The 2026 World Baseball Classic champion will be crowned Tuesday night at loanDepot Park in Miami. Venezuela came back to beat Italy on Monday, setting up a meeting with the United States. It is Venezuela’s first ever appearance in the WBC Championship Game. USA outlasted the Dominican Republic in a thriller Sunday night. They’re looking for their second WBC title.
Venezuela will send veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to mound Tuesday. USA will counter with a neophyte: Nolan McLean of the New York Mets. McLean, 24, is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, albeit one with only eight games of major-league experience. Tuesday’s WBC Championship Game will be the biggest start of his career to date.
“I think he’s just built for this,” USA manager Mark DeRosa said about McLean on Monday. “His mindset, his stuff, his want, all of that kind of led to him being a part of this team.”