With the World Baseball Classic underway this week, so many of the world's greatest players will share the field. And, unfortunately, many players will miss the tournament. Some declined invitations for personal reasons,

Just three years ago, Mike Trout was the captain of the U.S. squad. The face of the team. And part of the dream scenario come true that closed the tournament as baseball superheroes clashed. That was then.

Zoom out, and it painted a broader picture. Trout, a first-ballot Hall of Famer whose career is pockmarked by injury and the Angels’ stubborn inability to make the most of his talent, was beginning his decline. Ohtani, who would refuse to languish in Angels purgatory for the rest of his career, jumped ship for the juggernaut Dodgers in 2024.

One of the World Baseball Classic's most storied rivalries and a handful of de facto win-or-go-home matchups highlight a wall-to-wall Day 2 of the burgeoning international hardball event on Saturday,