Who are the Chicago Cubs in the World Baseball Classic?

World Baseball Classic - Puerto Rico Day 2
World Baseball Classic - Puerto Rico Day 2 / Al Bello/GettyImages
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8. Marcus Stroman, Nelson Velazquez, Puerto Rico

Marcus Stroman
Cincinnati Reds v Chicago Cubs / Jamie Sabau/GettyImages

The ace of the Cubbies, Marcus Stroman, is making his first appearance for Team Puerto Rico, as he dominated as the starting pitcher in the 2017 WBC for Team USA. Puerto Rico will be a dominant team this tournament, but many fans are worried about Stroman pitching in the WBC as injuries can always occur. 
The other Cubby is Nelson Velazquez, who appeared in the 2nd half of the 2022 season. Velazquez played in 77 games for the Chicago Cubs, hitting a brutal .205 with 26 RBI and 6 homers. Despite his solid fielding in the outfield, there is no reason for Velazquez to be on the major league roster to start the season. He needs to show the Cubs that his discipline at the plate is under control, and the WBC can be a great place to show that. 

3 Chicago Cubs to watch in the World Baseball Classic. dark. Next

9. Matt Mervis, Israel & Roens Elias, Cuba

BASEBALL-CLASSIC-ISR-NED
BASEBALL-CLASSIC-ISR-NED / JUNG YEON-JE/GettyImages

Cuba and Israel both have 1 player from the Chicago Cubs organization. To read more about these 2 players, check out Cameron Zunkel's 3 Chicago Cubs Players to Watch in the World Baseball Classic