Baseball: Trout hoping for WBC fight against Angels teammate Ohtani

After watching him in action from the sidelines, Mike Trout is excited to face Los Angeles Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani in the World Baseball Classic, the three-time MVP said on Friday. of the American League.

Trout was one of the first MLB stars to sign up for the United States title defense and will captain the team, which may be on a collision course with two-way phenom Ohtani and a Japanese team aiming for a third championship at the WBC from March 8-21.

A matchup between Ohtani on the mound and Trout in the batsman’s box would be a dream for WBC organizers, and the superstar American outfielder would be welcome.

“I’m in the front row every time he throws. (He’s) mean,” Trout said in an online press conference.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to who faces him says they don’t want to be in the box. It’s going to be interesting and I’m looking forward to it. »

The United States, who won the last edition of the tournament in 2017, will begin defending their crown in Arizona-based Pool C, which also includes Great Britain, Canada, Colombia and Mexico.

Japan, meanwhile, will host Pool B consisting of Australia, China, the Czech Republic and South Korea in Tokyo.

If the Angels heavyweights are to meet on the diamond, it will be at the earliest in the semi-finals which begin on March 19 in Miami.

In addition to Ohtani, Japan will feature San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish and Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki. Captain Hideki Kuriyama’s 30-man roster also includes National League stars such as Triple Crown-winning slugger Munetaka Murakami and pitching sensation Roki Sasaki.

“While talking to Shohei (about Samurai Japan), he tried to tell me that he doesn’t think he’s the best player on the team,” said Trout, who didn’t compete in the 2017 WBC.

“There can’t be anyone better than Shohei. But he knows his baseball players. I’m looking forward to that game if we get there and we have to face them. »