Why Nolan McLean, not Paul Skenes, would pitch WBC championship game for Team USA

Team USA is fielding a stacked roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, with pool play beginning on the sixth of March when they take on Team Brazil at Daikin Park. Their pitching staff, in particular, is going to be boasting the likes of Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, the reigning Cy Young Award winners for the National League and American League, respectively.

With there being less than a month to go before the start of the MLB regular season, the WBC has to take into account the workload and schedule for the pitchers who are going to throw for their respective nations. To that end, it won’t be the Pittsburgh Pirates ace who would pitch for Team USA in a potential championship game — it would be upstart New York Mets starter Nolan McLean.

“So it is that New York Mets rookie righty Nolan McLean currently is lined up to pitch the final, as first reported by the New York Post. Skenes would start the semifinal if Team USA advances, enabling him to pitch on five days rest and avoid disrupting his routine,” Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote.

Getting to that championship game, of course, is not a guarantee. Team USA knows better than to count their chickens before they hatch, and perhaps having Skenes pitch the semifinal would be more important in USA’s bid to finally dethrone Team Japan.

Mets’ Nolan McLean faces huge WBC responsibility

McLean doesn’t have too many major-league innings under his belt. But the raw talent he possesses is undeniable. He started eight games for the Mets last season in his cup of coffee, and he recorded a sterling 2.06 ERA across 48 innings of work, tallying an fWAR of 1.2.

He’s only 24 years old, however, and it’s not quite clear if the lights would be too bright for him should Team USA reach the championship game of the WBC. Be that as it may, it’s a huge sign that the team trusts him with that potential responsibility should they get to that point.

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