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The United States has made it to the 2026 World Baseball Classic championship. Team USA went 3-1 in pool play and used wins over Canada and the Dominican Republic to reach the finale.
The U.S. will face Venezuela on Tuesday, March 17, with first pitch set for 8 p.m. ET. Team USA is expected to start New York Mets prospect Nolan McLean. He faced Italy in pool play but struggled, allowing three earned runs in three innings and taking the loss.
The biggest question for manager Mark DeRosa will be how long of a leash McLean gets before he turns to the bullpen. In his first start, McLean got no run support from the lineup. DeRosa's lineup against the Dominican Republic in the semifinals tallied only two runs on seven hits. While the USA lineup is full of All-Stars, there is pressure for DeRosa to make changes to the lineup to capitalize on the opportunity the team has in the championship.
Here's a look at the United States' lineup for the World Baseball Classic championship against Venezuela.
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USA baseball lineup vs. Venezuela
The United States will release its lineup ahead of the 8 p.m. ET first pitch on Tuesday night. For now, here is how Team USA lined up for its semifinal win over the Dominican Republic.
| No. | Player |
| 1 | Bobby Witt Jr. (SS) |
| 2 | Bryce Harper (1B) |
| 3 | Aaron Judge (RF) |
| 4 | Kyle Schwarber (DH) |
| 5 | Gunnar Henderson (3B) |
| 6 | Will Smith (C) |
| 7 | Roman Anthony (LF) |
| 8 | Brice Turang (2B) |
| 9 | Pete Crow-Armstrong (CF) |
The U.S. snuck out a one-run win against the Dominican Republic. Team USA tallied seven hits, but no player had more than one in the game. Henderson and Anthony each hit a solo home run, but DeRosa is likely going to shake something up with the order for the finale. Bobby Witt went 1-4 with three strikeouts in the leadoff spot. Turang went 0-4 with two punch outs, while Crow-Armstrong finished 0-3 with a strikeout. Both players have been platooned so far in the tournament, so don't be surprised if Ernie Clement or Byron Buxton replace them in the championship.
Who is the United States' starting pitcher
DeRosa confirmed after the U.S.'s win over the Dominican Republic that McLean will be starting for the U.S. He can technically still make a change before the game, but the expectation is that McLean will start. What has yet to be determined is how long of a leash he will have before the bullpen, which has been dominant, takes over.
McLean's only WBC start came in pool play against Italy. He pitched three innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out four.
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- Why WBC games can end early with mercy rule
- How qualifying, pool play, standings and more work in the WBC
Who is Venezuela's starting pitcher
Venezuela will be starting Eduardo Rodriguez. The lefty currently pitches for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will be making his second appearance in the 2026 WBC. Rodriguez started against the Dominican Republic in the pool play stage. He lasted only three innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits. Rodriguez gave up two home runs, walked one and struck out five.
MORE: Inside the botched strike call that sent Team USA to the WBC finals
USA World Baseball Classic roster
Pitchers
| Player | Team | Throws |
| David Bednar | New York Yankees | R |
| Matthew Boyd* | Chicago Cubs | L |
| Garrett Cleavinger | Tampa Bay Rays | L |
| Jeff Hoffman | Toronto Blue Jays | R |
| Clay Holmes | New York Mets | R |
| Griffin Jax | Tampa Bay Rays | R |
| Brad Keller | Philadelphia Phillies | R |
| Clayton Kershaw* | -- | L |
| Nolan McLean | New York Mets | R |
| Mason Miller | San Diego Padres | R |
| Paul Skenes | Pittsburgh Pirates | R |
| Tarik Skubal* | Detroit Tigers | L |
| Gabe Speier | Seattle Mariners | L |
| Ryan Yarbrough* | New York Yankees | L |
| Michael Wacha* | Kansas City Royals | R |
| Logan Webb | San Francisco Giants | R |
| Garrett Whitlock | Boston Red Sox | R |
| Tyler Rogers | Toronto Blue Jays | R |
| Tim Hill | New York Yankees | L |
| Will Vest | Detroit Tigers | L |
*Left WBC after pool play
Catchers
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Cal Raleigh | Seattle Mariners | S/R |
| Will Smith | Los Angeles Dodgers | R/R |
Infielders
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Alex Bregman | Chicago Cubs | R/R |
| Ernie Clement | Toronto Blue Jays | R/R |
| Paul Goldschmidt | New York Yankees | R/R |
| Bryce Harper | Philadelphia Phillies | L/R |
| Gunnar Henderson | Baltimore Orioles | L/R |
| Brice Turang | Milwaukee Brewers | L/R |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | Kansas City Royals | R/R |
Outfielders
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Roman Anthony | Boston Red Sox | L/R |
| Byron Buxton | Minnesota Twins | R/R |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | Chicago Cubs | L/L |
| Aaron Judge | New York Yankees | R/R |
Designated Hitter
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Kyle Schwarber | Philadelphia Phillies | L/R |
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