As the World Baseball Classic championship game approaches on Tuesday night, where the United States will compete against Japan, serious absences will mark the U.S. team, despite its impressive roster, including New Jersey’s own Mike Trout.
Yankees stars Aaron Judge, the American League MVP and leading home run hitter, and Giancarlo Stanton will not be participating in the tournament. Their reasons for opting out were addressed to Fox Sports prior to the event’s commencement last month.
Judge articulated to FOX Sports, “While representing my country is an honor, my primary focus is on what I can achieve with the Yankees. Given my recent nine-year contract, my priorities lie with New York. Maybe in four years, there will be another chance, but right now, my commitment is here.”
Similarly, Stanton, who took part in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, expressed his rationale. “I’m focusing on preparing for the season and maintaining my health,” Stanton told FOX Sports. “It’s an incredible experience, but I’d only miss it if there were a more critical objective to address.”
Despite these explanations, their absence is viewed as a setback by those competing in the tournament. “It’s regrettable that the stars of our sport are not in this,” remarked Team USA third baseman Nolan Arenado earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Arenado’s remarks generally addressed the issue, but the absence of these prominent Yankees players highlights his point. Along with St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt, Arenado is one of the few returning players from the 2017 championship squad. He is currently performing well, boasting a .391 batting average with five RBIs, three doubles, and a triple across six games for Team USA.