The World Baseball Classic returns, and for the U.S. team, this year’s tournament is a revenge tour. The United States lost in the finals back in 2023 to Japan, as the best player in the world and in Major League Baseball (MLB), Shohei Ohtani, struck out the L.A. Angel’s center fielder, Mike Trout, in the final play.
After losing in the finals, there has been a lot of talk of how the U.S. looks to respond this time around, with Japan back-loaded, led by Ohtani in their lineup. For their response, the U.S. has added the MLB’s top pitchers from the 2025 season, as both Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes and Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal are set to take the mound. The U.S. is also bringing in right fielder Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, a fan favorite, alongside the veterans the team brings back, Kyle Schwarber and Mike Trout, who provide great power hitting for the lineup. Alongside both Schwarber and Trout returns the best shortstop in the MLB, Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., making the U.S. ‘s lineup very able to make a run once again.
The keys to winning are going to come from many alumni, such as players from the 18U national team, including Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll, Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, and a 2017 World Baseball Classic champion, third baseman Alex Bregman, who has been on the U.S. national team five times, utilized in the batting order to produce offense if power hitters struggle.
On defense is where the biggest question lies for the United States’ road to redemption.
How will the pitching rotation be able to respond with only one start coming from Tarik Skubal?
The U.S. is feeling at ease with a top pitcher in the MLB, Logan Webb, who will take the first start of the tournament. Alongside Webb, Ryan Yarbrough and Nolan McLean provide versatility and depth to respond in place of Skubal getting just one start.
Yarbrough offers left-handed versatility, and has the ability to generate weak contact via his velocity range being in the 99th percentile. Meanwhile, McLean offers a high upside from his mid 90s fastball and high spin rate breaking pitches, his sweeper and slider.
Overall, from the batting order’s depth and a high upside pitching rotation, the U.S. has the ability to get revenge and be atop the baseball world.
