MEXICO CITY – On the eve of their fourth consecutive berth to the World Baseball Classic, Team Mexico's goal is as clear as they come.
“We've never been to the semifinals,” noted slugger Adrian Gonzalez during a press conference officially announcing the roster. “We have to think about the semifinals and take it one step at a time.”
To do so, they need to get out of a tough preliminary group. Mexico will host against Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Italy in the western city of Guadalajara in Pool D play. Commonly matched up against one another in other tournaments like the Caribbean Series, the Mexicans have yet to face their Latin American foes in WBC play. Though tasked with home field advantage, Mexico will need to get off to a strong start, something they weren't able to do four years ago.
In the 2013 opener, Italy surprisingly dropped Mexico with a 6-5 score. Though they were able to bounce back by beating the United States 5-2 in their next pool game, Canada delivered a 10-3 crushing blow which eliminated Mexico from the tournament for the first time in the quadrennial tournament without reaching the second round.
A generational shift for Team Mexico means previous mainstays such as Karim Garcia, Alfredo Aceves, Jorge Cantu and Rodrigo Lopez are no longer suiting up, but younger talents are well on their way. 20-year-old Dodgers prospect Alex Verdugo will likely get playing time in the outfield, while infielder Daniel Castro of the Rockies and Yankees pitcher Giovanny Gallegos are part of the new crop looking to make their mark.
Though other vaunted rosters have come up short for Mexico in the past, there is excitement that this year's mix of players, entirely culled from MLB, the Mexican League and Japan, can deliver on a stronger performance.
“Mexico has the talent to play against anyone,” said Adrian's brother, manager Edgar Gonzalez. “But to win, you have to do the little things, play with fundamentals. There are other good teams here but we're ready for all of them.”
Mexico comes into the tournament ranked sixth in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), topping their group mates Venezuela (seventh), Italy (eleventh) and Puerto Rico (twelfth).
On the offensive side, much of the team's production will rely on Los Angeles Dodgers standout Adrian Gonzalez. Though born in the United States, A-Gon has elected to represent Mexico in every World Baseball Classic since 2006. At 34, Gonzalez perhaps suffered a sharp drop in power stats from 2015 to 2016, but the first baseman is still putting up steady numbers. Last season, he led the Dodgers in RBI and was second on the team in total hits, while holding steady with a 2.1 WAR, good for eighth on the club.
Meanwhile, another Mexican-American, Oakland A's OF Khris Davis was confirmed to play for the team late last year. His mother, Sonia, was born in the Baja California city of Ensenada. Davis will be an explosive addition to the middle of the lineup, as the 29-year-old from Lakewood, CA hit 42 HR and drove in 102 RBI, both career-high numbers. Made aware of his dual national status, Mexican officials reached out before Team USA did, prompting Davis to choose. “I’m just excited to represent Mexico and felt I should be loyal,” he said in December.
As usual, depth and quality of pitching will not be a problem for Team Mexico. Major League starters Yovani Gallardo, Jaime Garcia, Miguel Gonzalez and Oliver Perez will be available from the get-go. Garcia, newly traded to the Atlanta Braves after spending his entire MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals, will likely head the country's rotation. Garcia won ten games for the third time in his career in 2016, and struck out 150 batters, just six shy of his career high.
Should Mexico make the next round, that group can be bolstered with other notables such as Marco Estrada and 20-year-old Dodgers phenom Julio Urias, who were placed on the initial reserve list.
“With Julio, the decision was made along with the Dodgers that he wouldn't be ready for the group stage,” said Edgar Gonzalez. The manager also noted that Estrada, the Toronto starter, has struggled with back injuries and will join the national team only if he feels ready to do so. An All-Star in 2016, Estrada has won 22 games total in the last two seasons with the Blue Jays and has posted an ERA of under 3.50 in both of those campaigns.
Finally, the back end of the pitching staff is arguably as strong as any group Mexico has ever had for the World Baseball Classic. Sergio Romo, Joakim Soria and closer Roberto Osuna anchor a group that will be tough for opponents to face towards the end of the ballgame. Osuna, a 22-year-old from Sinaloa, quickly became the Blue Jays' closer in his rookie season, and has notched 56 saves in the last two seasons for the AL East club, including 36 this season.
Despite earlier stumbles with similarly vaunted rosters, Mexico's expectation to join a short list of title holders (only Japan --twice-- and the Dominican Republic have won it) is undaunted as they kick off their fourth participation in the World Baseball Classic. To do so, the team will likely have to show its strength from the beginning, as Pool D looks to be the strongest among the initial 16-team fold.
“We want to be champions,” noted Adrian Gonzalez. “If we don't, we'll be disappointed.”