The ninth hitter is aiming for a personal title by ranking first in home runs and RBI in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). This is a prime example of the power of the ultra-luxurious lineup of the US WBC team.
Trey Turner (Philadelphia) of the United States안전놀이터 started as the 9th hitter shortstop in the semifinal match against Cuba held at Londippo Park in Miami, Florida on the 20th (Korean time).
After two outs in the second inning with a 2-1 lead, Turner hit a solo home run over the left wall against Cuban starter Loenis Elias.
In the 6th inning, leading 9-2, Will Smith’s double and McNeil’s walk resulted in a three-run home run that went over the left-middle wall in a chance to run on first and second bases. He was very active with 3 hits in 5 at bats, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
Turner hit a dramatic home run against Venezuela the previous day (19th) in the quarterfinals. In the 8th inning, behind 7-9, with no bases loaded and 2 strikes at an unfavorable ball count, he hit a change-up in the middle and went over the left fence to hit a come-from-behind final grand slam, becoming a ‘hero’.
Turner, who hit home runs in the quarterfinals and semifinals, has a batting average of .368 (7 hits in 19 bats), 4 homers, 10 RBIs and 5 runs in 5 games. Home run is tied for first place with Korea’s Kim Ha-seong (San Diego, 3), and RBI is tied for first place with Japan’s Masataka Yoshida (10).
Turner played as the ninth hitter in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. Turner, who signed an 11-year, $300 million free agent contract with Philadelphia last winter, went down to number 9 because of the splendid lineup of the U.S. team.
In this tournament, which was held six years after 2017, the United States had a super luxurious lineup. Top star Mike Trout, who had never competed in the WBC, participated, and star players such as Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado joined together.
There are only three MVPs. Trout won the American League MVP three times (2014, 2016, 2019), and Betts (2018 American League) and Goldschmidt (2022 National League) also have MVP awards. The U.S. starts with a Betts-Trout-Goldschmidt lineup of MVPs 1-3.
In the first year of his debut in 2019, he won the National League home run king with 53 home runs, and Pete Alonso, a right-handed hitter who hit 40 home runs last year, played as a pinch hitter in the quarterfinals against Venezuela. This is because a left-handed hitter (Kyle Tucker) starts against the right-handed starting pitcher, and a right-handed hitter (Alonso) enters the starting lineup against the left-handed starting pitcher.
The United States is recording a team batting average of .31 (5th), OPS .969 (2nd), and 47 runs scored (1st) in 6 games. The team’s mound was average with an ERA of 4.33 (25 runs in 52 innings in 6 games), but they advanced to the finals with the power of the other line. In the quarterfinals, they beat Venezuela 9-7 after a slugfest, and in the semifinals they won a landslide 14-2 win over Cuba.
Turner’s multiple home runs in a game is the second all-time record for an American team in the WBC. In the 2006 tournament, Ken Griffey Jr. hit two home runs against South Africa, Turner’s second record in 17 years. Coincidentally, Griffey Jr. is now playing with the US national team as a hitting coach.
Turner hit a home run against Venezuela in the quarterfinals on the 19th, and recorded 4 RBIs against Cuba on the 20th, recording more than 4 RBIs in 2 consecutive games. This is the first record in WBC history.
MLB.com introduced an interesting story about Turner’s jinx. After hitting a three-run homer in the sixth inning, Turner took off his batting glove and threw it in the trash. There was a small hole in his glove, but he coolly took off his batting glove after hitting two home runs.
Turner said, “I am not a person who believes in superstition. When I continued my hitting streak in 13 and 14 games in 2020, I thought, ‘I shouldn’t change my batting gloves. “No one cares about batting gloves,” he said, “and I don’t care about that anymore.”