SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb will start Game 1 of the World Baseball Classic for Team USA when it takes on Brazil in pool play Friday, manager Mark DeRosa said Monday.
Two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will pitch Game 2 against Britain. National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes is set to face Mexico in Game 3.
“Yeah, it’s set up,” DeRosa said after Team USA’s first workout. “There’s obviously guardrails for the tournament … pitch count-wise, but there’s also guardrails for guys having to throw on certain days to get ready for their team’s Opening Day.”
New York Mets starter Nolan McLean is scheduled for Game 4 against Italy but is currently fighting a cold. He’s still in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where the Mets train. It’s not yet known whether DeRosa will have to make a change to his plan.
“He’s down there right now, and we’ll kind of reassess that day to day,” DeRosa said.
DeRosa wouldn’t reveal his batting order but indicated he’ll be able to go lefty/righty all the way down, with platoon opportunities in center field where Pete Crow-Armstrong and Byron Buxton will share time.
Team USA first gathered in Arizona on Sunday, holding a team dinner before playing in exhibition games Tuesday and Wednesday. Pool play starts Friday in Houston.
New York Yankees and Team USA captain Aaron Judge — who spoke to the team at dinner Sunday night — had trouble finding the right words to describe the stars who will attempt to avenge their loss to Japan in the 2023 finals.
“I wouldn’t even call it an all-star team,” Judge said with a smile. “This team is a lot of great players, a lot of greatness in the room, and it’s cool to see us kind of jumping in on the first day already.”
The excitement that revolved around the Olympics, combined with players’ gratitude toward military members, has players feeling even more pride in wearing their country’s jersey.
“Several of us probably have people who serve in the military or people we know that serve in the military,” Judge said. “And that was the first thing I thought of was there’s individuals out there that have sacrificed everything for this country to allow me to have my wife safe at home and my daughter safe at home, and I get a chance to come out here and play a kids’ game.”
Skenes and reliever Griffin Jax went to the Air Force Academy. It was one of the first things that came up when DeRosa invited Skenes to join the team.
“‘I want to do this for every serviceman and [servicewoman] that protects our freedom,'” DeRosa recalled Skenes saying.
“At the end of the day, that’s all that needs to be said. There’s something very special about representing your country.”
The men’s hockey gold medal game aired in clubhouses at spring training last month, adding even more hype for the WBC.
“People are super excited,” first baseman Bryce Harper said. “Everybody watched the Olympics and saw what the women’s and men’s team did winning gold. I was glued to the TV for those two, three weeks. So, I think it’s definitely a stepping-stone into what we’re doing right now.
“Hopefully, we can kind of do the same thing.”
Skenes will start Team USA’s exhibition game against the Giants on Tuesday. He’ll be followed by Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, Seattle Mariners reliever Gabe Speier, Yankees righty David Bednar and San Diego Padres flamethrower Mason Miller. Another set of pitchers will throw Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies before the team takes off for Houston.
DeRosa summed up his feelings on the stacked U.S. roster.
“It’s a field of dreams, to be honest with you,” he said.
