Three WBC stars from USA-Mexico: Paul Skenes stellar on the mound, Bobby Witt Jr. wows on the diamond

Skenes touched 100 mph on the radar out of the gate in the first inning, followed by a 1-2-3 second inning that began with two strikeouts.

Skenes told reporters in February he intends to pitch throughout the WBC, putting him in line to start a winner-takes-all game in either the quarterfinals or semifinals, if Team USA gets that far. Whenever he takes the mound, the team should like its chances.

Aaron Judge

Judge, the United States captain, ended the top of the third with a laser from his spot in right field to third base, getting Mexico shortstop Joey Ortiz on the tag out.

In the bottom of the frame, he hit the first of two home runs, giving the squad a 2-0 advantage.

Judge is batting 4-for-11 (.364) with two home runs through three WBC games, finding himself in similar form to his back-to-back 2024 and 2025 AL MVP seasons. As team captain, his big game — from the plate and the field — set the tone for the USA's biggest win of the WBC so far.

Bobby Witt Jr.

Batting leadoff, Witt reached base three times in five plate appearances (double, single, walk) and also recorded his third stolen base in group play. But the Kansas City Royals star shortstop's most notable contributions came on the diamond, where he made some sensational fielding plays.

In the top of the fourth, Witt, the reigning two-time AL Gold Glove Award recipient at shortstop, dove to stop a well-hit ball from reaching the outfield and delivered an on-target throw from his knees for the out.

One inning later, he followed with a near-identical play, although he shot to his feet and fired a rocket to first, just beating second baseman Nick Gonzalez sprinting down the line.

Witt's defense was a sight to behold against Mexico on Monday. USA wouldn't have won without it.