The World Baseball Classic (WBC), which originated in 2005, is an international tournament that features professional baseball players from around the globe. It is currently held every four years and as I write this they are closing out the championship round of the 2017 installment. For a while now, there has been whispers that this could be the last WBC, and while there are many reasons for this, one of the most prominent is the fact that team officials are concerned with their stars getting injured while playing in the tournament. The WBC is held during the spring training months of the year and this is typically when players are most vulnerable for injuries, especially pitchers who have not yet built up to full strength. While it has yet to be determined whether this will be the last WBC, I have three reasons why the tournament should go on:

1. The World Baseball Classic is gaining in popularity.

The 2017 installment of the WBC set an attendance record through the second round with 976,828 fans attending the event. Officials are estimating that they expect over one million people to attend the WBC by the time the champion is crowned, which will be the first time the event will surpass the one million mark. Spring Training is typically a mundane part of the year for fans, players, coaches and executives; the WBC presents the opportunity for baseball games that count during the time of year when they usually don't

2. Players enjoy participating in the tournament and representing their country.

Players from around the world have relished at the opportunity of teaming up with fellow countrymen to play in the WBC. Ken Rosenthal, of Fox Sports, released an article today which quotes members of Team USA, who say one of their favorite aspects of the tournament is the ability to team up and play with guys they don't normally get to compete with and pick their brains. Astros infielder, Alex Bregman, is quoted in the article as saying, “It was something that an average person would pay a lot of money for, to sit at that table and listen to (Paul) Goldschmidt and (Giancarlo Stanton) and (Nolan) Arenado talk about hitting for three hours.”

3. The World Baseball Classic is an outreach tool for Major League Baseball.

Major League Baseball (MLB) is continually looking for ways to expand their outreach, both at home and abroad. In addition, officials at MLB, including commissioner Rob Manfred, have stated that they are always trying to improve the game and appeal to a new generation. The World Baseball Classic is the way to do this. There is no denying the popularity of events like the World Cup and the Olympics. The WBC is MLB’s way of reaching out and competing on the world stage. The WBC was created to further promote the game around the world; it is an excellent combination of culture, competition and unity.

I understand some of the downfalls of the WBC, and I certainly understand the injury concern. I have recently read several suggestions on how the WBC can be improved, with some even suggesting that a few rounds of the tournament should be held during an extended All-Star break to ensure the health of all participants and to not disrupt the spring training for the participants. I don’t have the answers but in a time where other major American sports are finding ways to go international, MLB should explore every avenue to keep the WBC alive.