Possibly the most talented World Baseball Classic team the country has ever assembled, and the favorite to win the tournament, the United States is shockingly in danger of being eliminated in pool play after suffering an 8-6 loss versus Italy on Tuesday night.
The star-studded roster, which was confusingly not operating at full force, trailed 8-0 at one point and was unable to climb all the way back. Fans have been looking ahead to Japan and the Dominican Republic before the tournament even started, with a trip to the Final seeming inevitable. Now, the club is no longer in control of its own destiny. Like the great John Sterling said, “that's baseball, Suzyn.”
Despite the sport's inherent volatility, this outcome is quite difficult to grasp. If Mexico defeats Italy on Wednesday while scoring less than five runs, the WBC will likely be over for Team USA. How did we get here?
Manager Mark DeRosa certainly made some questionable decisions — not using Bryce Harper until the eighth inning, trusting Ryan Yarbrough and starting Ernie Clement over Brice Turang and Alex Bregman — but there are a few players who must be held accountable for the part they played in this huge upset loss.
Let's rip off the Band-aid and take a closer look at the three men most to blame for Team USA's flop versus Italy.
Aaron Judge stumbles with the game on the line
It did not take long for the “Aaron Judge cannot get the job done when it matters” narrative to resurface. The three-time American League MVP quieted some of the noise when he slashed .500/.581/.692/1.273 in seven playoff games for the New York Yankees last year, but he is drawing merciless ridicule after failing to come through on Tuesday.
Judge had the opportunity to be the hero, but he was thoroughly outmatched in clutch time. Facing right-handed relief pitcher Greg Weissert with two outs in the ninth inning and Bobby Witt Jr. on first, the superstar right fielder struck out on four pitches. The game was on his bat, which should have been an ideal situation for the United States. Instead, the captain once again scuffled in a big spot.
WBC shortcomings are evaluated differently than MLB stumbles, but this unsuccessful showing is just another reason for the public to bury Judge. He finished 0-for-4 with one strikeout and one walk. One day after leading Team USA to a 5-3 win over Mexico, No. 99 made hardly a peep inside Houston's Daikin Park, a place that has inflicted plenty of pain and disappointment on Judge and his Yankees.
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer obviously possesses the skills to bounce back and lead the U.S. to the championship, but unfortunately, this blown chance could be the last one he gets in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Judge made the last out, but this game got dicey early on.
Nolan McLean could not keep it together
Nolan McLean has only posted eight MLB starts, so if any Team USA pitcher was going to wobble, it was probably going to be him. Phenoms are supposed to rise above the pressure, however. The New York Mets righty dug the squad into an early hole and struggled to consistently find the strike zone, ceding momentum to Italy.
McLean looked every bit the sensation that took the big leagues by storm in 2025. He struck out the side on just 11 pitches in the first inning, imbuing the crowd with an enormous amount of optimism. The energy in the atmosphere abruptly shifted in the second, however.
The 24-year-old allowed home runs to Chicago White Sox prospects Kyle Teel and Sam Antonacci, and it quickly became clear that Team USA was not going to just breeze through to the quarterfinals. McLean surrendered three runs on two hits in three innings of work, while also recording four Ks and two walks. He was initially on track to be the starter for the WBC Final, but even if the U.S. advances to the championship stage, one has to wonder if DeRosa will stick to that plan.
McLean is still an exceptional talent. Whether or not he gets another shot in the WBC, the 2023 third-round draft pick should learn from this humbling experience. He was definitely not the only one to flounder on the mound.
Brad Keller's mistakes put Team USA in an insurmountable deficit
Aaron Judge underwhelmed and Nolan McLean misfired in key spots early, but the game completely unraveled when Brad Keller took the hill. The veteran reliever, who signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in December, made two back-breaking blunders in the top of the sixth.
Following a lead-off walk, which was only the third-worst mistake Keller committed, the 30-year-old made an errant throw to second base that sent one runner home and put two more in scoring position. Italy stretched the lead to 7-0 after a sacrifice fly, and Keller gave up another run off a wild pitch. Phillies fans are surely feeling anxious after this disastrous outing.
Brutal days are commonplace in this sport, but it is hard to deny the effect that Keller's follies had on the complexion of the game. A rough showing turned into a drubbing in just a few minutes, and although Pete Crow-Armstrong led an admirable comeback effort, eight-run deficits are generally impossible to overcome.
The entire clubhouse must feel this loss. If this group is fortunate enough to reach the quarterfinals, it must play with much more composure. One can still attain greatness after hanging on the edge of a cliff. Perhaps this bitter defeat will be the wake-up call that Mark DeRosa and company need, assuming they get another game, that is.
The American super squad will be watching intently as Italy and Mexico duke it out on Wednesday night.
