After putting together one of the most impressive rosters in baseball history, it was expected that Team USA would either win the World Baseball Classic or finish second to the impressive Japanese team in the international tournament. Team USA had huge names like Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and pitchers Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal leading the way. It didn't seem like the other teams in the tournament had enough firepower to stay with the sluggers and dominant pitchers on Team USA.
I think it's worth revisiting what is now the game winning hit for Team USA
Roman Anthony joined this team on the recommendation of Alex Bregman. With Bregman on the bench, Anthony takes a premier arm, left on left, to the graveyard
108.2 mph EV
25º LA
421 ft.Exceptional 🤌 pic.twitter.com/qWv0z0AYfj
— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) March 16, 2026
However, the booming bats of Team USA never really got going in the tournament. Games against Great Britain and Mexico saw the bats silenced early before coming to life later in the games. That also happened against Italy in pool play, a game that Team USA lost.
Those games proved to be forerunners to their efforts against the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in the semifinals and finals of the tournament.
A pair of home runs by Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles and Roman Anthony of the Boston Red Sox keyed the semifinal victory over the impressive Dominican Republic, but the bats never got going with any consistency in the 3-2 loss to Venezuela in the title game.
Harper hit a tying 2-4un homer in the bottom of the 8th inning in that game that gave the Americans life, but Team Venezuela responded quickly with a run in the top of the 9th inning and that caused the Americans to go down to defeat.
Anthony, Henderson, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs and Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers were among the most impressive American position players, while Skenes, Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants, Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres and David Bednar of the New York Yankees had solid pitching performances.
WBC performance will serve as jumping off point for Anthony
Anthony was a late add to the Team USA roster after Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks suffered a broken right hamate bone in February and could not play. Anthony had flashed his talent as a rookie with the Red Sox, but his 2025 season was cut short by an oblique strain that ended his season in early September.
However, Anthony looked like a potential star in his 71-game run with the Red Sox that saw him make 303 plate appearances. Anthony struggled for the first few weeks after getting called up, but he quicklybecame a key cog in the Red Sox lineup. He slashed .292/.396/.463 with 8 home runs and 32 runs batted in.
More than the numbers, he carried himself like a star as he played with rare confidence while keeping his emotions in check. He clearly looked the part last year and when he was added to Team USA, he was not out of place.
He was one of the best hitters on the team as he slashed .269/.424/.538 with 2 home runs and 7 runs batted in. His solo home run against the Dominican Republic was the winning blow in that game and he clearly won the respect of his older teammates and opponents.
Anthony looks like he is prepared for a big year for the Red Sox and he could become the franchise's next superstar. While nobody is predicting that he will join the ranks of Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and David Ortiz, a season with 25 home runs, 100 RBI and a .300 batting average all could be within reach. It would not be a shocker if Anthony became the best offensive player on the Red Sox
Henderson ready for a bounce-back season
The Orioles had a miserable 2025 season and they finished in last place in the American League East. A number of their key players — including Henderson — did not perform as expected.
Henderson was named to the team as an infielder, but manager Mark DeRosa named Bobby Witt Jr. as his starting shortstop. Henderson told the Team USA boss that he just needed a chance to show what he could do.
DeRosa worked him into the lineup and Henderson responded with a big performance in the WBC. Henderson played in four games for Team USA and he batted .400 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. His home run against the Dominican Republic tied the game and set the stage for Anthony's winning blow.
Henderson earned All-Star status when he slashed .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs and 92 RBI in 2024. His home run and RBI total dipped to 17 and 62 last year.
Look for an impressive season from Henderson this season.
Miller could become baseball's best closer this season
Miller has been impressive in each of his three big-league seasons. He can fire a 104.5 miles per hour fastball and that's something that no other big-league pitcher can top. Miller had a 2.63 ERA while pitching for the Athletics and the Padres last year . He struck out 104 batters in 61.2 innings.
He had 2 saves for Team USA while striking out 10 batters in 4.0 innings in the international tournament.
Miller also throws a slider to keep hitters off balance, but it is his power fastball that could turn him into the most intimidating closer in the sport.
