San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb will start Game 1 for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic against Brazil on Friday, manager Mark DeRosa announced Monday. Two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will pitch Game 2 against Britain, while NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes faces Mexico in Game 3.

The rotation announcement comes as Team USA prepares to defend their WBC title after falling to Japan in the 2023 finals. Nolan McLean is scheduled for Game 4 against Italy but is currently battling a cold at the Mets' training facility in Port St. Lucie. DeRosa indicated he'll reassess McLean's status day-to-day.

Team USA's roster features an unprecedented collection of talent, with captain Aaron Judge calling it "a lot of greatness in the room." The team first gathered in Arizona on Sunday, holding a team dinner before exhibition games against the Giants and Rockies. Players expressed heightened patriotism following the Olympic hockey tournament, with several having military connections. Skenes, an Air Force Academy graduate, told DeRosa he wants "to do this for every service man and woman that protects our freedom."