World Baseball Classic 2013

[vamosrafa]

I'm in the middle of creating a season for the world baseball classic, using the rosters from the World of Baseball BETA. I'm only using REAL players, so it was very hard to create some teams, most notably China, Brazil, Holland, Spain, Cuba and Italy. As a result i had to remove Brazil and China from the mix, and replaced them with two teams from the qualifiers that probably would be the easiest to create based on the availability of major/minor leagues: Israel, and Panama. I've based the rosters on roster predictions i found on a website called baseball continuum, and of course on the current provisional rosters that have been released. I was just wonderin g whether to go ahead with this and continue to post about this. Feedback would be much appreciated

[GMLoophole]

I would suggest one of two approaches... Or a combination. First go through all available players and guess by names which team they could play for. Not much more of a stretch than the real rules and in the case of Italian descended players many are probably eligible for citizenship anyway.

If that doesn't give you enough guys you could take career-type guys in AAA and Chang their nationality and regenerate their names and faces. That would help balance the teams a lot. If you wanted weaker teams you could mix in some non-prospect AA guys.

Good luck!

[vamosrafa]

Yeah thats what im doing with holland im using all the players from aruba curacao and the dutch antilles, italy is the ones with italian heritage, for cuba just the mlb and milb defectors. With players from spain, players from countries where spain is the official language, besides nicaragua, colombia and the strongish baseball countries. Israel also the players with jewish heritage

[vamosrafa]

okay i have decided im going to turn this into a huge database which will run for several years. to ensure there will be enoigh players for draft and stuff i will create a feeder league both for high school and college for the countries involved, with 0 foreigners, then use that to choose the draft players, then perhaps creating 'B' teams at AAA level to place these draft picks into so they can be called up into the main squad. what do you think?

[GMLoophole]

I tried a "world winter league" for a couple of seasons and that's just how I set it up. I had to change the player creation mods so that my MLB league wasnt overrun with players. Since you're making a separate roster you won't have to worry about balancing against MLB teams.

[vamosrafa]

okay took me long enough, but i finished the rosters for all 16 teams, as well as adding the feeder leagues (both college and high school). analysis of the teams coming soon!

[vamosrafa]

World Baseball Classic
Asian League
Atlantic Division
Cuba
Israel
Japan
Panama

Pacific Division
Australia
Chinese Taipei
Korea
The Netherlands


Caribbean League

Latin Division
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico
Spain
Venezuela

North American Division
Canada
Italy
Mexico
United States


Up Next: Preseason Preview- Asian League

[vamosrafa]

Asian League

Information on each team will be predicted win-loss, key players and the top pitching and batting prospects.

Atlantic Division
Japan (133-29)
The Japanese are overwhelming favourites to take out the Atlantic title, and can consider themselves favourites to take out the whole Classic. Consists mostly of Players from the *** ([league redacted]) but is bolstered by the presence of some notable MLB players too. Pitching is expected to dominate, with 4 of the top 5 pitchers in the league being Japanese, backed up with some impressive batting numbers too.

Key Players

Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)

Yu Darvish (20/13/16) Velocity 93-95mph
Expected to totally dominate the league, solid across the board, his stuff has the ability to consistently strike out the entire lineups, and possesses solid control to ensure his walk count stays low. The one weakness he does have though is that when his pitch count gets high, his pitches flatten out and that’s when the hitters can take advantage. But by then it’s probably too late for hitters.

Batter (Contact/Power/Eye)

Yuichi Honda (2B) (13/8/16)
One of the hardest players to get out in the league, Honda doesn’t have the power to knock a pitcher out of the park, but he does have the talent to frustrate the pitcher into giving him walks and raising the pitch count. Ranked in the top 3 hitters in the league, he can hit for average as one of the best contact hitters in the league. A very fast runner, he’ll be among the leaders for stolen bases, and that will help free up the bases for the players below him in the lineup.

Top Prospects
Japan does not currently have any prospects, so check around next season when the new draft picks come in.

Cuba (99-63)
The Central American baseball powerhouse always goes into an international tournament expected to do well, and 2012 is no different, expected to battle it out for division honours with the also powerful Japanese team. Consisting of players entirely from their National league, not much is known about these players, and they may use this to their advantage. Expected to generate some impressive power numbers backed up with some decent pitching.

Key Players

Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)

Yadier Pedroso (12/13/10) Velocity 90-92mph
A decent all-round pitcher with the tools to trouble most lineups in the league. Possesses a solid fastball, curveball and slider, and a changeup which will be used to get the W’s for his team.

Batter (Contact/Power/Eye)
Alfredo Despaigne (RF) (11/13/13)
Among the top 10 hitters in the league, Alfredo is expected to be amongst the frontrunners for home run king, and is also predicted to hit at around .300 with an OBP of over.350. Has solid defensive skills at right field, picks the ball up from the bat well.

Top Prospects

Pitcher

Vladimir Garcia (SP) ranked #12 out of Top 100 Prospects
Good enough to be in the starting rotation, but however lacks the consistency at the moment to be dominant. The 23 year old, like many of the Cuban players, are among the prospects list due to their amateur status in the Cuban league.

Hitter
Alfredo Despaigne (RF) ranked #7 out of Top 100 Prospects
See Above for report.

Israel(84-78)
Israel’s eligibility rules allow American players of Israeli descent or Jewish ball players to play for Israel, so they have a pretty strong team. They do have the talent to finish ahead of Cuba, but they’ll have to be at their best. Their lineup contains a lot of power, lots of homerun and extra base hits potential here. However the pitching is a little weak.

Key Players

Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)
Scott Feldman (10/16/12)Velocity 90-92mph
Although his stuff lacks the quality to trouble batters, but he possesses great subtle movement late on his pitches, so batters don’t get much contact, and he has pretty good command.

Batter (Contact/Power/Eye)

Ryan Braun (LF) (17/18/11)
Expected to be among the top 10 hitters in the league, he is the leader of the Israeli team. Israel’s success relies on him putting up the numbers that are expected of him. Solid contact hitter, incredible power, 25+ home runs expected. Has great tools in the field too, rarely makes errors.

Top Prospects
Batter
Ryan Lavarnway(C) ranked #16 out of Top 100 Prospects
Has the potential to produce some big power numbers and is solid behind the plate.

Pitcher
Michael Schwimer (MR) ranked #53 out of Top 100 Prospects
Has great stuff, but however is inconsistent and poor control. Has great slider and changeup, but average fastball.

Panama (36-126)
The Panamanians are the whipping boys of the division, expected to lose over 100 games. However they do have some quality older players, and possess some young talent, that will see them become a force in the next few seasons. This is more a transitional season for them, so don’t expect a lot.

Key Players

Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)

Bruce Chen (11/12/13) Velocity 86-88mph
Much of the pitching will be on the shoulders of Bruce Chen, formerly of the Royals. Has average stuff, but has decent movement and control. He will be the ace for Panama.

Batter (Contact/Power/Eye)

Carlos Lee (LF) (13/12/9)
Carlos leads a less than impressive batting lineup in what is expected to be a struggle. Can make good contact, but his poor discipline at the plate leads him to swing at the wrong pitches and ground and fly out more often than most. However, he is quite good at avoiding being struck out. Defence is OK too. Will share the batting leader role with catcher Carlos Ruiz.

Top Prospects
Pitcher
Randall Delgado (SP) ranked #4 out of Top 100 Prospects
The 22 year old Delgado definitely has the makings of a top class starter. Already 2nd in the Panama rotation, he is expected to make a few quality starts, but needs to improve his consistency if he wants to become the ace. Has great command at such a young age, but his movement is average and occasionally gives up the long ball.

Batter
Christian Bethancourt (C) ranked #25 out of Top 100 Prospects
20 year old has the potential to be somewhat of a power hitter. However has a poor eye and desperately needs to improve to make it as the starting catcher. On the plus side his defensive skills behind the plate have been described as ‘eye-popping’, and makes it look easy. His speed between bases is also a plus for Christian.

There is the preview of the Asian Leagues Atlantic Division. Next Up will be the Pacific Division.

[vamosrafa]

Pacific Division
Structure will be as previously shown.

Chinese Taipei (99-63)

The team from Taiwan are expected to battle it out for division honours with close neighbour South Korea. Pitching is their main strength, but what the offense lacks in power they make up for with contact. Their team is mostly made up of CPBL players.

Key Players

Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)

Chien-Ming Wang (15/13/13) Velocity 94-96mph
Former Major Leaguer Wang is the Taiwanese ace, and is a dominant starter. He will give several quality starts and will probably the main win contributor for the team. His stuff easily sees off the undisciplined hitters, and his movement can also fool. His command and control is respectable as well.

Hitter (Contact/Power/Eye)

Yi-Chuan Lin (2B) (16/14/10)
Lin is expected to be among one of the top three hitters in the league. He is a very complete hitter, expected to hit well over .300, and is an RBI machine. His power isn’t bad too, so look for a high home run total. At times his eye is his weakness. He has plus overall defensive skills at second base as well.

Top Prospects

Pitcher
Hung-Wen Chen (SP) ranked #5 out of Top 100 Prospects
Possesses some decent stuff and a great arm speed (96-98mph) but movement and control lets him down.

Hitter
Che-Hsuan Lin (CF) ranked #40 out of Top 100 Prospects
A great eye, great defensive skills, and high speed, so could be used as pinch runner this season.


Korea (94-68)
The Koreans have always produced good quality baseballers, and are always expected to challenge and be competitive. Mostly KBO players. Expected to put up immense power numbers and pitching isn’t too bad either.

Key Players
Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)

Hyun-Jin Ryu (17/13/12)
The ace of the rotation, Ryu is among the top 5 pitchers in the league. Has some great stuff that will generate the strike outs. Can have good movement, but otherwise his pitches are straight down the middle. His control may let him down however.

Hitter (Contact/Power/Eye)

Hyun-Soo Kim (LF) (13/12/13)
Expected to be one of the top 5 hitters in the league, Kim’s short, compact swing allows him to hit well for contact. He displays above-average power, so he will be among the home run leaders throughout the season. He has an average eye, preferring to hit rather than walk. His defensive skills in the outfield are outstanding.

Top Prospects
Like the Japanese, the Koreans also have no prospects. They will wait until the draft to pick up some young players.



Australia (61-101)
The Australians are an above average team, but are not expected to make much of an impact in this division. The team is mostly made up of minor leaguers, but they do have some major leaguers to help the cause. Plenty of young talent here, so look for an entertaining season.


Key Players

Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)

Grant Balfour (21/15/10) Velocity 92-94mph
One of the few pitching staffs that rely on a reliever to keep games competitive, Australia will rely on the services of Grant Balfour in the middle of the game to eke out a win. Predicted to be Australia’s save leader, he has great stuff, great movement, but his control may let him down.

Batter (Contact/Power/Eye)

Luke Hughes (2B) (10/11/11)
Hughes heads a somewhat disappointing batting lineup. He doesn’t really have impressive stats, so the Aussies will have to rely on their pitching to get the W.

Top Prospects
Pitcher
Liam Hendriks (SP) ranked #8 Prospect out of Top 100
Has pretty decent stuff for his age, and has great control. Could be the No.1 in the rotation.

Hitter
Alan De San Miguel (C) ranked #34 Prospect out of Top 100
Has a great eye, and pretty good defensive skills


Netherlands (44-118)
The Dutch team are not particularly strong, but have plenty of young prospects to entertain. They are mostly made up of players from the Dutch Territories; most notably The Dutch Antilles and Aruba. They have plenty of speed on the bases too, so there will be plenty of RBI opportunities for them. Whether or not they can make the most of those opportunities remains to be seen.

Key Players

Pitcher (Stuff/Movement/Control)

Jair Jurrjens (11/13/12)
The ace of the rotation, the Antillean, a former Major Leaguer, is decent overall. He will be backed up by the relieving duties of Kenley Jansen.

Batter (Contact/Power/Eye)

Andruw Jones (9/15/14)
The former Yankee will be the main RBI generator for the Dutch with plus power, great patience and adequate defensive skills.

Top Prospects

Pitcher
J.C Sulbaran (SP) ranked #32 out of Top 100 Prospects
Has the talent to become a top starter for his team, but has to improve everything.

Hitter
Jurickson Profar (SS) ranked #2 out of Top 100 Prospects
Has immense potential. Displays some good raw power and can hit a few homers this season. His fielding at short is noteworthy as well.

So there you have it, the Pacific Division analysis. Ill just put up screens for the Caribbean League as this is taking a bit too long and i want to start. Im getting quite excited!

[vamosrafa]

Here is the Caribbean leagues Latin Division Predictions:




As you can see this is predicted to be a two team race, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. The DR are expected to put up huge power numbers with almost 250 HRs. Venezuela can match these numbers, but their pitching staff is slightly better than DR. Puerto Rico are unfortunate in the fact that they have two powerhouses in their division. Spain are the whipping boys of the entire Classic, barely expected to get the win column in double figures. Ah well. Bring on the draft for them i guess!

[vamosrafa]

Dominican Republic



Key Players

[vamosrafa]

Top Prospects


Kelvin Herrera #49 prospect


Wilin Rosario #20 prospect

[vamosrafa]

Venezuela

Key Players





Venezuela do not currently have any prospects

[vamosrafa]

Puerto Rico

Key Players





Top Prospects

Francisco Lindor #11 Prospect


Hector Santiago #27 Prospect

[vamosrafa]

Spain

Key Players







Top Prospects

Engel Beltre #41 Prospect




Leonel Santiago #54 Prospect



Next Up: North American League Analysis

[vamosrafa]

Caribbean League: North American Division Predictions

Here are the predicted standings for the North American Division:



Besides the US, this is the closest division in the entire Classic, and makes for an entertaining finish to the season. The Americans are expected to dominate, given their Major League contingency. They have virtually no weaknesses, boasting power, speed, as well as strong defense and pitching. Their pitching staff is unrivalled besides maybe the Venezuelans and Japanese. The Canadians have the weakest batting in the division, but however back it up with a rotation packed full of ex Major Leaguers. The Mexicans and Italians pretty much have identical style lineups, having to rely on power rather than baserunning to generate the runs, backed up with average pitching. The Italians are mostly made up of Italian Americans.

[vamosrafa]

USA

Key Players





Top Prospects

Bryce Harper #1 Prospect



Ryan Cook #85 Prospect

[vamosrafa]

Canada

Key Players





Top Prospects

Taylor Green #26 Prospect



Jameson Taillon #3 Prospect

[vamosrafa]

Mexico

Key Players





Top Prospects

Walter Ibarra #63 Prospect




No Pitching Prospects

[vamosrafa]

Italy

Key Players





Top Prospects

Alex Liddi #28 Prospect



Luca Panerati #57 Prospect