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In 2023, Team USA lost to Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic championship. During that run, the team was without many of the top arms in Major League Baseball who could have suited up for the WBC.
Paul Skenes is looking to begin a shift with his announcement about participating in the WBC.
Team USA won the 2017 World Baseball Classic after defeating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the championship game, on the back of an outstanding performance by Marcus Stroman, who would go on the be the MVP of the tournament.
Skenes is coming off a Rookie of the Year win last season and is the betting favorite to win the Cy Young Award entering Tuesday. Skenes is the clear-cut Pirates ace and has championship experience during his time at Louisiana State, winning the College World Series.
Skenes' joining is a big boost to the US pitching staff, as in the past it has been a hodgepodge of pitchers with varying experience in MLB. The new wave of elite pitchers would make the US nearly unstoppable and the fans want to see best in the world take center stage during the tournament.
Recently, Team USA has not had an issue with bringing elite hitters onto the roster, but the pitching side has been a different story. With the tournament taking place during spring training, pitchers have been wary of joining for fear of injury.
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About the writer
Hunter Mulholland is a Newsweek contributor based in St. Louis, Missouri. His focus is MLB Content. Hunter has been with ... Read more