MIAMI – It’s a contrast in style and in culture, both in the clubhouse and on the field.
From 88-year-old Hall of Famer Juan Marichal dancing in the clubhouse, drums and guiras bringing a Latin beat to the ballpark, the players dancing in the dugout, there’s a palpable, joyous vibe that comes from the Dominican Republic’s team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
From Team USA, this tournament hasn’t felt so joyous; if anything, Mark DeRosa’s club, while businesslike, seems to have the atmosphere of a corporation giving stockholders a bad quarterly report, starting with the loss to Italy and then backing into the quarterfinals when Italy beat Mexico in the final game of Pool B play with a second place finish. And now they have to face the Dominican Republic’s $2.3-plus billion lineup, a lineup with more than 1,300 career Major League Baseball homers, in Sunday night’s semifinal at 8 p.m. EDT.
“It’s fun. It’s exciting. I know the fans definitely love it. But I try not to look at what other teams are doing, what other people are doing. I’m focussed on what we’ve got here,” Team USA captain Aaron Judge said. “We’ve got a special group of guys that love to play this game. They’re excited to be in this room. I know how they’re all honored to be in this room, and they’re not taking it for granted. It’s exciting to see what the D.R. is doing. It’s been fun watching those games and seeing what’s going on. I think everybody in that room is excited to get there and be a part of it.”
The United States will start Paul Skenes, arguably the best pitcher in the world at the moment, hoping that the world’s best pitcher can stop the world’s best lineup for 95 pitches, though DeRosa said he’d likely throw closer to 80.
“I like any game that Paul Skenes pitches. It’s just incredible stuff. Watching him work on his craft the past couple weeks has been incredible,” said Team USA captain Aaron Judge. “Seeing him in that game against Mexico, where it’s an electric environment, he just toed the slab and went out and took care of business. It was really impressive. Looking forward to seeing him get out there and do his thing. And then we hand it over to the bullpen of ours, it’s going to be a tough fight.”
When the bullpen gets the ball, DeRosa call on three MLB closers for the final three innings in hopes of shutting down the Dominican Republic once Skenes leaves.
“It’s nice to call down to the bullpen and know you’ve got closers coming in in all three innings,” DeRosa said. “[David Bednar] was here in 2023 with me, so I know what’s inside his heart. He’s a gamer. And Garrett Whitlock is unbelievable, righty and lefty. And Mason Miller, we were talking about it on the walk down, that’s the best fastball you’re ever going to see.”
Millar and Bednar have each made three appearances, while Whitlock has made two thus far in the tournament. They haven’t allowed a single run and have 17 strikeouts against one walk across eight innings of work.
The U.S. pitching staff will try to neutralize a lineup that has run roughshod over its opponents at the WBC, scoring 51 runs as they went undefeated through five games, moving on from pool play and defeating Korea 10-0 in seven innings via the early termination rule in the quarterfinal. They’ve clubbed 14 homers, 22 extra-base hits, and have a team ERA of 1.98 through 41 innings of play, winning two games via the early termination rule.
There are myriad ways that the Dominican lineup can damage their opponents; Nearly every player in the starting nine has power, and aside their multiple long-ball threats, they’ve drawn 39 walks. There’s no pitching around anyone, because the next batter to come up is dangerous. Heck, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo is batting ninth, and he hit 20 homers and drove in 100 runs for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2025 MLB season.
For his part, Judge maintained his reserved, businesslike facade before the media as he was asked about facing the D.R., a team that includes several of his New York Yankees teammates. Yankees catcher Austin Wells hit the three-run homer that iced the victory against Korea.
“It’s good to see him rolling, doing his thing back there. But Team USA is excited to get to Miami and do our thing,” Judge said. “As much as it’s fun seeing those guys and this and that, I’ve got USA on my chest. And I’m going to focus on those guys right now.”
And while the U.S. will be on home soil, they know that it won’t necessarily feel like a home game inside loanDepot Park.
“I definitely think so,” DeRosa said when asked if the experience of playing Mexico before a raucous crowd in Houston would help his club face the D.R. in what will likely be a memorable atmosphere with the eyes of the baseball world watching. “This game is going to be awesome[.] There are superstars up and down both lineups. Pitching staffs. Like I said, ton of respect for Albert and what he’s put together. I know Nelson Cruz, GM, former friend, former teammate of mine.”
“So, it’s just going to be a spectacle.”
Photo: Paul Skenes throws to a Mexico batter during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Monday, March 9, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
