Five Los Angeles Angels will compete in the World Baseball Classic

The Los Angeles Angels will be a part of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Sixteen national teams will compete for a spot in the championship round. The WBC begins on March 6th, and the championships begin on March 20th.

This year the Los Angeles Angels have a total of five players representing their home countries.

Winter is coming to an end, and the beginning of baseball is in the air. The first spring training game is February 25th. On March 6th the World Baseball Classic is set to start as well.

Andrelton Simmons will be representing the Netherlands for the second time. Back in the 2013 WBC, Simmons was able to post a  .333 average with two home runs and six RBIs.

With Simmons being one of most exciting players on the Los Angeles Angels roster last season, it will be fun to get a glimpse of what is to come in 2017. The Netherlands will begin against Korea on March 7th at 4:30 AM EST.

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Also playing in the WBC are relievers Jose Alvarez and Deolis Guerra. They will be representing Venezuela, neither have played in the WBC before.

Guerra was one of the few bright spots in the Angels bullpen last year, where he ended with a 3.21 ERA in 53.1 innings pitched. Alvarez was able to pitch another solid year for the Angels and ended with a 3.45 ERA in 57.1 innings pitched.

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Joining them for Venezuela is also newcomer Yusmeiro Petit. The Los Angeles Angels signed Petit to a minor league deal, but no doubt we will see him pitch in spring training and the WBC.

If management likes what they see there is a good chance we will see Petit join the bullpen. Petit posted a 4.50 ERA in 62 innings pitched last year for the Washington Nationals.

Another minor leaguer that will be repping the Angels is Samuel Holland. The Angels signed  Holland to a minor league deal last year in April.

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In Single-A play last year, Holland put up a ridiculous 0.83 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched. Holland may not make the 25 man roster this year, but at 22 years old he is definitely one to keep an eye on in the farm system.