Team USA’s WBC “Ace Problem”: Why Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal Could Be on a Short Leash — And What It Means for a Deep Run

Team USA’s pitching on paper looks like a cheat code: Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are the kind of top-end arms that can tilt an entire tournament.

But here’s the twist heading into the 2026 World Baseball Classic: their availability may be limited, not because Team USA doesn’t want them, but because the tournament format + pitch-count rules + MLB-season realities can force a lighter workload than fans expect.

And if the U.S. wants to make a deep run (and potentially win it all), it’s going to require something Team USA doesn’t always need in MLB: perfect pitching management and elite bullpen depth.

The headline: Skubal is basically a “one-start” weapon

Skubal has said he plans to pitch only once for Team USA—a group-play start vs. Great Britain (March 7)—and then return to Tigers spring training. That means he would not be available for the quarterfinals, semis, or final, even if Team USA advances.

That’s enormous.

Because in a tournament with single-elimination games late, you normally want your best starters available for the biggest moments. With Skubal limited, the U.S. effectively loses the “co-ace” idea and shifts more of the high-leverage burden to Skenes and the staff behind him.

Why the limitation? Skubal framed it as balancing Team USA pride with getting ready for the MLB season—especially with the physical demands on pitchers and the reality that teams and players protect arms this close to Opening Day.

Skenes wants to go… but “two starts” is likely the ceiling

Skenes has indicated he expects to make two starts for Team USA—typically one in pool play and potentially another if the schedule and advancement line up.

That sounds like a lot, but in WBC terms, it’s basically “max availability.” The tournament is short, rest rules are strict, and teams can’t ride a starter the way they do in October.

So even if Skenes is the unquestioned ace, Team USA still may only get him:

• once early (pool play), and

• once later (if timing works)

And then it becomes bullpen chess.

The biggest reason: WBC pitch-count rules change everything

Even if Skubal and Skenes were willing to throw unlimited innings (they’re not), the WBC rules won’t allow it.

MLB’s WBC overview spells out the pitch limits:

• 65 pitches in the First Round

• 80 pitches in the Quarterfinals

• 95 pitches in the Championship Round (semis + final)

And there are mandatory rest rules tied to pitch counts (which can knock pitchers out of availability for the next game(s)).

Translation: even your “starter” is often a 4–5 inning pitcher in this tournament, and sometimes less.

That makes your bullpen less like a supporting cast and more like the main event.

What it means for Team USA if they want to go deep

If Team USA reaches the knockout rounds, here’s what the math starts to look like:

1) The bullpen has to carry innings like it’s October

Because starters are capped, Team USA will need multiple relievers per game, and not just mop-up guys—high-strikeout leverage arms who can get outs with runners on.

MLB has even emphasized that with pitch limits, relief pitching becomes even more important than the MLB postseason.

2) “Depth starters” become essential—not optional

With Skubal likely unavailable past pool play, Team USA’s ability to cover quarterfinal/semifinal/final starts depends on the next tier of arms (and how healthy/available they are at that moment). Reuters notes other notable starters on the staff such as Logan Webb, Joe Ryan, and Matthew Boyd, but the key is: those arms have to be ready to take the ball in elimination games.

3) Your offense must do more early

When your aces can’t go 7–8 innings, you can’t play “wait for one run” baseball. Team USA will likely need to:

• score earlier

• create separation

• avoid late one-run chaos

Because the later the game gets, the more it turns into matchup roulette.

4) The “gold-medal path” can get harder fast

If the U.S. runs into elite lineups late (and especially if they end up staring down a powerhouse opponent in the semis/final), having Skubal unavailable removes a major tactical advantage: you can’t line up two Cy Young-level starters across the biggest two games.

Skubal’s decision is understandable—but strategically, it forces Team USA to win the tournament with staff completeness, not just star power.

The bottom line

Team USA can still win the WBC with Skenes at the front and a deep pitching staff behind him—but the margins tighten when:

• Skubal is effectively a one-start contributor, and

• Skenes is realistically a two-start ace under pitch limits.

So if Team USA goes deep, the story probably won’t be “Skenes and Skubal dominated the bracket.”

It’ll be: the bullpen carried the tournament, and the offense did enough to avoid coin-flip endings.