When the World Baseball Classic reaches its defining moments, every team wants the same thing: the ball in the hands of its best pitcher. For Team USA, that pitcher is Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.
But the Americans face a complicated reality. The obvious move and the optimal move may not be the same.
On pure baseball logic, Skenes should start the championship game if Team USA gets there. The reigning National League Cy Young winner is the most dominant arm in the tournament and the kind of pitcher who can single-handedly tilt a one-game final.