Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Current And Former NPB Players On 2023 World Baseball Classic Rosters

I want to wrap up my quick little series on the 2023 WBC rosters with a post about current and former NPB players on teams OTHER than Japan and Korea.  Actually just Japan because for the first time in WBC history, the Korean team doesn't have anyone who's played in NPB.

I came up with a list of 26 28 players on ten teams although I only have cards of 23 25 of them.  Daryl George of Australia and Frank Alvarez of Cuba only played for the ikusei squads of the Buffaloes and Dragons respectively making their cards harder to come by (although Steve Smith has shared a card of George with me in the past).  Additionally Yadir Drake of Cuba briefly played for the Fighters in 2017 but the only card I ever saw of his was from the Nippon-Ham "Home Run Sausage" set which I don't have.*  There's also a pitcher on the Canadian team, Evan Rutckyj, who is with the Niigata Albirex of the independent Baseball Challenge League.  I'm not counting him among the 26 28 players (and I don't have a card of him anyway).  UPDATE - someone left a comment letting me know that I forgot about Cesar Vargas of Mexico who playing for Orix in 2021-22.  I've updated the post.  UPDATE #2 - Saw a graphic during the Taiwan-Panama game this morning that listed another Taiwanese pitcher with NPB experience - Lu Yen-Ching.  I've again updated the post

*An interesting thing about Cuba's roster this time around - for the first time it contains players who defected from the country, both guys like Drake who later repatriated as well as guys who haven't like Luis Robert and Yoenis Cespedes.  (H/T Mischa Gelman)

Here's a list of the players and when they played in NPB:

Team Player NPB Career
Australia Daryl George Buffaloes 2017 (ikusei)
Australia Chris Oxspring Tigers 2006
Canada Andrew Albers Buffaloes 2018-20
Canada Scott Mathieson Giants 2012-19
China Yusuke Masago Hawks 2013-22
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) Chen Kuan-yu Baystars 2011-14, Marines 2015-20
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) CC Lee Lons 2016
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) Lu Yen-ching Tigers 2018-20
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) Sung Chia-hao Eagles 2016-present
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) Wang Po-jung Fighters 2019-present
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) Wu Nien-ting Lions 2016-present
Cuba Frank Alvarez Dragons 2022 (ikusei)
Cuba Alfredo Despaigne Marines 2014-16, Haawks 2017-22
Cuba Yadir Drake Fighters 2017
Cuba Onelki Garcia Dragons 2018, Tigers 2019-20
Cuba Yurisbel Gracial Hawks 2018-22
Cuba Ariel Martinez Dragons 2018-22, Fighters 2023-present
Cuba Raidel Martinez Dragons 2017-present
Cuba Livan Moinelo Hawks 2017-present
Cuba Yariel Rodriguez Dragons 2020-present
Cuba Roel Santos Marines 2017
Mexico Joey Meneses Buffaloes 2019
Mexico Cesar Vargas Buffaloes 2021-22
Netherlands Wladimir Balentien Swallows 2011-19, Hawks 2020-21
Puerto Rico Neftali Soto Baystars 2018-present
USA Nick Martinez Fighters 2018-20, Hawks 2021
USA Miles Mikolas Giants 2015-17
Venezuela Edwin Escobar Fighters 2017, Baystars 2017-present

Finally, here are the 23 25 players I have cards for:

2006 BBM Tigers #033

2018 BBM 2nd Version #431

2019 Calbee #195

2020 BBM Hawks #H66

2016 BBM 1st Version #063

2016 BBM Lions #L32

2020 BBM Tigers #T11

2020 Eagles 1st Version #18

2021 Calbee #IL-05 (Wang Po-jung)

2020 BBM Lions #L49

2021 BBM Hawks #H65

2019 BBM 2nd Version #497

2021 Epoch Hawks Rookies & Stars #23

2021 BBM Dragons #D39

2019 BBM Dragons #D32

2022 Topps NPB #7

2022 BBM 2nd Version #448

2017 BBM Genesis #027

2019 BBM 1st Version #097

2021 BBM Fusion #615

2012 BBM Swallows #S59

2022 Topps NPB #2

2021 BBM 2nd Version #339

2015 BBM Giants #G15

2020 BBM 1st Version #200

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You forgot Cesar Vargas or do you not have a card of him?

NPB Card Guy said...

I missed him! Will update later. Thanks!

Sean said...

The Cuban bullpen is basically the Dragons bullpen. I'll try to watch some of their games in the late innings just for that!

Brady DiCarlo said...

@NPB Card Guy Your welcome!