There are good teams. There are great teams. And then there is the juggernaut that Team USA will be sending to the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Under manager Mark DeRosa, this is clear-cut the best roster that Team USA has ever assembled. That seemed to be a given when Aaron Judge, who is set to play in his first WBC, signed on to be the captain of the team. But it goes well beyond the reigning American League MVP.
Twenty-one of the 30 players on USA’s roster have been MLB All-Stars — a total that, unsurprisingly, leads all teams in the tournament (which airs live on FOX, FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports app, FOX One, and Tubi). The Dominican Republic’s loaded roster ranks second with 16 former MLB All-Stars, followed by Venezuela with 12.
Just based on MLB production using 2025 WAR as a guide, USA has concocted the best roster of any team in WBC history. Even after losing Corbin Carroll to a broken hamate bone — he was replaced by 21-year-old Roman Anthony, who hit 40% better than league average in his rookie season — DeRosa won’t have to worry about a shortage of elite talent.
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With newcomers in Judge, AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, two-time MVP Bryce Harper, two-time All-Star Byron Buxton plus more joining 2023 holdovers such as Bobby Witt Jr., Kyle Schwarber and Will Smith, USA’s lineup is even more stacked than it was three years ago.
But it’s the pitching that really sets this team apart from previous star-studded groups.
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Attracting frontline arms can be an issue ahead of a long MLB season, but not this year. USA recruited both Cy Young Award winners in Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes to a rotation that also includes two-time All-Star Logan Webb, 2025 All-Stars Joe Ryan and Matthew Boyd and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, fresh off retirement. Keep in mind, WBC teams really only need four starters throughout the tournament.
It’s an embarrassment of riches — and that’s before getting to the power arms at the back end of a bullpen that includes Mason Miller, David Bednar and Griffin Jax.
All of that should lead to a USA team more than capable of avenging a 2023 WBC finals loss and reclaiming international glory after winning the tournament in 2017. But it also means some tough decisions ahead for DeRosa when constructing a lineup and figuring out how to deploy the pitching staff.
Of course, he’ll be able to mix and match from game to game depending on the competition, but what would the optimal lineup look like?
Here’s one take:
A lineup where Cal Raleigh hits clean-up behind Aaron Judge? (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Lineup
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R)
- Kyle Schwarber (L)
- Aaron Judge (R)
- Cal Raleigh (B)
- Bryce Harper (L)
- Byron Buxton (R)
- Roman Anthony (L)
- Alex Bregman (R)
- Gunnar Henderson (L)
So, how would that look defensively?
Outfield
LF: Roman Anthony
CF: Byron Buxton
RF: Aaron Judge
You could certainly make the case to get Pete Crow-Armstrong’s defense in center field — he might end up platooning with Buxton — or even moving one of the center fielders on the roster to left, but I like the idea of having two strong defenders and potential base-stealers in PCA and Brice Turang off the bench to deploy as needed in the later innings. Judge is an obvious lock in right. Anthony graded out well defensively last year in both corner outfield spots. Buxton had a 137 OPS+ in 2024 and a nearly identical mark last year (136) in a 30-20 season and career year. He also obliterates left-handed pitching, so putting him behind Raleigh and Harper in the lineup would force tough pitching decisions for opponents.
Infield
1B: Bryce Harper
2B: Gunnar Henderson
SS: Bobby Witt, Jr.
3B: Alex Bregman
C: Cal Raleigh
DH: Kyle Schwarber
After missing the 2023 competition coming off Tommy John surgery, Harper, who played for Team USA’s 16U and 18U teams, will cherish this opportunity. Sure, it might look a little wacky putting Henderson at second base. He hasn’t played the position since he came up as a rookie in 2022, and it’s probably more likely that Turang gets most of the opportunities there when the games begin. DeRosa could platoon the right-handed Witt and the left-handed Henderson at shortstop or Bregman and Henderson at third. But if it’s about fielding the best lineup, it’s hard to argue against finding a way to keep Witt, Henderson and Bregman all in the lineup. Raleigh and Schwarber need little explanation after leading the AL and NL, respectively, in home runs last year. Smith will be able to give Raleigh a spell behind the plate throughout the tournament.
Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal? Either way, prepare to see some heat (Getty Images)
Rotation
LHP Tarik Skubal
RHP Paul Skenes
RHP Logan Webb
RHP Joe Ryan
Swingmen/other options
LHP Matthew Boyd
RHP Nolan McLean
RHP Clay Holmes
RHP Michael Wacha
LHP Clayton Kershaw
Skubal is only expected to make one start before returning to the Tigers, so that’s obviously a blow for USA as it gets deeper into the tournament. Still, though, DeRosa has a bevy of strong options at his disposal. USA only needed four starters to get through the last WBC, and Skenes, Webb, Ryan and Boyd were all All-Stars last year. It’ll be interesting to see how DeRosa chooses to line up the rotation and if Skenes gets saved for a potential final.
If its Mason Miller time, it means it will tough task for WBC opponents. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Bullpen
RHP Mason Miller
RHP David Bednar
RHP Griffin Jax
RHP Brad Keller
RHP Garrett Whitlock
LHP Gabe Speier
LHP Garrett Cleavinger
Everyone wants to watch Miller blow 103 mph four-seamers past amateur athletes to finish off games, right? My guess is he earns the majority of save opportunities, but Bednar is another strong option, and lefties Speier and Cleavinger give DeRosa answers for any lineup he faces. Not bad!
