Henry Roldán
The long-awaited final of the 2023 World Baseball Classic will be played this Tuesday night in Miami, when the USA vs Japan, the two biggest powers in the world of baseball, face each other for the title.
The North Americans come into the clash after crushing Cuba in the semifinals and are looking to defend their 2017 crown. For their part, the Japanese are on course for their third championship after knocking Mexico to the ground.
This will be the third time that the two nations will meet in the tournament. In 2009, Japan won the semifinal 9-4, while in 2017 the United States gained revenge after defeating them also in the semifinal by a score of 2-1.
Without further ado, at JefeBet we bring you the best preview of the stellar and decisive match for the World Classic crown between the USA vs Japan.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the USA vs Japan WBC Final Game on March 21, 2023
Where will the United States vs Japan be played in the 2023 World Baseball Classic?
USA vs Japan, for the final of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, will be played at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
Where will the United States vs Japan be played in the 2023 World Baseball Classic?
USA vs Japan, for the final of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, will be played on Tuesday, March 21 at 7:00 PM E.T.
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All odds are courtesy of Fanduel.
Betting on the United States
- WBC 2023 Record: 5-1
- Best Position: Champion (2017)
- Runline: (-1.5, +134)
- Moneyline: (-122)
- Over/Under: 9.5
For the second consecutive time, the United States reached the final of the World Baseball Classic and it did so resoundingly, leaving behind the defeat against Mexico in the second game of the group stage.
Mark De Rosa’s team crushed Cuba in the semifinal and showed why its lineup is considered one of the best of all time by scoring 23 runs in the last two games played.
The main pillar of this attack has been the Phillies’ shortstop, Trea Turner, who not only hit a grand slam in the game against Venezuela, but he also hit two more homers against Cuba to reach four in the championship and total 10 RBIs with a .368 average.
Collectively, the United States reached 10 round-trippers and scored 49 runs in six games, for an average of eight per game, which is not surprising considering that six batters with at least 15 at-bats in the tournament average above .300.
However, when we turn to pitching, we realize why the offense has been so fundamental for the USA. Collectively, the Americans have an ERA of 4.33 and opponents are hitting for a .265 average with a WHIP of 1.27.
Meanwhile, the experienced Merrill Kelly was selected by De Rosa to start Wednesday’s decisive match. The right-hander had a very good 2022 season with the Diamondbacks and was in charge of opening the game against Colombia, in which he worked three innings of four hits, two clean runs, two tickets, and one strikeout.
It is worth remembering that the United States was crowned in the 2017 edition after defeating Puerto Rico in the final with a score of 8-0.
Probable Pitcher: Merrill Kelly (0-0, 6.00 ERA).
Betting on Japan
- WBC 2023 Record: 6-0
- Best Position: Champion (2016, 2009)
- Runline: (+1.5, -164)
- Moneyline: (+100)
- Over/Under: 9.5
With a legendary ninth in its semifinal against Mexico, the Japanese team is undefeated heading into its third World Baseball Classic final on Wednesday.
Trailing twice on the scoreboard, the Japanese sealed the game with a two-run double by slugger Muneta Murakami, who took the ball deep to center field against stellar closer Giovanny Gallegos.
This comeback says a lot about the talent coach Hideki Kuriyama has in his team and that he is capable of playing on a level playing field with countries that have first-team players in the Major Leagues, something that has been criticized throughout the tournament after facing teams without so much talent in the Major Leagues.
With six runs scored in the semifinal, Japan’s batting remains the leader in the category, with a total of 53 runs throughout the championship. No one has more doubles (16) than they do, and they are also first in OBP (.571) thanks to having more tickets (56) than strikeouts (51) received.
As for figures in the batting box, we certainly have to talk about Shohei Ohtani, who averages .450 (20-9) with an OPS of 1.421 and who started the party in the ninth act for the Asian comeback.
Along with him, we must mention Masataka Yoshida, the new Red Sox outfielder, who hit a three-run home run in the seventh episode to even the score and set a new World Classic RBI mark with 13.
Turning to pitching, the Mexican offense has done the most damage in this tournament with the five runs scored. Collectively, Japan continues to lead in effectiveness with 2.33 and has given away only seven tickets for 72 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .181 and the WHIP is set at 0.78.
Meanwhile, manager Kuriyama opted for left-hander Shota Imanaga, instead of the experienced Yu Darvish, to start the final against the United States. In four innings as a reliever, Imanaga has an ERA of 2.25 with three hits and five strikeouts, with no tickets issued.
It is worth remembering that Japan won the first two editions of the World Baseball Classic, beating Cuba 6-10 in the 2006 final, while in 2009 it defeated South Korea 5-3.
Probable Pitcher: Shota Imanaga (0-0, 2.25 ERA).
JefeBet Prediction
Two of the best offenses in the World Classic meet in the grand finale this Tuesday, and of course we can expect nothing but a battle of hits from both sides.
Japan’s pitching has been dominant all tournament, but we saw how a higher caliber lineup like Mexico’s hurt them. For their part, the U.S. pitching staff has been erratic, and it is doubtful what Merrill Kelly can do against a lineup as dangerous as the Japanese.
The Japanese will arrive to this USA vs Japan final emboldened after the historic comeback against Mexico, while the Americans have not got tired of batting in the two phases of the playoffs.
Prediction: Over (USA 5 – JAP 6).
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