Sunday, Team USA turns to ace Paul Skenes for its biggest test of the World Baseball Classic. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner draws a daunting assignment: a Dominican Republic lineup packed with MLB stars and tournament power. Yet the matchup carries an intriguing twist — in their major league meetings, Skenes dominated almost all of the hitters he will see in Sunday’s win-or-go-home WBC semifinal.
Skenes has had a short but extraordinary career so far. At 1.96, he has compiled the lowest ERA after the first two seasons of a career since 1920 when baseball’s live-ball era began, when team run totals suddenly jumped from fewer than four per game to almost five.
In his debut WBC start, his only start before Sunday, Skenes cruised through four shutout innings on 60 pitches against Team Mexico, allowing a hit and a walk but striking out seven in the outing.
Against Mexico, Skenes faced a lineup that included such major league hitters as Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox — who singled for the only hit against Skenes — Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners, Jonathan Aranda of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk.
But Team Dominican Republic not only features a lineup of big league hitters, the batting order includes at least five MLB All-Stars, including some of the most feared hitters in the game.
How Has Team Dominican Republic Dominated the WBC?
Led by such All-Star power threats as Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, Juan Soto of the New York Mets, the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte, Team Dominican Republic after five games leads the WBC with 51 runs scored and 14 home runs, as well as a team-wide OPS of 1.090.
In their most recent game, a quarterfinal matchup against Team Korea on Friday, the Dominican team won in seven innings by mercy rule, 10-0.
If any lineup of hitters can get to Skenes, the Dominican Republic hitters would be the one. Or would they?
How Has Paul Skenes Done Against Team Dominican Republic Hitters in MLB?
With only 55 major league starts and 320 2/3 innings on his résumé so far in his two-season career with the Pittsburgh Pirates — who made Skenes the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023 out of LSU — the 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-hander has yet to face all of the hitters he will see on Sunday in major league games.
Of the likely starting lineup for the Dominican Republic on Sunday, two of the most dangerous power threats — Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, also of the Padres — have never faced Skenes in a big league game.
But those who have faced him have experienced nothing but frustration — with one exception. Three-time All-Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners has come to the plate against Skenes six times — and he’s batting .500. Rodríguez has touched up Skenes for three hits including two doubles.
How have other likely Dominican Republic starters in the Sunday WBC semifinal have fared when facing Skenes?
Here are the numbers.
| Player | AB | H | K | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketel Marte | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Juan Soto | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Junior Caminero | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julio Rodríguez | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Gerardo Perdomo | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Austin Wells | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In addition, backup infielder Amed Rosario of the Washington Nationals has faced Skenes twice with a hit and a strikeout, and reserve first baseman Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Guardians has gone 0-for-3 against Skenes, striking out twice.
Team Dominican Republic’s Lineup Dominates the WBC — Now They Face Paul Skenes