The World Baseball Classic sure is a lotta fun. The games are great, plus there’s a ton of great trivia out there.
A couple of weeks ago, I looked at what percentage of the teams were actually made up of natives. This week, I’m going to look at the best player who actually was native to that country.
Note that this includes every nation that’s ever been in the WBC. I’m also not limiting it to players who actually played in the WBC, but to all of MLB history.
I’ll be ordering them in decreasing WAR – from the obvious Hall of Famers to the total non-entities who were up for a cup of coffee back in, say, the 1890s. Here we go!
Dominican Republic
Albert Pujols, 1B (101)
He’s not in Cooperstown yet, but if anybody was assured of getting in on the first vote, it’s this guy. Up for 22 years, Pujols had over 700 HRs and 2,200 RBIs. He was also a RoY, 3-time MVP & 10-time All Star. Prince Albert led the league in WAR 6 times & runs 5 times. In the postseason, he was up over 300 times, notching 19 homers, 54 RBIs & a 319 average.
His closest rivals are Adrian Beltre (94) & Pedro Martinez (84).
Pujols is also the DR’s manager
Puerto Rico
Roberto Clemente, OF (95)
My boyhood hero. I can still remember where I was when I heard about his death. It was actually in church, which only goes to show you how important Clemente was to the Pittsburgh community (where I lived at the time).
How good was he? Over 18 years, he batted 317, led the league in batting 4 times & was both an All Star & a Gold Glover 12 times. In the postseason, he got a little over 100 ABs, batting 318 & winning WS MVP honors. The Great One made the Hall just 6 months after his passing.
Nobody else really comes close, with Carlos Beltran, Ivan Rodriguez & Roberto Alomar all coming in about 25 WAR below.
Netherlands
Bert Blyleven, P (94)
Who woulda thought the Netherlands would be this high?
What’s even perhaps more interesting is that Blyleven was actually born in the Netherlands, and not the Netherlands Antilles. Indeed, most of the Dutch teams in the WBC have been primarily made up of players from the latter.
Blyleven, though, really was born in Holland, in the city of Zeist. He would come to the US with his family at age 3.
As for baseball, Blyleven was up for 22 years, not quite topping the 300-win mark, but notching 3700 K’s & a pitching a no-hitter to boot. He was especially good in the postseason, going 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA. The Flying Dutchman was elected to the Hall only in the 14th year of his eligibility.
Blyleven’s closest competition is Didi Gregorius (17 WAR). I thought for sure Gregorius was born in the Netherlands Antilles, but he was actually born in Amsterdam, moving to Curacao at age 5.
The closest rival from the Netherlands Antilles is Andruw Jones, at 63.
Blyleven is also Team Netherlands’ pitching coach
Panama
Rod Carew, 2B/1B (89)
Though Carew was born in the Canal Zone (in the back of a train, no less), he had Panamanian citizenship. Moving to the US at age 14, he eventually became a naturalized US citizen, though only at age 78.
A professional hitter, Carew finished his 18-year career with a 328 average & over 3,000 hits. He also led the league in hitting no less than 7 times. A 1-time MVP, he was also RoY & an 18-time All Star. He was elected to Cooperstown in his 1st year of eligibility.
Carew’s closest rival is another Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera, at 56.
Canada
Ferguson Jenkins, P (84)
The original “Fergie,” Jenkins reminds me a lot of Bert Blyleven. Both had long, but not flashy careers, were real workhorses , and tended to surprise people that they weren’t native-born Americans.
Jenkins was up for 18 years, pitching 4,500 innings. Like Blyleven, he finished with just under 300 wins. The two also had very similar lifetime ERAs, 3.34 (Jenkins) to 3.31 (Blyleven). Jenkins did, though, manage to do something his fellow ace never accomplished – win a Cy Young Award.
Jenkins’ closest competition is fellow Hall of Famer, Larry Walker (73).
Great Britain
Jim McCormick, P (76)
Poor Jim McCormick probably represents our first head-scratcher. Playing for only 10 years way back in the late 1800s, though, will do that for you.
That said, he did manage to finish with a nice 265-214 record, along with a stellar 2.43 ERA. Of course, back in those days, pitchers were incredible workhorses. Indeed, McCormick won 40 games twice (and lost 40 once), leading the league in innings pitched with unheard-of numbers like 595 & 658.
Interestingly, McCormick was born in Scotland, as was his nearest competition, Bobby Thomson (34). The best Welsh players are next – Jimmy Austin (23) & Ted Lewis (18). You have to go all the way to number 5 for the top Englishman, Hobie Ferris (16).
Cuba
Raphael Palmeiro, 1B (72)
I must admit, I forgot Palmeiro was born in Cuba. From Havana, he would come to the US with his family at age 7.
Though his stats will forever be tainted by his use of PEDs, Palmeiro nevertheless hit over 500 HRs and 3,000 hits (usually enough to get you into Cooperstown). He also drive in 1,835, and was a 3-time All Star and Gold Glover.
Close behind him is Luis Tiant, at 66.
Venezuela
Miguel Cabrera, 1B (67)
Like Pujols, Cabrera is only waiting for his first ballot to get into Cooperstown. Up for 21 years, he finished with an average over 300, as well as over 500 HRs & 3,000 hits. He also led the league 4 times in batting, and 2 times in both HRs & RBIs. Miggy was a 2-time MVP & 12-time All Star.
The competition is not too far behind him, though, with Bobby Abreu at 60, Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio at 56, and Jose Altuve at 53. I’m guessing Altuve will surpass them all before he hangs it up.
Cabrera’s also served in the WBC as both player & coach
Japan
Ichiro, OF (60)
Nope, Shohei Ohtani (52) hasn’t passed Ichiro just yet. Just give him another year or two.
That said, Ichiro’s got some pretty solid numbers. In 19 years, he managed to hit 311, and finish with over 3,000 hits, 500 steals & 10,000 plate appearances. He also led the league no less than 7 times in hits. Ichiro was a RoY & MVP (in the same year, no less), as well as an All Star (10 times) & Gold Glover (9). Though he only got in 19 games in the postseason, he did put up a gaudy 346 average.
Ichiro won 2 titles with Team Japan
Nicaragua
Dennis Martinez, P (49)
Martinez reminds me a little of Blyleven & Jenkins. Though not in the Hall, he was another largely unsung workhorse.
Over his 23-year career, Martinez finished with a 245-193 record in over 4,000 IPs. A 4-time All Star, he did lead the league in ERA & wins, both once. He also pitched a perfect game.
Another thing that El Presidente has going for him is his complete dominance of Nicaraguan baseball history. His closest competition is Vicente Padilla, at 12.
Thanks, Google Images – unfortunately, that’s not him.
Mexico
Fernando Valenzuela, P (41)
Remember Fernandomania? Indeed, that first year of his really was something else. In addition to leading the league in strikeouts & shutouts, he was also the RoY & Cy Young award winner.
Sometimes, I think people forget he pitched 16 more years. No, none of those ever equaled that rookie year, but he did manage to finish with over 2,000 K’s, win 20 once (& led the league in wins), pitch a no-hitter, and make the All Star team 6 times.
His popularity , though, also probably had a lot to do with how well he pitched in the postseason. Over 64 innings, he went a stellar 5-1, with a sub-2.00 ERA.
As for competition, pitcher Teddy Higuera is the closest, at 30.
Valenzuela was Mexico’s pitching coach for 3 WBCs
South Korea
Shin-Soo Choo, OF (35)
Things are going to start falling off a little now, starting with this guy. Though Choo was up for 16 years, his only real accomplishment was making the All Star team once. He did, though, bat over 300 3 seasons, as well as hitting over 20 HRs 7 times. Oh yeah, he also lead the league in HBP once.
The nearest competition is a guy you’ve probably heard of, Chan Ho Park, & one you probably haven’t, Hyun Jin Ryu. They’re both at 20.
Choo also got in 1 WBC
Colombia
Edgar Renteria, SS (32.44)
Renteria was up for 16 years, with 7 teams. He finished with a 286 average, 1,200 runs, and over a 100 HRs & steals. Renteria was a 5-time All Star & 2-time Gold Glover. He notched not quite 250 ABs in the postseason, but without any big numbers.
Jose Quintana is almost dead even with him, though, at 31.69. Quintana’s still playing, so there’s a good chance he’ll be number 1, probably after next season.
Renteria got in 1 WBC for Colombia
Germany
Max Kepler, OF (21)
With so many great baseball players of German extraction – Honus Wagner, Lou Gehrig, even Babe Ruth – I’m a little surprised Max Kepler is the best native German out there.
Kepler’s been up for 11 years, but really hasn’t made much of a mark. He did have one great season, when he hit 36 homers and was 2 RBIs short of 100. Though good defensively, he’s never really been able to hit, batting 235 lifetime. He’s still active, but is also 33, so I don’t see him adding much to his career WAR.
Though he was born in Berlin, Kepler actually has an American mother and a Polish father. Interestingly, both were ballet dancers.
Right behind Kepler are military brat Glenn Hubbard (19) and old-timer Pretzels Getzlen (18).
Kepler has played in 1 WBC
Brazil
Yan Gomes, C (18)
I had a feeling this would be Gomes, but had no idea his WAR would be this high.
He did play 13 years, though, getting over 400 ABs 3 times. Gomes did have one really good year, where he hit over 20 HRs & batted 278 (getting a Silver Slugger award for the latter). Overall, he’s got over 100 homers & 500 RBIs. He’s also a 1-time All Star. Finally, Gomes was pretty decent defensively as well.
Born and raised in Sao Paolo, Gomes was turned on to baseball by a Cuban coach. He moved to Florida with his family when he was 12. Gomes then played college ball at Tennessee, where he was an All American.
Hard to believe, but there are only 4 other native Brazilians who have played in the bigs. Though Gomes hung up his spikes just a couple of years ago, he was actually the 1st one to make the majors. Gomes’ closest competition is Paolo Orlando, at 1.68.
Gomes played 1 year in the WBC & is currently Brazil’s catching coach
Taipei
Chien-Ming Wang, P (13)
Chien-Ming Wang was up for less than 10 years, but managed to do a fair amount in that short time. In particular, he had 2 years when he won 19 games, leading the league in wins in one of those. Overall, he finished 68-34, for an incredible 667 winning percentage. His only other claim to fame is coming in 2nd in Cy Young voting one year. If not for injuries, though, he’d be a lot higher on this list.
Not too far behind him, at 9, is Wei-Yin Chen, another pitcher.
Wang has pitched & coached for Taipei in the WBC
Australia
Dave Nilsson, C (10.55)
Baseball is surprisingly popular in Australia. In addition to producing 35 big leaguers, they also have their own league. That said, they’ve never really a produced a real star.
The closest they’ve come is Dave Nilsson. Unfortunately, he just never played long enough – a mere 8 years. He was, though, a starter for all but one of those years. And that’s how he managed to hit over 100 homers and tally not quite 500 RBIs. He also finished with a nice 286 average, and was a 1-time All Star as well.
Nilsson made a splash in his last year in the majors, opting to represent his country in the Olympics rather than play in the bigs. After that experience, though, he was never able to make it back to the MLB, playing in another Olympics and playing & managing abroad, primarily in the Land Down Under.
Right behind Nilsson are Grant Balfour (9.19) & Liam Hendricks (9).
Nilsson is also the current manager for Team Australia
Italy
Julio Bonetti, P (0.32)
So, here’s where things really start to drop off. Though there are plenty of Italian-American big leaguers – including most of Italy’s WBC team – there were only 9 who were actually born there.
And poor Julio Bonetti is the best of the bunch. If you’ve never heard of him, that may be because he only pitched for 3 years, 80-some years ago. Over those 3 years, he went a dreadful 6-14, with an ERA over 6. Kinda makes you wonder how he managed (just barely) to notch a positive WAR.
Only 2 other of his compatriots managed to do the same. You’ve probably never heard of them either. Bonetti’s closest competition is the rather American-sounding Chase Burns (a military brat), at 0.21. He’s only 23, so is a pretty good bet to pass Bonetti, probably this year.
Czechia
Frank Meek, C (0.11)
Like Julio Bonetti, Frank Meek played very briefly many, many years ago. In Meek’s case, we’re talking 2 years, back in the late 1800s.
The result? How about 6 hits over 18 at-bats, along with 5 runs, 2 RBIs & 2 SBs. Not that bad really.
There are only 4 other Czechs who made the majors, with the wonderfully-named Josef Koukalik the only other in positive territory (0.04).
Oops, wrong Frank Meek!
South Africa
Gift Ngoepe, OF (0.06)
What a great name! Mpho (“Gift”) Ngoepe was in the bigs for 2 years, getting 72 ABs but posting a measly 181 average. His main claim to fame seems to be never having made an error.
Hard to believe, but it sounds like Ngoepe’s life was bathed in baseball since the day he was born. His mother was the clubhouse attendant for a minor league team in Johannesburg, with the family actually living on site.
There’s only 1 other native South African MLBer. Pitcher Tayler Scott (-0.6) played last year, so there’s a chance he might pass Ngoepe. He’s 33, though, and had a negative WAR last year, so I’m not betting on it.
Ngoepe played a couple of times for South Africa in the WBC
China
Harry Kingman, 1B (-0.04)
Considering Harry’s the only MLBer born in China, his measly negative WAR will have to do.
Kingman played just one year, over a 100 years ago. Though he played in 4 games, he only managed 3 at bats, striking out twice. A single walk is the only time – and only way – he would get on base.
Kingman, obviously, is not Chinese. His parents just so happened to be missionaries there at the time. The family would move back to the States when Harry was 7.
Kingman would have great success later in life (see here for more)
Spain
Danny Rios, P (-0.59)
Though his parents were Cuban, Danny Rios was born in Madrid. The whole family moved to Florida when Danny was just 2.
Unlike Harry Kingman, Rios was up two whole years in the bigs. Unfortunately, that only resulted in 10 IPs, with a 0-1 record, 9.31 ERA & 2.69 WHIP. I’m talking giving up 18 hits, 8 walks, 2 homers & 10 earned runs. Ouch.
Bryan Oelkers (-0.9) is Rios’s closest competition. Heck, there’s only 1 other guy.
Rios had better luck in Japan (shown here), Korea & Mexico
Israel
Nobody. Nothing, Zilch. Nada. No native-born Israeli has ever played in the bigs.
We do, though, have at least some naturalized citizens. And Dean Kremer is the best of those. Over a 6-year career, he’s got a 41-40 record & 4.26 ERA, and has over 500 strikeouts. Though born in California, he had his bar mitzvah in Israel, became an Israeli citizen, lives in Israel 2 months of every year, and speaks fluent Hebrew.
Kramer’s also played in a couple of WBCs for them as well
