Photo via MLB.com

World Baseball Classic experience paying off for Caminero, Aranda in October

Tampa Bay Rays outfielders Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena have carried over the confidence and clutch performances from their World Baseball Classic stints into the 2024 postseason. Franco, who led the Dominican Republic’s offense with three homers and a .350 average in six games, has already shown his postseason mettle with a double and two runs in the ALDS, helping the Rays sweep the Yankees.

Meanwhile, first baseman Jonathan Aranda, who delivered a game-tying blast in Mexico’s WBC opener and batted .357 with a homer in four games, has been equally impactful, hitting a 417-foot home run off Gerrit Cole in Game 1 of the ALDS and driving in the series-clinching run in Game 3. Both players, who had minimal postseason experience before this year, have thrived in high-pressure situations, with Rays manager Kevin Cash crediting their WBC exposure for sharpening their ability to handle big moments.

The electric atmospheres of Miami’s Pool D and Houston’s Pool B—where sellout crowds roared for the Dominican Republic and Mexico—mirrored the intensity of the MLB playoffs, giving Franco and Aranda a taste of what awaits in the ALCS.

Up nextMLB· 1h ago

Brewers’ Garrett Mitchell showcasing what he can do when healthy after missing last year’s playoffs