In the aftermath of an epic World Baseball Classic final, it can be hard to process all the pieces of the aftermath.
The star of the show was undoubtedly Shohei Ohtani, who not only delivered a rousing speech to his Japan teammates but also struck out his Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to beat the USA and win the WBC title. The latter happening has MLB fans buzzing about the possibilities of the near future.
After the game, Trout was asked about his climactic matchup with Ohtani on the mound. The superstar kept it concise and seemed to interestingly tease what might be in store for both:
Mike Trout on the Shohei Ohtani matchup:
"He won Round 1.''— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 22, 2023
Ohtani won Round 1? Does Trout know the next World Baseball Classic won’t be until 2026? Because that’s … a ways off. No, no, this comment seems to be a lot more about Ohtani’s future, who is set to be a free agent in 2024.
At least, that’s how MLB fans read into Trout’s telling quote.