What Do Two Giants Teammates Participating in the WBC Mean for the Team?
The San Francisco Giants now have two players committed to play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Last month, the ace of the Giants' pitching staff, Logan Webb, was confirmed to join Team USA’s pitching staff for his first taste of WBC baseball. In addition, the Giants' star outfielder Jung Hoo Lee recently announced he would play for his native South Korea in the international tournament. Since Lee participated in the 2023 rendition as a member of the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO, this is his second WBC experience, but it marks his first as an MLB player.
It would not be the first time the Giants have allowed their players to take part in the international tournament. For the last WBC, the Giants also had two players representing two different countries, with Joc Pederson competing for Israel and Camilo Doval pitching for the Dominican Republic. Even further back in 2017, the Giants had as many as five members of the team on various rosters for the tournament. Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Mark Melancon, and Jeff Samardzija suited up for Team USA, while the Dominican Republic had two-time all-star Johnny Cueto. Though Webb and Lee are the only Giants to be selected so far, there could be others on their way to the WBC, including infielders Rafael Devers and Willy Adames, as well as outfielder Heliot Ramos.
Spring Training games start on February 20th, but the WBC will commence right in the middle of the Spring Training schedule. The tournament will begin on March 5th and conclude on March 17th, just over one week before MLB Opening Day. While the WBC is a celebration of baseball all over the world and a wonderful experience for everyone involved, it could interrupt important preparation for MLB teams. As it is, the Giants' core players have limited experience as a cohesive unit. They will not only need their core players to succeed, but will also need contributions from their young talents, like Bryce Eldridge, to stay competitive in the NL West. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the Giants’ new manager, Tony Vitello, handles his first Spring Training at the helm with the possible absence of most of his star players and clubhouse leaders. Will the players' participation in the WBC throw a wrench into the team’s regular season?
