World Baseball Classic 2026: Building the dream roster for Team USA
On the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman officially kicked off their 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) content. With Aaron Judge recently named captain of Team USA, the duo couldn't resist diving into one of their favorite pastimes: dreaming up the most stacked, no-holds-barred Team USA rosters imaginable.
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Here are the rules:
30-man roster: Standard for the WBC
At least 14 pitchers and two (or three) catchers: Jake and Jordan opted for three catchers, as Team USA had in 2023.
'Dream' means optimistic: This draft leans on hopeful speculation. Expect a few wishful leaps.
Let's break down the hosts' picks, debates and a few wild cards.
Catcher
Cal Raleigh and Adley Rutschman were locks for Shusterman and Mintz.
For the third spot, Jake went with defensive ace Patrick Bailey, while Jordan zagged and picked Austin Hedges for his veteran prowess, admitting that the main weakness is if Hedges has to hit.
First base
Bryce Harper and Pete Alonso took the spots, with both hosts agreeing that Harper's defense makes him the starter.
Matt Olson got a shout-out as the toughest cut, and Freddie Freeman's Canadian allegiance meant he wasn't eligible.
Second base
Mookie Betts: Pure star power and versatility won out. Both hosts took him at second.
Shortstop
Bobby Witt Jr. was the hosts' consensus starting shortstop.
Mintz picked Gunnar Henderson as his backup (and starting third-base option).
Shusterman chose Corey Seager, citing his big-game track record.
Third base
Shusterman stuck up for Matt Chapman's defensive wizardry.
Mintz gave the hot corner to Alex Bregman.
Both said they would happily stash Austin Riley or Gunnar Henderson on the bench, with Riley earning the 'toughest cut' label.
Utility
Mintz lobbied to get Tommy Edman (despite his playing for Team Korea previously) as his roster's super-utility guy.
Outfield
The locks were Aaron Judge (the captain!), Mike Trout, Kyle Tucker and Corbin Carroll.
Kyle Schwarber made Mintz's team as a DH/OF bench bat.
Center-field defense came up as a need. Mintz filled that with Corbin Carroll, and Jackson Merrill was a tough cut.
Mintz included Pete Crow-Armstrong as the 2026 'Bobby Witt Jr.' of outfielders: a blazing baserunner and elite defender, on the team to pinch run and patrol center field in the late innings but not swing the bat.
Starting pitching
The hardest part of this is that elite pitchers rarely all say yes to the WBC. But it's a dream roster, so the hosts shot for the stars.
Locks: Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Garrett Crochet, Zack Wheeler, Hunter Greene
Contenders: Logan Gilbert (Shusterman's pick), Spencer Strider (Mintz's 'duh' addition), Corbin Burnes, Michael King, Logan Webb, Dylan Cease, Cole Ragans and Jacob deGrom (on a 'pray he's healthy' basis)
Relievers
Locks: Ryan Helsley, Josh Hader, Tanner Scott, Mason Miller and Kirby Yates
Contenders: Mason Montgomery, Tyler Rogers, Griffin Jax, Ryan Walker, Tyler Holton and a few others garnered enthusiastic discussion due to their versatility or unique arm angles.
Devin Williams was dubbed a 'should be a lock, but …' after his recent wildness.
Honorable mentions & toughest cuts
Trey Turner: He was incredible in the previous WBC and is likely to be back, but he didn't make the initial cut for the hosts' dream teams.
Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, Austin Riley: All would be perfectly credible roster members.
In the outfield, Brenton Doyle, Jackson Merrill, Michael Harris II and Brice Turang as defense/speed specialists got brief consideration.
The bottom line: If half this roster shows up in 2026, the rest of the world is playing for second place.
What's your Dream Team USA 2026 roster? Drop your picks and arguments in the comments!
For more deep dives into baseball's hypothetical (and less hypothetical) debates, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
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