Team USA retooled after falling to Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship and is now back with its sights set on winning it all over the next two weeks.
On Tuesday, the team will play its first exhibition in San Francisco against the Giants. While nothing is finalized for Friday’s opener against Brazil — aside from Logan Webb being named the starting pitcher — Team USA offered an inside look at what its starting lineup could potentially look like.
The projected lineup features Bobby Witt Jr. batting first at shortstop, followed by Bryce Harper at first base, Aaron Judge in right field, Kyle Schwarber as DH, Alex Bregman at third base, Cal Raleigh behind the plate, Roman Anthony in left field, Byron Buxton in center field, and Brice Turang batting ninth at second base. Paul Skenes is set to start on the mound.
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While this doesn’t mean this will be the set lineup for Mark DeRosa on Friday, it gives fans a sense of where players might be positioned in the field and the batting order.
The lineup will undoubtedly consistently feature Judge, however, a back-to-back AL MVP who wasn’t on Team USA in 2023 but was named captain this year — a role he has clearly embraced after addressing the team on Monday.
“It was pretty cool to get a chance to address them and talk with them. It’s just an honor.,” Judge said. “That’s kind of what I kind of started out with. It’s just an honor to be here in front of you and be wearing the same uniform as you guys.”
Fans overall seem comfortable with the lineup as there’s clear holes at all, but of all the potential controversies, the only changes that have arisen would be Gunnar Henderson over Turang in the infield and Pete Crow-Armstrong over Buxton in the outfield.
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