These players used the Classic to prep for greatness

Each MLB player's preseason preparation for the long season ahead typically plays out in quaint locales in Florida and Arizona. Spring Training games are marked by their relaxed nature. Who wins or who loses ultimately doesn't matter. These weeks are about getting your body and mind ready while getting in some reps under the sun.

But every few years, Spring Training's relative tranquility is interrupted by a tournament that brings a buzz to packed stadiums worldwide. Who wins or who loses definitely matters. Heck, the results are a matter of national pride. There are medals and global bragging rights on the line. The World Baseball Classic is not your typical baseball game in March. It is something much greater.

Many of the teams are packed with Major Leaguers who can't wait to represent their home nation. Once the tournament ends and they return to their club, some of these players are primed for the 162 games in front of them and end up experiencing tremendous success.

Here are 12 players who had a memorable season immediately after playing in the WBC.

Shohei Ohtani, 2023 Angels
Ohtani played a leading role in perhaps the most iconic moment in Classic history, striking out Angels teammate and Team USA star Mike Trout to seal the 2023 title for Team Japan. Then the two-way superstar once again wowed baseball fans all summer long with his incredible skills in the batter's box (44 homers, an MLB-best 1.066 OPS) and on the mound (3.12 ERA, 167 strikeouts in 132 innings). Ohtani captured his second American League MVP Award in three seasons and signed a record-setting $700 million contract with the Dodgers before the close of the year.

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Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023 Braves
Acu?a didn't really stand out at the plate for Team Venezuela in the '23 WBC, going 4-for-18 with no home runs and two RBIs. He did, however, steal three bases, which was a small preview of what was to come during the regular season. Acu?a nabbed 73 bases for Atlanta, a Modern Era record for the franchise. He combined that speed with 41 homers, resulting in a truly unique season and a National League MVP Award for the 25-year-old.

Giancarlo Stanton, 2017 Marlins
Stanton’s one home run for Team USA during the 2017 Classic – a tiebreaking liner that seemed to travel at the speed of light – was just a preview of what was to come for the hulking slugger. His prodigious power was on full display for Miami as he crushed 59 homers, the most by any MLB player in 16 years. One of four MVPs on this list, Stanton’s final dinger of the season was one of his trademark blasts, traveling 467 feet and coming off the bat at 118.7 mph. It was his hardest-hit homer that year.

Kenley Jansen, 2017 Dodgers
Eight years after making his WBC debut as a rocket-armed catcher, Jansen pitched one perfect inning for Team Netherlands in 2017. The big righty then set his sights on being the best closer in the big leagues. In a season that earned him Cy Young and MVP votes, Jansen recorded a scant 1.32 ERA with a National League-best 41 saves in 42 chances. He racked up 51 strikeouts before allowing his first walk and registered what was the third-best K-BB rate in AL/NL history to that point (39.5%) among pitchers with at least 60 innings.

Jose Altuve, 2017 Astros
Jansen and the Dodgers fell to the Astros in the World Series, which capped a monumental year for Houston’s star second baseman. Besides winning a ring, Altuve led the AL in hits for the fourth straight season, picked up his third batting title with a .346 average, finished fifth in the Majors with a 160 OPS+ and earned MVP honors. This career year followed a 7-for-27 showing for Team Venezuela in the WBC, when Altuve shared the dugout with the next prolific hitter on our list.

Miguel Cabrera, 2013 Tigers
After winning the Triple Crown in 2012, Cabrera actually performed better at the plate in ‘13. His triple-slash line went up across the board -- .348/.442/.636 -- and he paced baseball in each category. His Offensive WAR was a career-best 9.1, and his 190 OPS+ was the highest for any MLB player in five years. One thing did remain the same from 2012, however: He was the easy choice for American League MVP. Cabrera, leading Team Venezuela, is the only player to appear in each of the first five Classics.

Hanley Ramirez, 2009 Marlins
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was a disappointing affair for Ramirez and Team Dominican Republic, which finished in ninth place. But in the Majors, 2009 was Ramirez’s capstone. He set career highs in WAR (7.3), on-base percentage (.410) and OPS+ (148). He ranked among the top six National League players in each category, yet no one in the Senior Circuit could match Ramirez’s .342 average. He became the first NL shortstop to win a batting title in nearly 50 years.

Derek Jeter, 2009 Yankees
Jeter’s 6.6 WAR in 2009 was the third-best of his career. He totaled 212 hits, a .334 average and a solid 125 OPS+. He finished third in AL MVP voting. Now, to be honest, he had a better statistical year – both with the Yankees and Team USA – in 2006. But two momentous events are behind this inclusion: This year saw Jeter claim his fifth and final World Series victory and pass Lou Gehrig to become the Yankees’ all-time hits leader.

Justin Morneau and Johan Santana, 2006 Twins
In that aforementioned 2006 campaign, Jeter was edged out for the AL MVP by Morneau, who belted 34 home runs, batted .321 and tallied 130 RBIs, the most by a Twin in 37 years. And this was after Morneau logged two doubles as part of a three-hit day in Team Canada's upset of the USA.

Meanwhile, Santana blew through the American League yet again en route to picking up his second Cy Young in a three-year span. He struck out 10 batters over 8 1/3 frames for Team Venezuela and then topped the Majors in myriad categories – ERA (2.77), strikeouts (245), WHIP (1.00), ERA+ (162), to name a few.

Morneau and Santana get put on the same line here because they are part of a small group of teammates in baseball history who have earned an MVP Award and a Cy Young Award in the same season.

Alfonso Soriano, 2006 Nationals
Soriano went 0-for-12 with no steals in four games for the ‘06 Dominican Republic team. He must have been saving all that speed and power for the regular season. His one summer with the Nationals was one to remember as Soriano became the fourth member of the 40-40 club. He also reached career highs with a 6.1 WAR and a 135 OPS+.

Albert Pujols, 2006 Cardinals
This season was packed with WBC participants who put up boffo numbers in the bigs. You could include Carlos Beltran, who returned from his time with Team Puerto Rico to compile a dazzling 8.2 WAR. You could include David Ortiz and his 54 home runs (not counting the balls he launched into orbit during the Classic). But we’ll go instead with Ortiz’s Dominican Republic teammate and the only player who had a better WAR than Beltran this season.

Pujols owned the first decade of the 2000s in MLB and although 2006 wasn’t quite his best, the numbers are still mesmerizing. His 49 dingers and .671 slugging percentage were career highs. Along with his 8.5 WAR, Pujols’ 1.102 OPS led all players. It was the fifth time in his first six seasons that Pujols posted an OPS of 1.000 or better. He lost out to Ryan Howard for NL MVP, but any sour feelings toward that vote likely evaporated quickly as Pujols celebrated his first World Series triumph.