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World Baseball Classic Championship Gameday Preview: United States vs. Venezuela
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Photo credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Tristan Morgan
Mar 17, 2026, 18:20 EDT
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It’s a championship night at the 2026 World Baseball Classic as the United States prepares to face Venezuela in what is going to be the most intense game of 2026 so far. Every swing, pitch, and play could decide history.
The United States enters the matchup after a tightly played 2–1 semifinal victory over the Dominican Republic. For the USA squad, the game was simply a testament to their pitching staff, which allowed only one run against the tournament’s most potent offence.
As the offence narrowly squeezed by with solo shots from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony. 
Through six games, the United States has posted strong overall power numbers, ranking fifth in the Classic with a team OPS of .854, while tying Venezuela for fourth with nine home runs. However, their production is only incredibly impressive out of context. After scoring 24 runs across blowout wins over Brazil (15–5) and Great Britain (9–1) in pool play, the Americans have averaged just four runs per game against higher-level competition, including only two runs over their last 12 innings entering the final.
Venezuela, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent teams in the tournament.
They entered the championship after defeating Italy 4–2 in the semifinals last night, a game that hinged on a three‑run seventh inning to secure their lead and their second straight comeback win. Venezuela’s offence has shown a knack for shifting momentum in an instant, most notably in these knockout rounds against Italy and the defending champions in Japan, to reach the finals. That ability isn’t surprising, though, considering their contact-first approach: they rank among the teams with the lowest strikeout rates in the knockout rounds and hold the fourth-best team batting average of the tournament. 
With that, the stakes could not be higher for these two teams in a matchup that, whether we want it to or not, extends beyond baseball. For Venezuela, it represents the biggest game in the country’s baseball history. For the United States, it’s exactly where they were projected to be, the best international roster ever, looking to capture a second World Baseball Classic title in three tournaments and in their third consecutive final. Beyond the field, the matchup also carries significant political weight, as tensions between the United States and Venezuela have reached new heights in recent months due to recent events between the countries and comments made by United States President Donald Trump, adding another layer of intensity to an already high-stakes affair.
On the diamond, however, it’s an electric pairing. Team USA is chock full of stars who have been extremely serious in their pursuit of avenging their loss in the tournament’s 2023 championship game. Venezuela, also full of stars, has been oozing aura in big moments under the bright lights throughout this tournament. Tonight, grab some popcorn, because the world is going to watch two superteams go at it.
Team USA, despite a near‑catastrophic exit in pool play, has been one of — if not the — favourites in this tournament long before the first pitch was thrown. Led by captain Aaron Judge, its lineup from one through nine is loaded with MLB superstars, including Bryce Harper, Will Smith, Kyle Schwarber, Bobby Witt Jr., and more. Any one of these players has enough talent to completely turn a game on its head with a single swing. All of them in the same lineup? It’s simply ridiculous.
But the real star of the U.S. team so far in this tournament has been its pitching staff, particularly the bullpen. Opposing teams are hitting just .194 against them, and they’re allowing less than one baserunner per inning. With the exception of the game against Italy, when espresso shots were giving the Italian hitters superpowers, sending seemingly everything over the fence in the early innings. 
The Americans have recorded the third-most strikeouts in the tournament and have surrendered the fewest walks. That blend of power pitching and reliably dominant relief arms has allowed the U.S. to stay competitive even when its offence has underwhelmed against premier pitching.
Nolan McLean gets the ball tonight for the Americans, and it’ll be interesting to see how he rebounds in the final from his last outing. Against Italy, McLean didn’t make it through the third inning as the U.S. eventually suffered its lone defeat of the tournament, allowing three earned runs in just three frames. In this Classic, the No. 6 MLB prospect has shown flashes of swing‑and‑miss ability but has overall struggled with control; against Venezuela, he will need to work efficiently. Avoiding deep counts and minimizing traffic on the bases will be key to preventing pressure on the bullpen early.
Opposing him is left‑hander Eduardo Rodríguez, who brings nine more years of MLB experience to the mound than McLean, though facing recent inconsistencies. Rodríguez has made one appearance in the tournament so far against the Dominican Republic lineup, in which he allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings, including home runs to Juan Soto and Ketel Marte. 
Historically, the southpaw relies on creating soft contact with a true six pitch mix to limit damage, although his career-long susceptibility to the long ball is going to be tested against a Murderers’ Row of All-Stars in the USA lineup. Keeping the ball on the ground with soft contact and allowing Andres Gimenez and others in the Venezuelan infield to make outs will be essential to creating a path to victory.
The Venezuelan pitching staff has been one of the strongest units in the tournament overall. In the semifinal, the bullpen delivered 7 2/3 scoreless innings after an early exit from the starter, continuing a trend of shutting down opposing offences in key moments. Relievers such as Eduard Bazardo and closer Daniel Palencia have been heavily relied upon, pitching in multiple knockout games so far, which makes their availability a question mark in what is shaping up to be an all‑hands‑on‑deck operation tonight. 
Venezuela’s pitchers have held opponents to a stingy .215 batting average while allowing roughly one baserunner per inning, an efficiency that could become a weapon for the pitching staff if Rodríguez begins to struggle early.
The United States bullpen, however, is a bit different. In the semifinal, five relievers combined to allow just two hits over the final 4 1/3 innings, stranding the tying run at third base in the ninth. With an off‑day prior to the final, the U.S. bullpen holds a slight advantage in rest and flexibility, a factor that could become significant in extra innings or high‑leverage late innings, especially given the fact that flamethrowing closer Mason Miller may not have been available without that rest day.
For Venezuela to potentially upset the goliath USA team, their objective has to be to control the pace of play, get the starter out of his rhythm early, apply pressure through contact and baserunning, and once again rely on timely hitting in key moments. 
The World Baseball Classic is a celebration of international play and the meshing of cultures, and this year it has felt especially alive for Central and South American fans in Miami, where Venezuela’s games have been played. Their energy has been a noticeable factor throughout the tournament and is likely to remain an overbearing presence tonight at LoanDepot Park for both teams.
With everything at stake, the 2026 World Baseball Classic will come down to one final game, where even normally insignificant moments could have a butterfly effect that leaves one side with a ring and the other with a long trip home.
Location: loanDepot Park – Miami, FL
First Pitch: 8:00 PM EST
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet & Fox Sports / MLB Audio 

Starting Pitchers:

Team USA – Nolan McLean (RHP) 
Team Venezuela – Eduardo Rodríguez (LHP) 

Lineups:

USA: 
  1. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
  2. Bryce Harper – 1B
  3. Aaron Judge – RF
  4. Kyle Schwarber – DH
  5. Alex Bregman – 3B
  6. Roman Anthony – LF
  7. Will Smith – C
  8. Brice Turang – 2B
  9. Byron Buxton – CF
Venezuela:
  1. Ronald Acuña Jr. – RF
  2. Maikel García – 3B
  3. Luis Arráez – 1B
  4. Eugenio Suárez – DH
  5. Ezequiel Tovar – SS
  6. Gleyber Torres – 2B
  7. Wilyer Abreu – LF
  8. William Contreras – C
  9. Jackson Chourio – C

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