The World Baseball Classic begins tomorrow night at 10:00 PM EST when Chinese Taipei and Australia face off. Team USA kicks off pool play on Friday night at 8:00 PM EST. Logan Webb will get the ball in the first game. Today USA manager Mark DeRosa announced the full starting rotation all the way to the Championship round. Webb gets the first game. Tarik Skubal will pitch on Saturday against Great Britain going only 55 pitches. The third game against Mexico on Monday will have Paul Skenes getting the start. The final game of pool play on Tuesday against Italy will be Nolan McLean who will join the team soon.
If Team USA is able to advance as expected out of pool play the rotation is set depending on how they’ll go. The quarterfinals will have Logan Webb. The semifinals will be Paul Skenes. The Championship game would be Nolan McLean. Skubal may be available but unlikely with it being a contract year for the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner.
Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster
USA Rotation
Logan Webb
Webb last season in 34 starts went 15-11. He posted a 3.22 ERA, a 2.60 FIP, a 1.24 WHIP, and a career high 224 strikeouts in 207 innings.
Tarik Skubal
Skubal in 31 starts last season went 13-6. He posted a career best 2.21 ERA, a 2.45 FIP, a career best 0.89 WHIP, and a career high 241 strikeouts in a career high in innings at 195.1.
Paul Skenes
Skenes, last season in 32 starts for the Pirates he went 10-10. He posted a 1.97 ERA, a 2.36 FIP, a 0.95 WHIP, and had 216 strikeouts in 187.2 innings. Skenes went on to win the National League Cy Young Award.
Nolan McLean
McLean last season appeared in 21 minor league games with 18 coming as starts. He went 8-5 with a 2.45 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and 127 strikeouts in 113.2 innings. He made eight starts for the Mets going 5-1. McLean posted a 2.06 ERA, a 2.97 FIP, a 1.04 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 48 innings.
