How Phillies Are Approaching WBC With Cristopher Sanchez

As the Phillies faced the Pirates in Bradenton on Friday, their likely Opening Day starter, Cristopher Sanchez, will be making his first start in Game 1 of the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic at 7 p.m. on FS2.

Sanchez faces Nicaragua. The limit in pool play is 65 pitches, so don't expect for him to go much deeper than four innings. Sanchez went two innings and 32 pitches last Saturday in his lone Grapefruit League start, striking out four Blue Jays and inducing a swinging strike on all seven changeups he threw.

He looked like he was in midseason form, showing up to camp ready to go, as has the Phillies' entire rotation.

The Phillies will "read" after Sanchez' first start with the DR, manager Rob Thomson said last week, meaning they'll reassess and discuss a plan for Sanchez' WBC team that works for both sides. You won't, for example, see a pitcher pushed beyond what his big-league team feels comfortable with.

No decision has been made yet beyond this first round of the tournament.

"So far, I am available," Sanchez told reporters in Miami on Thursday. "I am 100 percent with my team all the way."

Here is some more of the Q&A that took place with Sanchez loanDepot Park.

Revenge vs. Vientos?

Sanchez was asked about facing Mark Vientos, the best hitter on Nicaragua's roster. Vientos is 3-for-13 against Sanchez in the regular season but when they faced off in the 2024 NLDS, Vientos doubled off him, hit a two-run homer and walked.

"You know, we have a healthy rivalry," Sanchez said. "I'm going to go out and compete, to try to perform and execute my game plan. And regarding the other players, we tried to read the reports, watch videos, et cetera."

Unmatched feeling

Sanchez was asked about his journey to this point where he is the Game 1 starter on the stacked roster of his home country.

"Of course it's very, very exciting, and I'm very proud to wear this jersey," he said. "This is priceless, and I'm going to enjoy this as much as possible.

"Representing my country, I have always said that it's a privilege for me. We have great harmony in the team. I would like to enjoy my game, and I would like to play for my family. I want them to feel proud."

Before leaving Phillies camp, Sanchez acknowledged that he never expected to be in this position.

"It's like a dream come true for me. I feel like kid at a candy store right now," he said last Saturday.

"It's an unbelievable feeling. Never in my life would I ever have dreamed something like this would happen. I never thought I was going to get to this level. To be able to represent my country is not just pride, it's a pleasure for me. To go represent my country, my teammates, my family, it's just an amazing feeling."

Schwarber speaks

While Sanchez and the Dominican team was preparing for Pool D in Miami, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Team USA were in Houston getting ready for Pool B.

Schwarber, Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh were the three U.S. position players on the podium Thursday. One of the first questions they were asked was whether they've tried, seriously or jokingly, to recruit upcoming free agent Tarik Skubal to their MLB clubs.

Recruiting Skubal?

"No, this isn't about organizational baseball right now," Schwarber said. "It's about the three letters across your chest and we're looking forward to the journey ahead. Seven wins, one at a time. Any time that you get him or any of our starters on the mound, it's going to be a really good day for us."

The impact of the WBC

Schwarber went 3-for-14 with two home runs, four RBI, five walks and one strikeout in 20 plate appearances at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. One of those homers came off Yu Darvish in the eighth inning of the championship against Japan, making it a one-run game late. Japan held on to win, 3-2.

"The best part about our game is that there are so many different cultures in our game," Schwarber said. "We obviously play organizationally but this is about everyone having pride for their country and trying to represent the the best that you can. It's never taken lightly.

"This is my third opportunity to wear USA across my chest and every time, it means something just as special as the last time. You never take it for granted. Obviously, we have a great group of individuals in the room and you get to take mental notes, see how everyone's preparing and knowing that when we step out on that field, we're going to get everybody's best shot and we'll all be prepared to give them our best shot as well."

The unique bond in a star-filled clubhouse

"We've got a lot of people in the room that haven't gotten to play with each other," Schwarber said, "and we're doing a fantastic job of just creating our culture that we want to have for our time together. You just want to bring everyone closer."

Team USA's first WBC game is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET against Great Britain.