The U.S. baseball team, which is aiming for a second championship in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) by building an all-star batting line, has chosen invincible veteran Adam Wainwright (41, St. Louis Cardinals) as the vanguard.

Fox Sports, an American broadcasting company, reported on the 8th스포츠토토 (Korean time), “Wainwright is scheduled to start in the first match against England in Group C in the first round of the finals held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, USA on the 12th.”

Wainwright is a veteran player representing Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born in August 1981, making him the third-oldest active MLB player. His best friend, Yadier Molina, is the manager of the Puerto Rico national team, so you can guess his age. Molina, who spent her entire professional career with Wainwright as a battery, retired last season, and Wainwright also announced that he would retire last October after signing a one-year contract with his team, St. Louis. This national team is his last international competition.

There is no clear ace on the U.S. baseball team. The other line is super luxurious. Starting with players who won the MVP (Most Valuable Player), such as Mike Trout (LA Angels), Mookie Betts (LA Dodgers), Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis), Nolan Arenado (St. Louis), Kyle Tucker (Houston Astros), Trey Turner (Philadelphia Phillies), etc. Players who are considered the best in the league in their position all boarded the national team.

Unlike other lines, there is no clear pitcher on the mound. Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) and Nestor Cortes (New York Yankees) dropped out due to insurance claims and hamstring injuries, respectively, making it difficult to find ace pitchers. Logan Webb (San Francisco Giants) and Merrill Kelly (Arizona Diamondbacks) are among the players who are playing as the first starter for their team.

Accordingly, the U.S. national team highly appreciated Wainwright’s symbolism and decided to make him the first match starter. Of course, Wainwright’s skills are still intact. Last season, he led St. Louis to the district championship with an average ERA of 3.71, 11 wins and 12 losses in 32 games and 2/3 innings with 191.

The United States competes with Great Britain, Mexico, Canada and Colombia in Group C of the first round of the WBC finals. There is no team comparable to the all-star U.S. lineup, but Mexico, with Julio Urias (Dodgers) and Patrick Sandoval (Angels), is considered to be a top-tier team along with the U.S. team. The U.S. must finish in the top two in Group C to advance to the second round.