3 big lineup decisions facing Team USA in Classic final

Managers often have to pull exactly the right strings to win a big game, and Tuesday’s World Baseball Classic final will be no exception.

Ahead of Team USA’s championship clash with Venezuela at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, U.S. manager Mark DeRosa must make some major decisions when it comes to his star-studded roster. At several key positions, the U.S. has multiple viable candidates to start -- and picking the right man isn’t as easy as it seems.

Here are the three biggest lineup decisions facing Team USA in the WBC final.

Catcher: Cal Raleigh vs. Will Smith

Raleigh is coming off a historic 2025, belting 60 homers (including 49 as a catcher), but he has struggled at the plate in the WBC. Raleigh is 0-for-9 with four walks and five strikeouts in three Classic games, having yet to get his powerful bat going.

Smith, meanwhile, is 3-for-10 at the plate with a double, two walks and two K’s in three games. He went 2-for-4 with the two-bagger in pool play against Italy and recorded a hit in the semifinal against the Dominican Republic, for which he drew the start.

Raleigh is a better defensive catcher than Smith and offers more flexibility as a switch-hitter, two things that could lead DeRosa to tab him for Tuesday’s start. The Seattle catcher also has better numbers against Venezuela starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, going 1-for-2 with a walk, compared to Smith’s 1-for-8 career line against Rodriguez with four walks and four strikeouts. But with Smith’s hotter bat recently, the Dodgers' backstop has an argument for getting the nod as well.

Third base: Gunnar Henderson vs. Alex Bregman

With Bobby Witt Jr. holding down shortstop (and making some sparkling plays there), Henderson has been shifted to third base for Team USA -- a position at which he made 108 appearances during his first two MLB seasons. Having his bat in the lineup has been huge: Henderson is 6-of-14 (.429) at the plate with two home runs, including a tying solo dinger in the fourth inning of Sunday’s semifinal.

Bregman, meanwhile, has had a bit harder time at the plate, going 2-for-11 (.182) with a double through four Classic at-bats. The veteran has shown considerable patience, though, working five walks to put his OBP at .421 during the tournament.

By Outs Above Average, Bregman’s strong glove gives him a defensive edge over Henderson, although the two bat from different sides: Bregman bats right-handed, while Henderson is a lefty. That could come into play against the left-handed Rodriguez, against whom Bregman is 9-for-27 all time with three home runs and a 1.160 OPS. Henderson, meanwhile, is 0-for-2 in his career against Venezuela’s starter.

Center field: Pete Crow-Armstrong vs. Byron Buxton

Team USA has its choice between two electric players in center field, both of whom offer an excellent blend of power and speed. Crow-Armstrong, though, has been the much hotter hitter during the WBC, posting a 1.074 OPS thanks to a two-homer game against Italy in pool play.

Tied for the MLB lead in Outs Above Average in 2025 with +24, Crow-Armstrong is also the better defensive outfielder. But that’s not to take anything away from Buxton, who played 126 games in 2025 (his most since 2017) and put together an All-Star season. Also a plus fielder, Buxton’s 30.2 ft./sec. average sprint speed is tied for the second fastest in MLB, giving him the ability to turn potential extra-base hits into outs at crucial moments during the WBC final.

While there’s no wrong answer in center field, DeRosa might understandably choose to ride the hot hand in Crow-Armstrong, particularly given his elite glove in center. The Cubs star has started Team USA’s past three games and could draw another start Tuesday. With neither player having much success in limited plate appearances against Rodriguez (Buxton is 1-for-6; Crow-Armstrong is 0-for-2), it might make sense to keep Crow-Armstrong in the lineup.