Gunnar Henderson To Start At Third Base Over Bregman In WBC Semifinal
gunnar henderson will start at third base over Alex Bregman for the United States in Sunday’s World Baseball Classic semifinal against the Dominican Republic, a decision manager Mark DeRosa said was based on the pitching matchup with Luis Severino.
Gunnar Henderson’s Numbers Versus Luis Severino
DeRosa pointed to matchup data when explaining the move: Gunnar Henderson is 7 for 9 in his career against the right-handed Dominican pitcher, with a home run, double and four RBIs. Henderson has also gone 5 for 10 with a double and a homer in two WBC games, numbers DeRosa summarized as “Playing the hot hand right?”
By contrast, Alex Bregman is 5 for 21 in the regular season against Severino with a homer and three RBI, and has gone 2 for 11 in four games in the tournament. DeRosa said he spoke with Bregman on Saturday about the benching and that the player was accepting of the lineup change: “These guys like the lineup out the night before, so I was able to do that, and he was good with it. It’s game on. “
Benchings, Catcher Decision and Lineup Moves
Beyond the third base switch, the U. S. made another adjustment behind the plate: Will Smith will start at catcher over Cal Raleigh, who is hitless in nine plate appearances in this WBC. The changes underline a strategy of tailoring the lineup to specific opposing pitchers and recent form.
Semifinal Stakes: Dominican Offense And Pitching Plans
The matchup is framed as a clash between a potent Dominican lineup and a top-tier American pitcher. The Dominican Republic enters the semifinal undefeated at 5-0, having outscored opponents 51-10 while batting. 312, and has matched the tournament record with 14 home runs. Their manager stressed the balance of elite pitching and heavy offense, calling the planned American starter one of the best pitchers today in the major leagues and describing the contest as “power versus power. “
Should the Dominicans advance, their manager indicated a clear plan for the final: Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara will start on Tuesday no matter the opponent, a choice he said he would not change. Italy and Venezuela are set to meet in the other semifinal on Monday night.
Sunday’s semifinal is expected to be a high-profile, star-studded matchup; lineup decisions such as starting Gunnar Henderson at third will be watched closely as managers try to exploit favorable pitcher-batter matchups in a winner-take-all setting.
