World Baseball Classic: Team USA Roster News, Notes, and Analysis

If this isn’t the best possible lineup the American team could put together, it’s pretty darn close. Cal Raleigh and Will Smith are a lethal combination behind the plate. Raleigh is the de facto starter, but the Americans won’t miss a beat when they need to play their “backup” catcher instead.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson are the two most exciting young middle infielders in the game. They both play shortstop, but Witt has the better glove and should man the position for Team USA.

Henderson will presumably start at third base instead. It might not be his natural home, but he’s still the strongest choice Team USA could have made for the hot corner. Veterans Alex Bregman and Matt Chapman are the best American third basemen in MLB right now, but Henderson is the better overall player, and his star is only rising.

Brice Turang isn’t nearly as big a name as Witt or Henderson, but he broke out as one of the best second basemen in baseball this past year. With Mookie Betts out of the picture, no one stands out as a demonstrably better option than Turang.

Corey Seager has never played second base, and he’s never played in the World Baseball Classic. The injury-prone shortstop would be a great addition to the team, but it seems unlikely that he’ll play.

Trea Turner is another great hitter, while Nico Hoerner is a defensive wizard at the keystone. Still, if Turang keeps playing the way he did in 2025, no one is going to be missing Seager, Turner, or Hoerner on this roster. (And of course, there’s still room on the squad if any of those guys decide to suit up – finding playing time for too many stars is precisely the kind of problem DeRosa wants to have!)

Finishing up in the infield, we have first baseman Bryce Harper. Nick Kurtz is the shiny new toy at the position. Matt Olson is Mr. Reliable. Yet, Harper is a true superstar in name, attitude, and track record alike. It’s hard to deny he was an excellent choice.

Moving to the grass, team captain Aaron Judge leads the way in the outfield. He’s the best hitter on the planet, and the only person who can challenge Shohei Ohtani for the title of baseball’s best player.

Corbin Carroll and Pete Crow-Armstrong are as talented as any other American outfielders. Carroll is an all-around stud, while Crow-Armstrong is going to be winning Gold Gloves in center field for the next decade.

Considering Kyle Tucker is unlikely to commit to the WBC before committing to his new team, there aren’t any obvious better choices for the outfield than Carroll and Crow-Armstrong. Buxton would be a big boost if he does indeed make the team, but considering his injury history, I won’t believe the Twins are actually letting him play until I see it.

Last but certainly not least is Kyle Schwarber. The Phillies’ DH is a premier power hitter who certainly belongs at the heart of Team USA’s order. The only American, and indeed, the only MLB hitter, with more home runs over the past decade is Judge. Getting to see the two of them mash in the same lineup will be one of the most exciting things about watching Team USA.

Will Smith, Bobby Witt Jr., and Kyle Schwarber also played for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Pitching Staff

In past years, many of the league’s best pitchers, and, in particular, the best American pitchers, have declined to participate in the World Baseball Classic. This time, it’s going to be different.

Both of the reigning Cy Young Award winners, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, have already committed to lead Team USA’s rotation. Joining them will be 2025 All-Stars Logan Webb, Joe Ryan, and Matthew Boyd.

Starters Clay Holmes and Nolan McLean have also committed to the squad, but they could end up pitching out of the bullpen in the WBC.

That shouldn’t be a problem for Holmes, who was a two-time All-Star as a closer before the Mets stretched him out. His teammate McLean is one of the most exciting young arms in the game, and Team USA is surely going to be cautious with him. At the end of the day, it’s just fun that he’s playing in the tournament at all.

There aren’t many starters who could make this rotation better, and at this point, it doesn’t seem likely that many more will join the team.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has already said he doesn’t expect Garrett Crochet to pitch in the tournament. Team USA GM Michael Hill suggested that neither Jacob deGrom nor Nathan Eovaldi will participate either, due to their lengthy injury histories.

In terms of more durable American starters who could still join the squad, Dylan Cease and Sonny Gray are two names that fit the bill. However, there’s a good chance they’d both prefer to spend as much of the spring as possible getting sorted with their new teams.

Turning to the bullpen, Garrett Whitlock, David Bednar, and Mason Miller were the top three American relievers by fWAR in 2025.

Bednar has a very solid track record of late-inning success over the past five years, Miller has some of the nastiest stuff in the sport, and Whitlock broke out as a phenomenal set-up man in 2025 after transitioning back to a full-time bullpen role.

Jax is another guy with tremendous stuff, and Team USA’s bullpen would be better with his arm at its disposal. Besides that, the Americans already have most of the best late-inning guys they could ask for, other than maybe Josh Hader and Devin Williams.

That said, they do still need some more relievers. Other options to fill out the bullpen include Ryan Helsley, Trevor Megill, Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, and Jeremiah Estrada (although he could opt to pitch for Mexico instead).

David Bednar is the only pitcher currently on Team USA’s roster who also participated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Coaching and Administrative Staff

Mark DeRosa is back as Team USA’s manager. The 16-year MLB veteran and current MLB Network analyst previously managed the Americans in the 2023 WBC. He also played in the tournament in 2009, leading Team USA with 9 RBI.

Making up DeRosa’s coaching staff are plenty of familiar names. Andy Pettitte is returning as pitching coach, while Matt Holliday is taking over from Ken Griffey Jr. as hitting coach. More returning coaches include Brian McCann, Michael Young, and Dino Ebel, while notable newcomers include David Ross, Fredi González, and George Lombard.

Skip Schumaker was originally announced as Team USA’s bench coach in April, but he is no longer listed among the coaches on the official website. Presumably, his duties as the new manager of the Texas Rangers will prevent him from participating in the WBC.

World Baseball Classic: Team USA Schedule

Exhibition Games

Team USA’s exhibition games will be played at Scottsdale Stadium and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Arizona.

Pool Play

Team USA is part of Pool B, which will play its games from March 6 to 11 at Daikin Park in Houston. Joining the Americans in the pool are Team Mexico, Team Italy, Team Great Britain, and Team Brazil.

Knockout Rounds