WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: SEMIFINALS - MEXICO VS JAPAN

March 20, 2023

Austin Barnes

LoanDepot Park

Team Mexico

Pregame Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Austin. Who has the first question?

Q. How much of Roki Sasaki have you guys watched and seen, and just what are your initial impressions off him based on what you've seen so far?

AUSTIN BARNES: Yeah, we went over him as a team, saw some video on him. Obviously a great talent. Didn't know much before the tournament, but he's kind hard to miss when he's throwing 100, 102 with a pretty good split finger. So it will be a good challenge for us today. Excited to see what we can do.

Q. In a couple of big games in this World Baseball Classic against United States and Puerto Rico, you've been seen like the underdogs. Tonight, again, you're seen like the underdogs. How do you take that, and what mentality brings that to you guys, and why do you think that you are still being seen as underdogs with the tournament you've been having?

AUSTIN BARNES: I can't speak for everybody, but I don't look at baseball like that. I just go out there and we play the game. We never know what can happen. Baseball's a hard game. The best team doesn't always win. Sometimes the best team does win. But whoever goes out there and competes and believes in each other and puts up enough runs and has a good game and plays together, that's the team that usually comes out on top. So we believe in each other in that clubhouse out there, so we're excited to see what happens.

Q. Have you texted at all with Trea Turner? Are you surprised at all to see what he's done these last two games?

AUSTIN BARNES: Am I surprised? No. Trea's a pretty good baseball player. But I did send him like an American Eagle gift, just to call him Captain America and stuff like that.

But, no, I'm not surprised at all. Playing with him, he's a great talent. Obviously got paid a lot of money. Just like a lot of those guys on that team. So, no, as a former teammate, good to see for Trea.

Q. What have you seen in Patrick Sandoval and could you describe the chemistry between you both?

AUSTIN BARNES: Yeah, I've known Sandy for a little bit. We used to -- we worked out together one off-season. But he's, I've never caught him and like stuff like that and see how he responds in a big game like that. He was super impressive, just his whole mix and the way he goes about it and the competitor he is. His stuff's real. I don't know if everybody knows about Pat yet but I think people will.

Q. I think you're going to be playing with the Japanese team here. So how have you analyzed team Japan so far?

AUSTIN BARNES: Yeah, I mean, they're a good team, right. It's obviously a little different than the guys I played against in the USA. Like the USA lineup, I had a good idea who they were and what they like to do and stuff like that. Information's a little different, I guess. But we're just going to go out there and play baseball. They're obviously a good team, have a lot of good arms, some good hitters. We just got to be, we just got to go out there and play our kind of baseball.

Q. To expand on that, how difficult is it to come up with a game plan, a scouting reports on guys when you have such limited experience with them?

AUSTIN BARNES: There's some information on Japan. But, yeah, like when you play Great Britain or Colombia or Canada, there's some guys you just don't know. It's a little different. With the guys from Team USA you kind of know the spots to go to, kind of bounce around. Not saying it's easier or not, but it's, there's more, it's more clear direction where to go. But you just got to feel it out, feel out the hitters, feel out the pitchers, see what they're doing good that day and adjust from there.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Austin. Best of luck tonight. Thanks for coming in. Appreciate it.

AUSTIN BARNES: Thank you.