where each team gets their pool of players from, each and every one will have a central player, a talisman, around whom everyone rallies.

While there are lineups like the USA or Dominican Republic who can list nearly everyone on the roster in that category, other teams will have a single emblematic player who, like a wind vane, will point the direction toward where their fortunes lie.

Here is a look at all of them, in no particular order.

USA

There is almost no end of choice here with Team USA made up entirely of top MLB talent. And while players like JT Realmuto, Nolan Arenado, Trea Turner, or Mookie Betts are all good shouts for talismanic players, there can be little doubt that the one player who will perhaps be the bellwether for this team is the captain.

Mike Trout is a generational phenom, can do as many things on a baseball field as LeBron James can on a basketball court, and the entire world is excited to see what he will bring to the tournament. He is perhaps the best all-around player on any team in the world, and his fortunes will direct the way for the USA.

CANADA

Canada will rely heavily on their outstanding pitching corps, and while there are a few names there who can spearhead the attack for the Canadians, the biggest name on their outfield roster is Freddie Freeman. If Canada want to make a deep run into the tournament, they will need Freddie to deliver at the bat. Keep your eye on him and you will know how Canada should follow.

MEXICO

Another team who have a stellar pitching staff is Mexico, and they can lean hard on the arms of Urquidy and Urías, but in the outfield they are full of talented players, any one of whom can pick up the slack at any moment.

Alejandro Kirk is a tempting bet behind the plate, but the one player who will be the rallying cry and focal point of the Mexicans is likely going to be Randy Arozarena, the Cuban-born Mexican outfielder who can fire up the bats and stiffen the defense. Keep your eyes on him.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

With what might be the strongest all-around lineup in the competition, the Dominican Republic has superstars in spades, and often in depth. Names like Manny Machado, Vlad Guerrero, Rafael Devers, and Juan Soto make this lineup jump off the page.

But if you had to pick one player, and I mean if you were backed into a corner and forced to choose, you might have to look at Jeremy Peña as the key to the DR’s fortunes. Fresh off a World Series win with the Astros, the rookie shortstop was ALCS and World Series MVP and looks like his star is rocketing into the sky. All the Dominican Republic have to do is follow his lead.

PUERTO RICO

After finishing runner-up in the last two competitions, Puerto Rico are looking to bring back their first title, and have a lineup that is as impressive as any you will see. With experienced vets like Martín Maldonado and Javier Baéz in the lineup alongside young talent such as Nelson Velázquez and Jose Miranda, it is hard to pick a single rally point.

Had Carlos Correa played, it would be a simple choice, but as it stands, the key to Puerto Rico’s attack is likely to be Francisco Lindor. It is tempting to pick Eddie Rosario as the center piece, but with his health struggles, it may turn out to be an iffy prospect as to whether or not he can lead the charge or simply provide a strong supporting act. In that middle infield, Lindor is far batter placed to provide solid, stable leadership for this team.

VENEZUELA

There are several candidates for central talisman on Team Venezuela, with their fortunes really lifted by the presence of Ronald Acuña Jr, Gleyber Torres, and David Peralta, and as with so many other teams, any of those guys can be the hero of any given moment. But the rock that will anchor this team is José Altuve, without doubt.

As solid a bat as can be found in baseball, Altuve is also like a Hoover, just vacuuming up any ball in the middle infield. He will stand at the bow of the Venezuelan ship and direct their course.

COLOMBIA

With a lineup that is packed with great talent, particularly on the mound, Colombia will have a selection of big names to look to when the chips are down. Harold Ramírez and Evan Mendoza are going to be key players in the production of this team, but nobody will lead the charge more than Gio Urshela. An all-around leader, the Angels’ third baseman is going to anchor this infield and if his bat is hot, then Colombia have a puncher’s chance to get through the quarterfinals.

PANAMA

The Panamanians are back in the competition after missing out on the 2017 edition, and while they are not likely to push very deep in the tournament, their side boasts a few good players. There are two in particular to keep your eye on. Iván Herrera behind the plate will provide a strong on-field coaching presence, but the rally point for the offense will likely be Tampa Bay Rays Christian Bethancourt, who will be at first base for this competition. For Panama to progress, Bethancourt will need to light it up with the bat.

NICARAGUA

Along with Panama, the Nicaraguan team is a solid side, if not packed with superstars. But don’t let that fool you, everyone on this team has either spent time in the MLB or is a top prospect for it. The pitching staff will do the heavy lifting for the Nicaraguans, but the offensive player to keep your eye on is former Reds infielder Alex Blandino. His bat will dictate the direction of travel for Nicaragua.

JAPAN

For team Japan, is there anyone else who can upstage Shohei Ohtani? While the Samurai Japan are packed with Nippon League talent, and there are several players who will be in MLB within the next year or two, all eyes will be on the two-way phenom.

Not to take away from anyone else; Japan’s lineup features Lars Nootbaar, Masataka Yoshida, and the Nippon League MVP Munetaka Murakami, not to mention a bullpen that includes Yu Darvish and Roki Sasaki. They are as good as any other team, including USA and Dominican Republic, and will make their presence known in the tournament. But as goes Ohtani, so goes Japan.

CHINA

With few players known to western audiences, China will be perhaps more than any other country, a true team effort. Most of the eye-catching players are in their bullpen and the Angels’ Alan Carter will be wearing the Dragon uniform during the competition.

They do have MLB talent on their roster, even if it is somewhat ageing, in the form of ex-Twins infielder Ray Chang. But perhaps as much as anybody on the Chinese team will stand out, Yusuke Masago will provide international experience from the Nippon League to the outfield and at 28 years old, is still in the prime of his youth.

CHINESE TAIPEI (TAIWAN)

The Chinese Taipei roster is packed with Taiwan League, Korean League, and Nippon League stars, but the MLB offers some players to the mix as well, as the Pirates Tsung-Che Cheng and Twins’ Tzu-Wei Lin are both getting reps in the infield.

While the bullpen is packed for Taiwan, the offensive player to keep your eye on is Tzu-Wei Lin, who needs to keep a hot bat if the host nation for Pool B are to make it through to the quarterfinals.

KOREA

Without Ji-Man Choi, the choice of standout player for Korea is less clear-cut. But there are some solid playmakers on the team with a smattering of MLB prospects thrown into the mix. While the Cardinals’ Tommy Edman and Padres’ Ha-Seong Kim are sure to be leaders in the infield, the player to keep your eye on is the KBO’s MVP Jung-hoo Lee. He is expected to move to the MLB this season and his performance in the WBC is his business card. Expect him to pull out all the stops through the competition.

AUSTRALIA

The biggest talisman for Team Australia is not competing, as Liam Hendriks is undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but in his absence, this team has a tight infield that includes MLB prospects Jarryd Dale and Robbie Glendinning, who will anchor that middle infield. But the player who will unite this offense, and who will need to lead from the front is another MLB prospect in Rixon Wingrove. The big first baseman will need to make his bat do the talking for Australia to have a fighting chance.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Cinderella story of these games is the Czech Republic. Just in arriving here, they have pulled off the unlikely. As a team made up of part-time amateur players, the Czechs will be unlikely to trouble most of the more vastly experienced teams, but then again, that is exactly what they said about the Spanish team which was filled with MLB prospects and yet lost to the Czech Republic in the qualifying round.

Without doubt, the player who will lead the charge in this side will be former MLB infielder Eric Sogard, who will use all of his experience to squeeze the best out of these players.

GREAT BRITAIN

A ready-made rally point was removed when the Marlins prevented Jazz Chisholm from playing for Great Britain, and his loss is certainly a blow to this team’s hopes of progressing to the quarterfinals. Great Britain is packed with MLB prospects, however, and while Anfernee Seymour and Trayce Thompson had outstanding qualifying performances, the player to keep your eye on is catcher Harry Ford. He is the number one MLB prospect at the position and can galvanize both the defense and offense around his outstanding play.

ITALY

Team Italy has a deep bullpen and with a great selection of MLB prospects in their lineup, they should make Pool A interesting. While a single rally-point player that they can all key off of is perhaps difficult for this team, most of the hope is vested in the performance of Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. Hitting .295 from the left side, he can light up a scoreboard when he is on, and if he is on, then the Italians have a puncher’s chance in this group.

ISRAEL

Like so many teams, the real strength of Team Israel is in their bullpen. Their outfield players are a selection of MLB prospects and a few veterans thrown in, but far and away the player who can inspire the Israelis is Joc Pederson. If he manages to bring the same offensive production that he showed in Atlanta and Los Angeles, then you can expect to see some interesting baseball out of Israel.

CUBA

While the Cubans are traditionally one of the strongest nations in baseball, their fortunes have waned of late, as more and more Cuban exiles choose to play for their host country, such as Mexico or the USA instead of Cuba. But that does not mean that they are without any big stars, and their lineup features a couple of real play makers. Yoán Moncada is a real threat at third base but the talisman who will inspire this team is the 38 year old Yoenis Cespedes in the outfield. His bat is as prolific as they come and even at his ripe old age, he is one of the most productive players in the game.

NETHERLANDS

Hands-down, the best baseball nation in Europe is the Netherlands, thanks largely to their overseas territories of Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba in the Caribbean where baseball is king. The Dutch usually put up a strong fight, and this team is no different. The big-league talent is everywhere to be seen, with every position covered and then some. But for a standout key player, you have to look no further than San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts. He will be the key to the defensive play in the infield as well as the bat that defines the Netherlands’ trajectory in the tournament.