Who ya got in the WBC now?

"It's also probably not Canada, who had to beat Cuba to make it there. But, if you like underdogs... Puerto Rico lost to Canada but won its other contests, yet never in the sort of blowout, talent mismatch way that some of the other remaining teams have managed."

"I mean no one really expected Italy to have a juggernaut lineup, but they scored at least eight runs in each of the four games they played. (The U.S., by comparison, scored five once and six once.) They've also hit a lot of homers, and you know about homers."

"It's a roster that doesn't seem to have much of an overt weakness and has a ton of overt strengths (both literally and figuratively)."

Eight teams remain in single-elimination competition. Korea barely advanced despite Bo Gyeong Moon's strong performance. The Dominican Republic lived up to expectations with a stacked lineup. Team USA, despite being favored, has struggled historically in previous WBCs and faced pitching difficulties against Italy. Canada advanced by defeating Cuba. Puerto Rico remains competitive but hasn't faced elite lineups yet. Italy surprisingly emerged as a legitimate threat, scoring at least eight runs in each of their four games and hitting numerous home runs, though their pitching is inconsistent. Venezuela looked strong until facing the Dominican Republic. Japan enters as a formidable opponent with few apparent weaknesses and multiple strengths.

Read at Battery Power