Who is starting for Team USA at the WBC?

Rotation set for pool play

Team USA’s staff for the World Baseball Classic has been outlined with a clear plan for the pool stage: San Francisco Giants right‑hander Logan Webb was named to start the opener, while high‑end arms such as Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are also locked into the early rotation.

Managerial approach and confirmed pieces DeRosa has leaned on a mix of veteran major‑league starters and younger power arms to bridge short tournament turns and regular‑season concerns. The pieces announced so far include:

• Logan Webb — slated to start the pool‑play opener against Brazil.
• Paul Skenes — listed among the rotation’s front‑line starters and expected to take a prominent role.
• Tarik Skubal — another featured starter inside the early rotation.

Reports also indicate DeRosa plans to follow the opener with two Cy Young‑caliber arms in short order, giving the USA a rotation that pairs reliable, built‑up starters with high‑ceiling talent. Exact order beyond the opener has been framed as a balance between competitive need and workload management.

Why this matters The rotation choices shape matchups and pool‑play strategy: announcing Webb for Game 1 gives the USA a steady, veteran presence in the opener while leaving room to deploy power arms in the games that most demand them. For MLB clubs and pitchers, the WBC puts additional innings on the calendar in a spring phase; managers often try to protect starters yet still field their best possible team for an international tournament.

What to watch How DeRosa spaces his rotation across the first days, how long each starter goes, and how the bullpen is used will determine whether the U.S. can navigate a short, high‑stakes pool. The early allocation of Webb, Skenes and Skubal communicates an intent to win while managing pitcher health ahead of the major‑league season.