Ohtani Shohei (29) and Mike Trout (32), both players are considered one of the best players in the major leagues, and there will be no disagreement. Ohtani and Trout, MVP award-winning players with high ground dominance, are eating rice with the Los Angeles Angels.

These Angels will be a team that is a regular favorite to win. But the reality is grim. Let alone win, he has not even stepped on the threshold of the postseason since 2014. 2014 was also Trout’s last postseason experience, and even after the Ohtani and Trout duo combined. It is a team that is difficult to record a win rate of 50%, let alone postseason.

At least Ohtani has the experience of winning the Japan Series in 2016, but Trout doesn’t even have that. It is ironic that among the players who left their mark on the history of the major leagues, the players who would be in the top 1% even if they were ‘lined up’ were ‘irrelevant’. Considering that winning a career is also a criterion for evaluating value, both Ohtani and Trout are ‘unrelated’, leaving room for future luxury players to argue. 

Right now, winning the Angels is unpredictable. Ohtani is highly likely to leave without any regrets if he becomes a free agent at the end of this year and does not see the Angels’ vision. The MVP duo disintegrates.

Still, the opportunity came to wear their national team uniforms, not the Angels uniforms, and rise to the top. In the World Baseball Classic (WBC) competition, Ohtani represents Japan and Trout represents the United States and challenges to win. Coincidentally, both Ohtani and Trout are making their first WBC appearances.

Ohtani has yet to win a championship 슬롯사이트 as a representative of Japan. In the 2015 WBSC Premier 12, he played two perfect pitches against Korea, but was eventually caught by Korea. At the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, Japan won the gold medal, but Ohtani could not participate as a major leaguer.

Trout was also selected as a candidate for the 2017 U.S. national team, but did not participate due to personal circumstances. However, he soon changed his mind and led the United States as the national team captain this time. In a video interview with MLB.com on the 21st (Korean time), Trout said, “Every time the players played and won in 2017, I regretted seeing it. I wanted to attend but couldn’t. So I was not in a good mood and I wanted to be part of the national team,” he said, explaining his feelings at the time of watching the 2017 tournament. At the time, the U.S. national team was not the most elite member, but it regained its pride by winning its first championship as the host country of the tournament and the end of baseball. 

As Trout participates in this tournament, other superstars join in as well. It seems that Trout has become the focal point. Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw (LA Dodgers), Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado (St Louis), Pete Alonso (New York Mets), Kyle Tucker (Houston), Trey Turner (Philadelphia), Meryl Kelly (Arizona), etc. A list is expected to be formed.

“I have been contacted by many players. It is a special thing to represent ‘Team USA’ and run with your country on your back,” he said, referring to the pride of the national team. We need to play for each other and get to know each other a little bit more. In our hearts, there should be only striving for victory.”