Bold start: The United States is signaling heavy-hitting potential for the World Baseball Classic, right from its early showcase. The Americans wasted little time demonstrating the depth and firepower of their roster in an exhibition against the San Francisco Giants.
In the first inning, after Bobby Witt Jr. reached on a single and Bryce Harper doubled, Aaron Judge delivered a two-run single to push the lead to 2-0 with just three batters faced. The U.S. cruised to a 15-1 victory, piling up 19 hits over a 10-inning game. Roman Anthony added a two-run homer, Alex Bregman contributed a solo shot, and Gunnar Henderson lined a two-run double to cap the offense.
Harper praised the group, highlighting Witt as a dynamic starter at the top and emphasizing the strong daily chemistry from one through nine in the lineup. He noted the team’s wide-ranging synergy and the ongoing need to maintain that level of play.
On the mound, National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes had a promising outing, allowing one run on one hit with four strikeouts over three innings. He encountered a leadoff double by Willy Adames, which he erased with a groundout and proceeded to retire the next nine batters in succession. Skenes called the experience surreal, expressing excitement for the real tests ahead in Houston. Left-hander Matthew Boyd followed, fanning four over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, with David Bednar, Mason Miller, Griffin Jax, and Gabe Speier also delivering innings without yielding a run.
The goal remains a second World Baseball Classic title for the U.S., and their first since 2017. Manager Mark DeRosa expressed enthusiasm about the clubhouse culture, noting how starters stayed engaged in the dugout long after exiting the game. He described scenes of Bregman chatting with Roman Anthony, Skubal and Skenes monitoring from the top steps, and Judge conversing with Cal Raleigh—an atmosphere the staff aimed to cultivate, one that keeps players connected and invested.
Bregman, who lives near Phoenix, hosted several teammates for dinner, and the group drew inspiration from 23-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who shared guidance on focus and discipline: control what you can control and attack the day.
Looking ahead, the U.S. has one more exhibition in Arizona against the Colorado Rockies before heading to Houston to finalize preparations for the group stage. In terms of matchups, Giants ace Logan Webb is slated to open against Brazil, Tarik Skubal (the two-time defending AL Cy Young winner) is expected to pitch Saturday versus Britain, followed by Skenes facing Mexico on Monday. Nolan McLean of the Mets is tentatively set to start the final pool-play game against Italy, though he’s contending with vertigo-like symptoms; his health is improving, per DeRosa.
Skubal is anticipated to make only one appearance for the U.S. before returning to the Detroit Tigers for the remainder of spring training.
Follow the World Baseball Classic for updates on games, news, and more, and stay tuned as the U.S. rounds into form for Houston.
