Wacha stoked to suit up for Team USA in World Baseball Classic

This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- A 13-year veteran pitcher who has pitched for six teams and in five postseasons during his career, Michael Wacha is no stranger to pitching in big moments in big environments.

But pitching in the World Baseball Classic is something he never thought he’d do – until this year.

Wacha will pitch for Team USA when WBC pool play kicks off next month, with the Americans’ first game scheduled for March 6 against Brazil in Houston. That pool also includes Great Britain, Mexico and Italy. Not only will Wacha be suiting up alongside shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. for Team USA, but those two will also be playing two of their Royals teammates: Italians Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone.

“It’s an incredible honor, for sure, getting to put that USA jersey on,” Wacha said. “I thought it was very cool when I was in high school and college. But getting to be able to do it in the pros and where I’m at in my career, it’s definitely a cool feeling. Getting to go out there with those guys and that roster -- it’s an incredibly stacked team. I’m looking forward to that experience.”

For Wacha, joining Team USA was a no-brainer once he understood that his throwing program and spring build-up would not be too impacted by the tournament. The 34-year-old right-hander does not seem to be slowing down even now in the latter part of his career. He’s thrown 339 1/3 innings for the Royals the past two seasons and last year made a career-best 31 starts with a 3.86 ERA. Those innings were on Team USA officials’ minds when extending Wacha an invitation to join the roster; they wanted someone who could handle innings and join a pitching staff that includes Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, Logan Webb and more.

By the time the tournament kicks off, Wacha will have gotten in a few Cactus League games and be ready for around three innings/50 pitches, which is what he said Team USA will be looking for from him.

“It really is almost to the exact day of where I would be building up for the regular season, as well,” Wacha said. “It just made sense. I’m not going out of my way to ramp up earlier and putting extra stress on my arm.”

Wacha spoke with Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney after receiving the roster invite to go over his spring workload and previous build-up programs. They figured out that the innings would match up very well -- with the added benefit of getting all that adrenaline from pitching in the meaningful games.

“I told him, ‘If it works out with my schedule and build-up, because I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize our regular season here with the Royals and what I’m trying to accomplish with this team,’” Wacha said. “If it was going to interfere with that, then it wouldn’t be a good fit. But talking with Sweeney, it would be the exact spot where I would be building up and what they were looking for from me.”

Wacha has been a veteran anchor for the Royals’ rotation the past two seasons and especially last season during their injury-riddled 2025. He only missed one start when he was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list on Sept. 9; otherwise, Wacha was one of the most reliable pitchers Kansas City had as the club dealt with injuries to the rest of the rotation.

By the end of the year, Wacha had pitched 172 2/3 innings -- the most he’s thrown in a single season since his All-Star 2015 season with the Cardinals.

“I felt strong at the end of the year, and I was very happy with how that felt,” Wacha said. “Those last couple outings, the ball was still coming out good. I was hoping that we’d be able to get into the postseason, but it didn’t work out the way we were all hoping. But I’m looking to build off that and go out there and win a lot of games with this team.”