Team USA Eyes World Baseball Classic Title Behind Judge and Revamped Pitching

Yankees captain Aaron Judge leads a star-studded U.S. roster hoping to capture their first World Baseball Classic championship since 2017. The Americans feature an upgraded pitching rotation including Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal as they seek revenge against defending champion Japan.

Yankees captain Aaron Judge will swap his familiar pinstripes for Team USA colors as he prepares to lead America’s quest for World Baseball Classic glory.

“Getting the chance to wear that across my chest is going to be pretty powerful,” Judge expressed about representing his country. “I think a lot of people have a lot of pride for their country.”

The United States enters the sixth edition of the tournament seeking redemption after falling 3-2 to Japan in the 2023 championship game, where Shohei Ohtani sealed victory by striking out Mike Trout. America hasn’t claimed the title since their lone triumph in 2017.

Competition begins Thursday with 20 nations vying for the crown. Australia faces Taiwan at Tokyo Dome in the tournament opener, while games commence Friday in Houston, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Miami will host the championship finale on March 17.

Team USA boasts a significantly strengthened pitching rotation featuring Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller, while their lineup is expected to showcase Judge, Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber and Bobby Witt Jr.

Skenes, who observed the previous two tournaments from afar, eagerly accepted manager Mark DeRosa’s invitation.

“When DeRo called, it was like, just, ‘Yeah, I’m in. You don’t need to talk me into this or anything,'” said Skenes, who spent two years at Air Force Academy before moving to LSU. “It was a quick yes.”

Team chemistry has been building for months among the players.

“The group chat’s been firing away for the last couple of months,” Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper revealed.

Logan Webb will take the mound for America’s Friday opener against Brazil in Houston, with Skubal following Saturday versus Britain, Skenes facing Mexico on Monday and top Mets prospect Nolan McLean starting against Italy on March 10.

These four starters accumulated a combined 19.8 Baseball Reference WAR last season, dramatically improving from the 2023 American rotation of Adam Wainwright, Nick Martinez, Lance Lynn and Merrill Kelly, who totaled just 7.8 WAR the previous year.

Skubal plans to make one appearance before returning to the Tigers.

Tournament pitch limits restrict hurlers to 65 pitches in opening round games, 80 in quarterfinals and 95 in semifinals or finals. Pitchers throwing more than 50 pitches must wait four days before their next appearance, while those exceeding 30 pitches sit out the following day. No pitcher may work three consecutive days.

“There are obviously guardrails for the tournament to begin with, 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,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa explained.

Japan aims to capture their fourth championship and join the 2006-2009 Samurai Warriors as the tournament’s only back-to-back winners.

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto bring championship experience after helping last year’s Los Angeles Dodgers become the first repeat World Series champions since the Yankees’ three-peat from 1998-2000.

“Going back to back, that is our only goal,” Yamamoto stated through a translator.

World Series MVP Yamamoto will start Japan’s opener against Taiwan on Friday. Los Angeles approved his participation despite his 211-inning workload last season, including playoffs.

“The Dodgers understand how big the WBC tournament is, big in Japan,” he said. “The Dodgers and the WBC, they both are very important to me equally.”

Japan’s rotation lacks Ohtani, who won’t pitch, plus Roki Sasaki, who stayed at Dodgers camp following an injury-plagued rookie campaign, and Yu Darvish, recovering from elbow surgery.

The Dominican Republic, chasing their first championship since their only victory in 2013, features six players who ranked among last year’s top 10 MVP candidates: Junior Caminero, Jeremy Peña, Geraldo Perdomo, Julio Rodríguez, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado and Ketel Marte also join a roster including pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Cristopher Sánchez.

“It can be a headache also because you have so much talent. You wish that you can make everybody happy,” Dominican manager Albert Pujols acknowledged. “The Dominican Republic has been blessed with so many talent.”

Venezuela, grouped with the Dominicans, features Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, Eugenio Suárez and brothers William and Willson Contreras.

Judge emphasizes the significance of representing America in a tournament beginning days after the U.S. and Israel conducted joint military strikes against Iran in the Middle East conflict. Both Skenes and reliever Griffin Jax attended Air Force Academy.

“There are individuals out there that have sacrificed everything for this country to allow me to have my wife safe at home, my daughter safe at home and I get a chance to come out here and play a kids’ game,” Judge reflected.

Israel also participates in this year’s competition. Outfielder Assaf Lowengart stands as the roster’s only player born in the country.

Venezuela competes in Miami two months after U.S. military forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro. Following his removal, Venezuela promoted the autocrat’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, to acting president.

Eight Cuban delegation members, including a pitching coach and federation officials, were refused U.S. visas, according to the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation.

Travis Bazzana makes his Australia national team debut in the tournament opener after Cleveland selected him first overall in the 2024 amateur draft.

While representing Australia’s under-18 squad in 2024, Bazzana documented his aspirations on his phone, envisioning himself as Australia’s second baseman and leadoff hitter at this year’s WBC.

“Growing up, I always looked ahead and kind of had a vision of things I wanted to do in this game, and this was a big part of it,” he said Wednesday. “I was always writing about it and thinking about it.”

Bazzana owns an .801 OPS across 111 minor league contests and should begin the season at Triple-A.

Edwin Díaz returns to Puerto Rico’s roster after rupturing his right knee’s patellar tendon during the 2023 WBC.

Díaz missed the entire 2023 season with the New York Mets due to the injury, suffered during an on-field celebration with teammates after a 5-2 group-stage victory over the Dominican Republic that secured a quarterfinal spot.

Multiple star players will be absent from this year’s competition due to insurance complications, including Puerto Rico’s Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa and Venezuela’s Jose Altuve.