Originally recruited to Oklahoma State University as a pitcher, third baseman and a football quarterback, Nolan McLean is extraordinarily talented and widely viewed as one of the sport’s most dynamic young arms. He posted a 2.06 ERA in his brief stint with the Mets in 2025, racking up 57 strikeouts over those 48 innings.
But the mere fact that McLean–a rookie with exactly eight outings of major-league experience–is Team USA’s best option in a contest with such high stakes shows just how fraught the relationship still is between MLB organizations and the WBC. Clubs remain fearful about letting their most valuable assets throw meaningful innings during what is supposed to be spring training—and national teams have little choice but to compromise.
With opening day barely a week away, that has left U.S. manager Mark DeRosa with limited options to finish a tournament where anything less than victory will constitute failure.
Well Team USA has had the best bullpen by far in the tournament, and honestly that might be the difference maker. Venezuela burned a lot of them to make it through yesterday.
WhiteToast-
Skubal could be pitching, but he bitched out
DealEducational9048
Seiya Suzuki.
Di5pel
Idk what the solution is, realistically. It’s not like you can just force players to participate, and when there’s tens to hundreds of millions of dollars on the line for some of them, I don’t really know how you appropriately incentivize them to participate.
UsErNaMeS_aR_DuMb

Swimming_Elk_3058
It seems weird to be singling out team USA for this when it’s something that is affecting everyone. Venezuela could have had Jesus Luzardo on the mound tonight instead of Rodriguez but he declined.
PostWarChaos
$$$$$$$$$$$$$ & risk
cooljammer00
Well Skenes pitched yesterday, so jot that down
But also the WBC must defer to the whims of the teams that signed these guys. WBC says you can throw up to 95 pitches, but the Pirates say they want Skenes throwing 75, he throws 75.
Rock_man_bears_fan
Season starts next week
jymmyisgroovy
My belief is that, for all the patriotic and pro-military bravado, USA’s players don’t actually care about representing the country.
I don’t necessarily blame them, I dont have a ton of pride in my country right now either and I would much less if a 9 figure contract was put at risk by my national pride.
Ishtastic08
Umm excuse me?! THEY ARE TONIGHT, BABY!
ForsakenRacism
Cus this tournament is just all star spring training
sfg-1
Most teams have good pitchers that aren’t playing, not just USA
NutmeggD
Soccer players fight tooth and nail to play for their teams in international games, even friendly matches. Their club teams can make requests on minutes restrictions. USA baseball needs to select the pitchers willing to participate and quit asking the guys that turn it down. Then they can watch from home as this tournament continues to grow in popularity.
JoeSicko
If it really means so much to them, like they claim, there should be no problem finding pitchers.
JohnnyCharisma54
International baseball, as someone else said below, is a novelty. In other words, largely trivial or meaningless. There is no cultural incentive to participate. Look at other sports where international competition is essential to the fabric of the game, sports like hockey and soccer. Being named to a national team is an honor unlike any other–all of the very best clamor for the chance to represent their home countries. Baseball has to cultivate this over time with repeated participation in the Olympics and staging of the WBC.
thePGH1
I would lose my everloving mind if Skenes got hurt pitching in an exhibition game. It’s almost all risk and almost no reward for teams to have their stars pitch in the WBC.
BaltimoreBaja
I mean Skenes and Miller pitched
gladys-the-baker
Why not do the WBC like two weeks after the World Series?
20 Comments
Originally recruited to Oklahoma State University as a pitcher, third baseman and a football quarterback, Nolan McLean is extraordinarily talented and widely viewed as one of the sport’s most dynamic young arms. He posted a 2.06 ERA in his brief stint with the Mets in 2025, racking up 57 strikeouts over those 48 innings.
But the mere fact that McLean–a rookie with exactly eight outings of major-league experience–is Team USA’s best option in a contest with such high stakes shows just how fraught the relationship still is between MLB organizations and the WBC. Clubs remain fearful about letting their most valuable assets throw meaningful innings during what is supposed to be spring training—and national teams have little choice but to compromise.
With opening day barely a week away, that has left U.S. manager Mark DeRosa with limited options to finish a tournament where anything less than victory will constitute failure.
Full story (free link): [https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/world-baseball-classic-usa-venezuela-mclean-f38afb13?st=ksbYYo&mod=wsjreddit](https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/world-baseball-classic-usa-venezuela-mclean-f38afb13?st=ksbYYo&mod=wsjreddit)
Well Team USA has had the best bullpen by far in the tournament, and honestly that might be the difference maker. Venezuela burned a lot of them to make it through yesterday.
Skubal could be pitching, but he bitched out
Seiya Suzuki.
Idk what the solution is, realistically. It’s not like you can just force players to participate, and when there’s tens to hundreds of millions of dollars on the line for some of them, I don’t really know how you appropriately incentivize them to participate.

It seems weird to be singling out team USA for this when it’s something that is affecting everyone. Venezuela could have had Jesus Luzardo on the mound tonight instead of Rodriguez but he declined.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$ & risk
Well Skenes pitched yesterday, so jot that down
But also the WBC must defer to the whims of the teams that signed these guys. WBC says you can throw up to 95 pitches, but the Pirates say they want Skenes throwing 75, he throws 75.
Season starts next week
My belief is that, for all the patriotic and pro-military bravado, USA’s players don’t actually care about representing the country.
I don’t necessarily blame them, I dont have a ton of pride in my country right now either and I would much less if a 9 figure contract was put at risk by my national pride.
Umm excuse me?! THEY ARE TONIGHT, BABY!
Cus this tournament is just all star spring training
Most teams have good pitchers that aren’t playing, not just USA
Soccer players fight tooth and nail to play for their teams in international games, even friendly matches. Their club teams can make requests on minutes restrictions. USA baseball needs to select the pitchers willing to participate and quit asking the guys that turn it down. Then they can watch from home as this tournament continues to grow in popularity.
If it really means so much to them, like they claim, there should be no problem finding pitchers.
International baseball, as someone else said below, is a novelty. In other words, largely trivial or meaningless. There is no cultural incentive to participate. Look at other sports where international competition is essential to the fabric of the game, sports like hockey and soccer. Being named to a national team is an honor unlike any other–all of the very best clamor for the chance to represent their home countries. Baseball has to cultivate this over time with repeated participation in the Olympics and staging of the WBC.
I would lose my everloving mind if Skenes got hurt pitching in an exhibition game. It’s almost all risk and almost no reward for teams to have their stars pitch in the WBC.
I mean Skenes and Miller pitched
Why not do the WBC like two weeks after the World Series?