World Baseball Classic: Why Tarik Skubal won’t be pitching for Team USA in the final

Team USA’s World Baseball Classic roster looks like the best they’ve ever put together, but it just took a hit.

Two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will pitch just once for USA and it’ll happen in pool play (March 7 vs. Great Britain). If the USA advances to the championship round, as expected, Skubal won’t pitch.

“If they go to the finals, I think I’m going to try and lobby to just go watch and be with the guys,” he told reporters, including The Athletic, Monday.

That’s too bad. Those of us who had already started looking ahead figured Skubal could be the USA starter in either the semifinals or finals, giving a nice edge to the squad. After all, he’s won two straight Cy Young awards, two straight AL ERA titles and has a 2.04 ERA in six career playoff starts. 

Instead, if the USA advances, it’ll be without Skubal. 

That gives the mantle of ace to Paul Skenes alone, instead of Skenes just being a “co-ace.” The USA isn’t hurting for starters after Skubal or Skenes, either, as All-Stars Logan Webb and Matthew Boyd are also on the team. Fellow All-Star Joe Ryan is on the roster, though he’s currently dealing with a back injury, as is youngster Nolan McLean and his veteran Mets teammate Clay Holmes. 

The offense is headed up by Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. 

This is to say that, yes, the USA is still plenty talented and could well win the finals. Not having Skubal for the championship round is still a bit of a bummer.

Pool play kicks off next week in Tokyo, San Juan, Houston, and Miami, and the tournament will conclude with the championship game at Miami’s LoanDepot Park on March 17. Team USA won the 2017 WBC, but fell to Japan in the finals in 2023. The Americans are the favorite to win this year (-115, per Caesars), ahead of Japan (+350) and the Dominican Republic (+425).