4 ways to improve the WBC for 2021

With the World Baseball Classic drawn to a close, and this year's being an incredible success, there's little doubt that the tournament can grow and prosper.

While the WBC did many things right, there is still some room for improvement. There's no way to solve every little issue the tournament has, but if MLB is going to use it as a platform to grow into a more global sport, they could execute a couple things better.

Here are four ways that MLB can improve the WBC for 2021:

More games abroad

The World Baseball Classic completed its fourth finals game on Wednesday, and all four have taken place in America. If the sport is really trying to go global, that doesn't seem like a winning formula. Considering Japan has made it to the semi-finals in each of the tournaments' four runs, it's probably time to give them some true home-field advantage.

MLB has made half-hearted efforts in the past to play meaningful games in other countries, but there are only 18 such examples since 1996. The WBC should become the platform for going all-in on global engagement. Besides, one of the most entertaining parts of this tournament was taking in how other countries cheer on their players. Part of the tournament is introducing baseball to other countries, sure. But another part should be introducing North Americans to other, frankly more fun, fan bases.

Shorten spring training

This is long overdue as it is. Pitchers and catchers started reporting over a month ago and there's still more than a week left until Opening Day. Most players report having already gone through offseason workout regimens now anyways. If you're going to report to camp in the best shape of your life, a six-week-long stint before meaningful games start isn't helping.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post makes some compelling points for shortening spring training specifically during WBC years. However, shortening spring training in 2021 would be the gateway to shortening it every following season. If the WBC is what fans have to rally behind for fewer spring games, then giddy up.

Increase roster size

The WBC roster size is already three spots larger than the MLB norm. But, in today's elbow injury climate, there's not much wonder why the best pitchers aren't able to make the tournament. Perhaps teams would be more willing to part with their stars if workloads were more strictly managed.

Allowing pitchers to pitch fewer innings would mean increasing roster size though. Changing the roster from 28 to 30, while policing the fact that 15 players must be pitchers, might help solve that issue. While it might help deeper rosters a bit too much, it would also allow teams to use pitchers only once or twice through the order.

Play the final during the All-Star Break

This is likely the most controversial, but MLB's All-Star Game has been in need of reform for years. It's a largely meaningless event in the middle of summer that people mostly watch because there's literally no other sport on television.

So, how about we keep the Home Run Derby and Futures festivities, and can the All-Star Game? Then, replace the gap with a best-of-three WBC finals series. No other major sport is being played during baseball's All-Star break, so, if the MLB wants a major platform on which to promote the WBC, play the finals when people can't watch anything else.