Canada is certainly not considered one of the favorites to win top honors at the World Baseball Classic.
The maple leaf will therefore need all its elements if it hopes to cause a surprise during this short tournament.
But now a tile has just fallen on the head of the Canadian formation. Indeed, the best pitcher in Canada, Nick Pivetta, will have to withdraw from the Classic due to an illness that will keep him out of the game for an indefinite period. He is still recovering from the effects of COVID-19.
This is a very heavy loss.
We do not know the identity of his replacement for the moment, but we can say in the meantime that the pressure will fall directly on Cal Quantrill in terms of contribution from the mound.
The other gunners who have already played in the MLB will also have a big role to play, namely Andrew Albers, Phillippe Aumont, John Axford, Adam Loewen and Scott Mathieson.
Remember that the competition will begin on March 8 and that Canada’s first match will take place on March 12 against Great Britain.
Quantrill will absolutely have to win this duel if the Canadians want to dislodge Mexico from second place in Group C which seems to be their rightful place. The match against Colombia two days later will also be of paramount importance.
