Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman will bring his talents to Puerto Rico.
The 2017 World Baseball Classic MVP played a pivotal role in Team USA’s inaugural World Baseball Classic championship at the most recent event.
The official World Baseball Classic Twitter account tweeted Thursday afternoon that Stroman plans to represent at the 2023 event in Puerto Rico.
Stroman tweeted in late July about his plans to appear for the Puerto Rican national team in 2023.
Stroman hit a six-inning one-hit shutout in the 2017 World Baseball Classic title game, allowing a walk in Team USA’s 8-0 win over Puerto Rico. His performance earned him the World Baseball Classic’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Now Stroman will go over and hit the other side.
Stroman is the third Major League Baseball player to join the Puerto Rican national team, after infielders Carlos Correa and Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins.
The Puerto Rico 2017 team included Correa, Carlos Beltran, Javier Baez, Francisco Lindor, Edwin Diaz, Jose Berrios and Yadier Molina.
Stroman has not verbalised why he will represent another country in 2023, but his mother is of Puerto Rican descent.
However, Stroman said in 2017 that he received backlash from Puerto Ricans and his mother was harassed over his decision to promote Team USA.
Stroman has a 3.98 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 104 ERA+ over 101.2 innings and 19 starts in his first season with the Chicago Cubs in 2022. Stroman signed a three-year, $71 million contract with the Cubs last winter .
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