Young Pitchers Headline Way-Too-Early US Roster Prediction for 2026 WBC

The Four Nations Face-Off is capturing the attention of the hockey world — and getting baseball fans excited for what is to come in 2026 when the World Baseball Classic returns.

The United States’ baseball stars will be looking to avenge their championship loss to Japan from 2023. With their hockey counterparts defeating Finland 6-1 Thursday night and getting ready to take on Canada on Saturday, American baseball fans are wondering what their 30-man roster may look like in 2026.

This prediction takes into account the age of players in 2026 and assumes everyone will be healthy at the time of the tournament.

Starting Rotation:

1. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

2. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

3. Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks

4. Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox,

5. Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres

Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes at the top of the rotation would be one of the most dominant duos in the game of baseball. Both pitchers should continue to dominate their respective leagues for several years and will be 30 years old or younger in March 2026.

Bullpen:

Closer: Josh Hader, Houston Astros

Set-Up: Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals

Middle Relief: Mason Miller, Athletics

Middle Relief: Devin Williams, New York Yankees

Middle Relief: Blake Treinen, Los Angeles Dodgers

Middle Relief: David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates

Middle Relief: Ben Joyce, Los Angeles Angels

Middle Relief: Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers

Middle Relief: Jason Foley, Detroit Tigers

Long Relief: Clay Holmes

Josh Hader and Ryan Helsley sit in the closer and setup spots, but this bullpen construction could be very fluid. With this structure, the Americans’ bullpen has eight current closers and nine with closing experience (Clay Holmes). Any one of them could be called upon in big moments.

Fielding Lineup:

Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles

First Base: Pete Alonso, New York Mets

Second Base: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers

Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals

Third Base: Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox

Left Field: Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres

Center Field: Jaren Duran, Boston Red Sox

Right Field: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

To say there were some tough decisions with the lineup is an understatement. Alex Bregman shifts back to third base after reports have surfaced stating he will play second base for the Red Sox this season. Christian Yelich would be one of the older members of the team if he plays in 2026.

Bench:

Backup Catcher: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers

Infielder: Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles

Infielder: Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves

Outfielder: Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs

Outfielder: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Will Smith would be a starting catcher in this tournament if he was a different nationality. Gunnar Henderson, Austin Riley and Kyle Tucker provide great bats off the bench who can be called upon in a moment’s notice. Mike Trout makes the team on the bench simply because he will essentially always have a spot on Team USA until he hangs up his cleats for good.

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