Ketel Marte among D-backs still in World Baseball Classic
Ketel Marte has crushed a house run off Arizona Diamondbacks teammate Eduardo Rodriguez, Nolan Arenado has made one defensive spotlight after one other and Michael Soroka will pitch in opposition to Team USA in a quarterfinal matchup on the World Baseball Classic on Friday.
WBC pool play wrapped up on Wednesday with eight groups left standing. The Diamondbacks’ gamers and prospects eradicated from the WBC have began heading again to spring coaching, whereas these alive in the event will take the sector in win-or-go-home video games beginning this weekend.
Here is an inventory of Diamondbacks still competing in the WBC:
– Dominican Republic: SS Geraldo Perdomo, 2B Ketel Marte, 1B Carlos Santana
– Venezuela: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
– Canada: RHP Michael Soroka, RHP Indigo Diaz
– Puerto Rico: 3B Nolan Arenado
Amazingly, none of those 4 groups play one another in the quarterfinals:
–Dominican Republic vs. Korea, Friday at 3:30 pm MST (FS2)
– Canada vs. United States, Friday 5 pm (FOX)
– Puerto Rico vs. Italy, Saturday at 12 pm (FS1)
– Venezuela vs. Japan, Saturday at 6 pm (FOX)
Marte has been Arizona’s hitting standout from the group of gamers remaining after an enormous efficiency in opposition to Venezuela on Wednesday. I’ve roped a single and a home run off Rodriguez in a 7-5, pool-clinching win for the DR
Marte is 3-for-12 with six runs, three RBIs and 4 walks added because the No. 2 hitter in a lineup between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto.
Perdomo is barely 1-for-8 and missed a recreation with an sickness, however he unsurprisingly has drawn 4 walks and scored 4 runs. Santana is 1-for-5, coming off the bench for a loaded DR roster.
Rodriguez is not going to begin one other recreation until Venezuela upsets Japan and goes on a deep run, as he’d be on 4 days remaining going into the semifinals or 5 days remaining earlier than the title recreation. Rodriguez allowed three runs in 2.2 innings with 5 strikeouts on Wednesday.
Soroka was stable in his pool play begin, with three innings and one earned run in opposition to Colombia. He will tackle a considerably scarier lineup from the US on Friday, led by Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and Kyle Schwarber.
“It’ll be a little more of a chess match,” Soroka advised reporters on Thursday. “I’m looking forward to it. I feel really good.”
The US practically didn’t advance after an embarrassing loss to Italy on Tuesday — with supervisor Mark DeRosa’s “our ticket’s punched” comments on MLB Network receiving extra scrutiny than the sport itself. But Italy defeated and eradicated Alek Thomas’ Team Mexico to push the US by means of because the pool runner-up.
Finally, Arenado has not been an impactful bat so far at 3-for-14, however he has been dazzling at third base with performs like this:
THE DEFENSE OF NOLAN ARENADO. 😤 Tremendous catch by the third baseman in Panama vs Puerto Rico. #WBCenFOX pic.twitter.com/RluvfL7ulI
— FOX Deportes (@FOXDeportes) March 8, 2026
And this:
There’s a purpose he has 10 Gold Gloves in his profession. NOLAN ARENADO! pic.twitter.com/Q4GHnoRwkS
— MLB Spanish (@mlbespanol) March 10, 2026
Wins for the Dominican Republic and United States would arrange a titanic matchup in the semi-finals.
Japan, the defending champions, hosted their pool in Tokyo, so their bout with Venezuela would be the most seen recreation to this point for the North American viewers.
Italy has been the breakout squad of the event at 4-0 after crushing Mexico 9-1. It faces a Puerto Rican workforce making an attempt to carry it collectively with out native stars Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa or Javier Baez resulting from insurance coverage points.
Thomas headlines the group of gamers returning to or already again at D-backs camp, together with Druw Jones (Netherlands), Kristian Robinson (Great Britain), Yu-Min Lin (Taiwan) and Jaitoine Kelly (Netherlands).
