The championship game of the World Baseball Classic is set to take place on Tuesday night. It will be Team USA against Venezuela for the right to call their country the best at baseball in the world.
Team USA has experience winning on the biggest stage. They won the World Baseball Classic in 2017 and played for the championship in 2023. Meanwhile, Venezuela has never made it to the WBC Championship game.
Team USA was 3-1 in pool play, losing only to Italy. Still, they were able to knock off Canada in the quarterfinal and then defeat the Dominican Republic in a pitch duel 2-1, advancing to the championship game. Venezuela was also 3-1 in pool play. They lost to the DR in pool play, leading to a draw with Japan in the quarterfinals. Venezuela was able to upset Japan in the semifinal, with the help of some quality end-game pitching and a Wilyer Abreu home run. They then were able to take out Italy in the semifinals to advance to this game.
Venezuela gets to Nolan McLean early
Nolan McLean will be on the mound for Team USA in this game. In his only start so far in the WBC, he gave up two hits, hit a batter, two walks, and a home run. This led to three runs scoring, and McLean taking the loss to Italy. The New York Mets pitcher does not have a lot of high pressure expeirience. He has pitched just five games at the major league level, all in 2025. He was 5-1 in eight starts, with a 2.06 ERA and a 1.042 WHIP.
With him not playing much in the majors, many batters have not seen him before. Ronald Acuna Jr. has though. He is one for three with a solo homerun against McLean all-time. McLean gave up just four home runs in 2025, one of those is to Acuna. He is hitting just .261, but has a .414 OBP with two home runs, four RBIs, and ten runs scored at the WBC so far. Acuna will make an impact early in this game, and it could be the long ball that is making that impact.
Meanwhile, Luis Arraez has been a beast in the World Baseball Classic and will be again in this game. Arraez is hitting .348 with a .385 OBP. He has two home runs, ten RBIs, and scored six times. Further, the end of the lineup will set up the top of the order if McLean gets through the order the first time. Jackson Chourio has been batting ninth and is hitting .250, but has scored three times.
Venezuela will get at least one run off McLean, if not more, depending on how many players are on base when Acuna goes deep.
Alex Bregman plays a massive role
Against the Dominican Republic, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has to explain himself prior to the game, deciding to go with Gunner Henderson over Alex Bregman in the lineup.
“Playing the numbers, playing the hot hand….It’s game on,’’ DeRosa said
If DeRosa is playing the numbers, Bregman is going to get some at-bats early in the game and is going to make an impact. Bregman has not hit well at the World Baseball Classic, hitting just .182. Still, he has a .421 on base percentgae, and has scored three times while driving in four runs. He also has a history of success against Eduardo Rodriguez.
Bregman has 31 total plate appearances with 27 official at-bats. He is hitting .333 with a .419 on base percentgae. Further, Bregman has three home runs, two doubles, and eight RBIs when Rodriguez is on the mound. He has crushed Rodriguez in his career, and if DeRosa is playing the numbers, Bregman is going to be in the lineup, making a massive impact.
The bullpen makes the difference for Team USA
Both pitchers hitting the mound in this game struggled in their lone starts, and both teams lost the last time their respective pitchers took the mound. The two teams have identical team ERAs, but the United States gives up fewer hits and fewer baserunners overall. Still, it is going to be the bullpen for Team USA that will make the difference in this one.
The bullpen for Team USA could be light, with Mason Miller and David Bednar not expected to be available. Still, Garrett Whitlock should be good to go. He has pitched three innings so far in the WBC and given up just one hit. Meanwhile, the team has other options as well. Tyler Rodgers and Garret Cleavinger has not given up a hit in their time at the World Baseball Classic, and should be able to handle some middle innings.
Meanwhile, Jeff Hoffman, Will Vest, and Tim Hill are all on the roster and have yet to pitch at the World Baseball Classic. If McLean can give a solid three innings, Team USA has enough arms to get through to a closer. This is exactly what the team did against the Dominican Republic, and is what they are going to do against Venezuela as Team USA wins the World Baseball Classic.
