The World Games Softball Tournament will be full of stars with the top eight teams in the world, including the six squads that participated in the blockbuster Tokyo 2020 Olympic tournament. Let’s look at 10 players everyone should keep an eye on in Birmingham, with the tourney kicking off Saturday, July 9th.
Monica Abbott: Well, it’s Monica Abbott. Do we need to say more? She's only thrown the fastest pitch in softball history. Yes, she's a Guiness world record holder, and she's one of the greatest pitchers to walk the earth. It's possibly the last time she will suit up for the national team on home soil. No one can miss that.
Miu Goto: If Yukiko Ueno is the Japanese Softball Queen, Goto is the Princess and the principal candidate to inherit that throne. Goto is not waiting until Ueno retires to show how good she is. Take a look because she is the present and the future.
Hsia-Ai Ke: The Chinese Taipei pitcher is one of the best newcomers to the international softball stage. Ke showed everyone at the U-18 Softball World Cup last December in Lima, Peru, that she’s ready to make an impact.
Ellen Roberts: The charismatic Aussie pitcher it’s in the middle of a pretty busy 2022 with great performances in Japan's competitive JD League. Now she made a pause on the Women's Professional Fastpitch action to show her talent with the Aussie Spirit.
Sierra Hyland: Mexico’s pitching staff will be commanded by the master of eye-black, Sierra Hyland, who is also in the middle of her season at the JD League. With her Tokyo 2020 Olympic experience under her belt, Hyland will be one of the leaders of the Mexican team.
Victoria Hayward: A terrific batter who is part of the core of this Canadian team with many changes after the Olympics. Hayward showed in the Athletes Unlimited league, the 2018 Softball World Cup and the 2020 Olympics that her bat can cause a lot of damage.
Amanda Fama: The veteran shortstop was a key part of the Italian team that qualified for the Tokyo Games. Fama also played at the Softball World Cup in 2018. So her leadership and experience will be pretty important for this team.
Aleshia Ocasio: The 2021 Athletes Unlimited Champion will lead a Puerto Rican team in the middle of rebuilding after the fantastic performance at the U-18 Softball World Cup. Ocasio is the player to watch on this team.
Jailyn Ford: At 28 years old, Ford will play for the first time for the US National Team in a major tournament. She earned the lowest ERA of the Japanese Softball League in 2019 and 2020, and will give the US a fearsome 1-2 punch, along with fireballer Abbott.
Yamato Fujita: The two-way phenom and Tokyo 2020 MVP is one of the most exciting players in the tournament. Fujita posted a .389 batting average at the Olympics to be one of the most dangerous batters in that tournament. She was recently named the WBSC 2021 Softball Player of the Year.
