16 teams battled for the top spot in European Baseball. Spain emerged as the clear winner, the only team to win all their matches (six). France finished seventh, a position that accurately reflects their level in the competition.
First, let’s revisit two surprises: the absence of the two favorites in the final: Italy and the Netherlands. Throughout this competition, it was clear that among the top ten teams, the level was quite close. Many matches were won by just one point, and some went into extra innings. The Italians can be said to have underwhelmed in this tournament, finishing ninth, with virtually none of their players standing out either at bat or in the field. The Dutch lived up to their reputation. They lost to the Spanish champions by just one point, despite leading the scoreboard for the first seven innings, only to concede four points in the eighth and ninth innings. The tournament’s top hitter (Jeremi Profar, former minor leaguer) boasts an impressive batting average of over .600. The English also put on a strong showing, their team having already revealed its potential (albeit with different means) during the World Baseball Classic. Clearly, they have what it takes to challenge for European supremacy in the coming years. Finally, the host of this event, an exemplary organizer of this tournament held across no less than five stunning fields, finished in fifth place. After their feat in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, this country will be one to watch, inching closer to the podium each year.
Now, let’s turn our attention to the French. Three wins, three losses, and a crucial match against Germany that left a sense of missed opportunity. Recall: they lost in the tenth inning, despite leading 5-2 in the ninth. They then faltered in their fifth-place match against the Czechs (losing 11-1). During the pool stages, the team steadily improved, winning their matches and naturally losing to the Dutch. It’s worth noting that the two matches lost under the mercy rule (against the Netherlands and the Czech Republic) were both with the same pitching battery (Coste, De la Rosa, Esposito, Antoine). None of these pitchers managed to dominate enough to provide their team with defensive serenity. In the other matches, Couvreur, Moulin, Mercadier, and Prioul performed better, reassuring the defense and freeing up the offense. In the statistics, France only appears in pitching, and indeed, Ben Couvreur wins the title of pitcher with the best ERA. We’ll be hearing more about him. Like Mathias Lacombe, he is already being watched, and in two years, he should be in for a bright future.
On offense, the bats were lackluster and just sufficient during the pool stages. Ernesto Martinez’s home run against Germany sparked the fire, but overall, the best French player, Nolan Soliveres, boasts a batting average exceeding .400, leaving the others with averages not exceeding .300. This is clearly an area for improvement for French baseball.
In the end, France is just a few steps away from shining in the final four. Two more power hitters, two more dominant pitchers in the roster could make all the difference. This doesn’t seem impossible, perhaps easier for pitching. It seems that France is gradually becoming a breeding ground for pitchers rather than hitters, but this is still a very early assessment.
