Mets Rookie Nolan McLean Is Beyond Locked In For Ultimate World Baseball Classic Stage
It just means more to play for Team USA.
The World Baseball Classic has become more than a showcase of star power and playoff-style stakes.
For plenty of players on this Team USA roster, it has also become a point of pride: a chance to wear "USA" across the chest and mean it.
Bobby Witt Jr. has called it "truly an honor" and said the WBC "just means more."
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Pirates ace Paul Skenes said there is "no greater honor" than wearing "USA" across your chest.
And captain Aaron Judge has called it an honor to be part of Team USA at all.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 15: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of Team USA looks on during batting practice prior to the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
That sense of pride has extended beyond baseball, too. As Team USA prepared for its rivalry game against Canada, U.S. hockey star Jack Hughes sent the team a video message, another reminder that wearing the American jersey still carries weight across sports.
And that is what made Nolan McLean’s recent comment hit as hard as it did. The 24-year-old Mets pitcher, with about a handful of MLB starts under his belt, is set to take the mound for Team USA on Tuesday in the WBC Final.
When asked about the pressure of the moment, McLean made it clear exactly where he stands.
"You’re crazy if you don’t want to do this," McLean said. "As a competitor, if you work your whole life at something, you want to be put in these spots."
McLean’s excitement inevitably lands on the doorstep of one Detroit Tigers pitcher, and one of the best arms in the game, Tarik Skubal.
Skubal, the two-time Cy Young winner and the alpha of the American rotation, bowed out after pool play. Entering a contract year, Skubal viewed throwing meaningful innings in March as a risk he — and likely the Tigers — could not afford.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 10: Nolan McLean #26 of the United States looks on during the 2026 World Baseball Classic against Italy at Daikin Park on March 10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
On one side, you have McLean, backed by a clubhouse full of stars who have talked openly about the pride and honor of representing America.
On the other, you have an established superstar making the kind of practical decision plenty of players would make with health and future earnings on the line, even if it meant stepping away from Team USA when it could have used him most.
It is not just about one young pitcher embracing the moment. It is about him giving voice to the part of this tournament that fans still romanticize most — the idea that for some players, representing America is bigger than the risk.
One thing’s for sure: McLean’s comments are a refreshing reminder of pure competitive fire.
Skubal’s decision is also the kind plenty of stars would make with health and future earnings on the line.
But in a winner-take-all game for Team USA, fans are almost always going to side with the guy who wants the ball.
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