The intuitive move for Team USA might be handing the ball to Paul Skenes in the World Baseball Classic championship game, if the U.S. gets that far. But tournament logistics and pitcher routines are steering things in a different direction.
Team USA’s WBC Pitching Plan Taking Shape
Instead, Mets rookie Nolan McLean is currently lined up to start the March 17 final, with Skenes expected to take the mound in the semifinal if Team USA advances. The plan keeps Skenes on a more traditional five-day rest schedule rather than stretching him out to seven days between starts, which Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said would be too disruptive as the reigning NL Cy Young winner prepares for the MLB season.
Team USA’s rotation plan is already mapped out for pool play. Logan Webb will open the tournament against Brazil, Tarik Skubal will face Great Britain, and Skenes will take the ball against Mexico. Skubal, meanwhile, is expected to make just one appearance in the tournament before returning to Tigers camp.
© Mike Watters-Imagn ImagesIf the U.S. reaches the knockout rounds, the pitching depth could expand further. Joe Ryan, currently dealing with lower back inflammation, remains in Team USA’s designated pitcher pool and could join the roster later in the tournament. Ryan recently threw a bullpen and is scheduled for live batting practice, which could put him in position to contribute in a semifinal or final.
Tournament rules also give Team USA additional flexibility to reinforce its pitching staff after pool play. Arms like Matt Strahm, Tyler Rogers, and Will Vest are among the pitchers available in the designated pool if the U.S. advances, meaning even if Skenes isn’t starting the final, the Americans won’t be short on bullpen options in the biggest game of the tournament.
Nolan McLean Emerging as a Key Arm for Team USA
While much of the attention surrounding Team USA’s rotation has focused on established stars, Nolan McLean has been building momentum of his own heading into the World Baseball Classic.
The 24-year-old Mets right-hander still maintains his rookie status and is preparing for what will essentially be his first full season in the majors. McLean burst onto the scene late last year with a dominant eight-start stretch for New York, going 5–1 with a 2.06 ERA, striking out 57 hitters in 48 innings while posting a 1.04 WHIP.
His spring performance has only reinforced the excitement surrounding him. In what may have been his lone Grapefruit League start before departing for the WBC, McLean carved through the Houston Astros, tossing four scoreless innings with six strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk. He did it with efficiency, needing only 56 pitches (36 strikes), and topped out at nearly 98 mph on his sinker during the outing.
Nolan McLean already looks like a front-runner for National League Rookie of the Year, and we’re only a week into Spring Training.That is an absurd arsenal for a 24-year-old! pic.twitter.com/BEJAZRUkDC
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) February 26, 2026McLean’s rise has been rapid. Drafted out of Oklahoma State as a two-way player, he didn’t transition to pitching full-time until mid-2024. Less than a year later, he’s not only in the majors, he’s thriving. His arsenal is built around elite spin, with both a sweeper and a curveball capable of generating close to 20 inches of glove-side movement, and the curveball flashing what evaluators believe could eventually be 80-grade potential.
He complements those breaking balls with two mid-90s fastballs, a sinker with heavy arm-side movement that he leans on against right-handed hitters, and a flatter four-seamer that plays well at the top of the zone against lefties. Add in a high-80s gyro cutter and a fading changeup in the mid-80s, and McLean suddenly boasts one of the deeper pitch mixes among young starters in the game.
© Gregory Fisher-Imagn ImagesThe Mets believe his late-season breakout was just the beginning. If his development continues along this trajectory, the relatively unknown arm penciled in for Team USA’s potential championship start may not stay under the radar much longer.
Extra Innings
After scoring 15 runs against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, the Americans picked up where they left off today against the Rockies, with an Aaron Judge monster shot into the berm at Salt River Fields.Captain ?Aaron Judge CRUSHES a 453-foot homer for Team USA ?? pic.twitter.com/1dXZ3w6w6B
— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2026 All Vance Honeycutt does is hit home runs … literally all he does:Vance Honeycutt is 4-for-4 with 4 homers in #SpringTraining!This one went 471 FEET ? pic.twitter.com/hQAR19zpWI
— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2026 The Dominican Republic is going to have plenty of offensive firepower of its own during this year’s installment of the WBC. Juan Soto has homers in back-to-back days.SOTO! SOTO! SOTO! SOTO! t.co/RqMtEKSrD2 pic.twitter.com/foLmnJ1upC
— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2026 Jason Benetti will be the top voice in the MLB on NBC booth this summer. His debut will come on Sunday Night Baseball in March when the Dodgers take on the Diamondbacks. Benetti will also remain in his role as the Tigers’ play-by-play man this season.EXCLUSIVE: NBC is hiring Jason Benetti as its top MLB announcer, sources tell FOS.Benetti's debut will come during the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game on Sunday Night Baseball in March as the network returns to MLB coverage. He will remain in his role calling local Tigers broadcasts.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 4, 2026 The Athletic’s Evan Drellich on what Tony Clark’s exit from the MLBPA means for the players association and the expected lockout:What Tony Clark’s exit means for the MLBPA and an expected lockout t.co/A35gnfjjS0
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 4, 2026Hence then, the article about mlbits team usa s wbc pitching plan taking shape nolan mclean emerging as a key arm more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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