World Classic: Paul Skenes is not expected to pitch in the final

Mark DeRosa, the manager of the American team, has a great team at his disposal. Many pitchers have chosen to participate in the World Baseball Classic in order to help the United States win. It would be easy to say that DeRosa has his hands full and that he has a rotation at his disposal. But as Ken Rosenthal said, logic isn't the only factor when it comes to using pitchers.

Doesn't it make more sense to have Tarik Skubal pitch against Mexico and not Great Britain?

“When it comes to pitching plans for the WBC, logic is only part of the equation,” says @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/ePSNwkX4QH

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 4, 2026

The manager has to deal with the fact that the pitchers belong to an MLB team – except for Clayton Kershaw, who will retire after the tournament. So they have restrictions.

That's why Tarik Skubal will only pitch one game.

But because Skubal will only pitch on Saturday (before returning to the Tigers' camp), that will push Skenes back to Monday's game. And since Skenes will pitch on Monday (March 9), he will likely not be able to pitch in the final (March 17) and will have to pitch in the semifinal two days earlier.

Why? Because the Pirates don't want him to go seven days without pitching. That wouldn't be good for his preparation.

Why Paul Skenes is unlikely to take the mound for Team USA in a potential WBC final. https://t.co/Fj1idqvtDV

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 4, 2026

These constraints mean that it won't be easy for countries with MLB players to compete in some respects. But since the American rotation is excellent, that compensates somewhat.

To be continued.

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