JUPITER, Fla. -- Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton will return to Spring Training this weekend with World Baseball Classic championship medals and baseball experiences of a lifetime.
After being part of Team USA's title team, the two Miami outfielders now know what it takes to win on a big baseball stage.
Yelich, who hit third in a star-studded lineup, said after the United States defeated Puerto Rico on Wednesday: "It's the most fun I've ever had on a baseball field."
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As Yelich and Stanton were playing for Team USA, their Miami teammates followed their every at-bats. Right-hander Tom Koehler said the players had a group text message, and they would repeatedly correspond throughout the tournament.
"Every time [Yelich] got a hit, we were like, 'Look at this guy,'" Koehler said. "Getting that taste of winning, and being on that stage he was on, he's going to expect that from us now. He's going to want to do that again. Him and [Stanton], I think that's going to pay huge dividends for the us going forward."
The Marlins anticipate easing Yelich and Stanton back into Grapefruit League action. Neither is scheduled to play on Friday when the Marlins face the Nationals at 7:05 p.m. ET at Roger Dean Stadium.
Yelich's strong showing in the Classic not only raised his profile, but also his stature in the Marlins' clubhouse.
"I think it's the greatest thing that could have happened for us, selfishly," Koehler said. "Now, Yelly got a taste of what it feels like to be on a huge stage, and basically be a leader on a team full of superstars. You saw that guy out there playing with so much emotion.
"You can't play like that for a full season, he'd be exhausted. But he took another step as far as guys are going to be looking at him in here. He's no longer the young, quiet guy in the corner. He took whole different step.
"The guy can flat out play. Whether you want to be a leader or not, when you're one of the team's best players, people expect you to lead."