The United States’ path to a World Baseball Classic title begins Friday.
Team USA will be taking on Brazil in its 2026 WBC opener, beginning the star-studded squad’s action in Pool B.
San Francisco Giants southpaw Logan Webb is set to get the start on the mound for the Americans, opening the tournament for manager Mark DeRosa — but offensively, a collection of MLB All-Stars will also be getting starts against Brazil.
Here’s a look at Team USA’s lineup vs. Brazil to open the World Baseball Classic.
MORE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 2026:
USA baseball lineup vs. Brazil
This section will be updated when the U.S. reveals its official lineup.
The U.S. hasn’t yet revealed it’s official lineup for Friday’s game against Brazil — a lineup can be expected in the hours leading up to the 8 p.m. ET start.
However, DeRosa certainly may have previewed his go-to lineup in Team USA’s exhibition games this week. Against the Giants on Wednesday, here’s how the Americans set their lineup:
| Spot | Player | Position |
| 1 | Bobby Witt Jr. | SS |
| 2 | Bryce Harper | 1B |
| 3 | Aaron Judge | RF |
| 4 | Kyle Schwarber | DH |
| 5 | Alex Bregman | 3B |
| 6 | Cal Raleigh | C |
| 7 | Roman Anthony | LF |
| 8 | Byron Buxton | CF |
| 9 | Brice Turang | 2B |
There could be a few changes from this lineup to Friday’s official opener against Brazil, but here are the key factors DeRosa likely previewed:
Witt set to leadoff for Team USA
The exhibition lineup vs. San Francisco appeared to have tipped DeRosa’s plans for the top of his everyday Team USA lineup. While the bottom half appears likely to change, the top-four-to-six hitters are likely to remain staples of the Americans’ offense.
It shouldn’t be too surprising considering his .351/.501/.852 line with 38 stolen bases last MLB season, but Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. appears set to handle leadoff duties for DeRosa. Regarded as one of the few five-tool players in baseball, Witt would bring plenty of on-base skills, power and speed to the No. 1 spot.
Witt, Harper, Judge, Schwarber, Raleigh likely shoe-ins for starting roles
As mentioned previously, Team USA will have options throughout the tournament in how it structures parts of its lineup, as it boasts a deep collection of MLB starters. However, there’s a collection of names that stick out among the rest as superstars.
While Gunnar Henderson should factor in at shortstop or third base, Witt has reached “perennial MVP candidate” status in MLB, meaning he’ll likely have an everyday role in the infield. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies are also two of the most respected veteran bats in baseball, especially with Schwarber coming off 56 home runs last season, so Harper seems likely to earn a significant chunk of the first-base reps, and Schwarber at DH.
Finally, the two leading AL MVP candidates last year, Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, will likely remain in DeRosa’s lineup no matter what. Both are among the most feared hitters in baseball, bringing a ton of power to Team USA. While Will Smith is another All-Star catcher who could provide relief for Raleigh, it’d be tough for DeRosa to omit the Mariners star’s bat from his order.
Alex Bregman over Gunnar Henderson?
With Witt likely earning an every-game role for Team USA, the team might have a bit of a logjam in the infield. The natural answer will be Witt at shortstop, then Alex Bregman and Gunnar Henderson, two more of MLB’s best infielders, at third base and second base.
However, should Brice Turang or Ernie Clement play a larger role, either Bregman or Henderson could see their playing time decrease a bit.
Outfield decisions
Judge should be a regular in DeRosa’s order, but the other two outfield spots could change by game, depending how confident the manager is in 21-year-old Roman Anthony.
If Anthony remains on the bench, Byron Buxton and Pete Crow-Armstrong will claim center and left field as two elite defenders and hitters. But if Anthony is going to see the field often, there may be more of a revolving door for Team USA’s outfield throughout the WBC.
MORE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 2026:
Who is Brazil’s starting pitcher?
This section will be updated when Brazil announces its starting pitcher.
Brazil hasn’t yet announced its starter against the U.S. for Friday’s matchup. One name to watch for will be 17-year-old Joseph Contreras, a high school arm out of Georgia who has committed to Vanderbilt but was added to the WBC roster as the youngest player in the 2026 tournament.
MORE: Team USA’s projected pitching rotation at 2026 WBC
USA World Baseball Classic roster
Pitchers
| Player | Team | Throws |
| David Bednar | New York Yankees | R |
| Matthew Boyd | Chicago Cubs | L |
| Garrett Cleavinger | Tampa Bay Rays | L |
| Clay Holmes | New York Mets | R |
| Griffin Jax | Tampa Bay Rays | R |
| Brad Keller | Philadelphia Phillies | R |
| Clayton Kershaw | — | L |
| Nolan McLean | New York Mets | R |
| Mason Miller | San Diego Padres | R |
| Paul Skenes | Pittsburgh Pirates | R |
| Tarik Skubal | Detroit Tigers | L |
| Gabe Speier | Seattle Mariners | L |
| Ryan Yarbrough | New York Yankees | L |
| Michael Wacha | Kansas City Royals | R |
| Logan Webb | San Francisco Giants | R |
| Garrett Whitlock | Boston Red Sox | R |
Catchers
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Cal Raleigh | Seattle Mariners | S/R |
| Will Smith | Los Angeles Dodgers | R/R |
Infielders
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Alex Bregman | Chicago Cubs | R/R |
| Ernie Clement | Toronto Blue Jays | R/R |
| Paul Goldschmidt | New York Yankees | R/R |
| Bryce Harper | Philadelphia Phillies | L/R |
| Gunnar Henderson | Baltimore Orioles | L/R |
| Brice Turang | Milwaukee Brewers | L/R |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | Kansas City Royals | R/R |
Outfielders
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Roman Anthony | Boston Red Sox | L/R |
| Byron Buxton | Minnesota Twins | R/R |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | Chicago Cubs | L/L |
| Aaron Judge | New York Yankees | R/R |
Designated Hitter
| Player | Team | Bats/Throws |
| Kyle Schwarber | Philadelphia Phillies | L/R |
