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Team USA will begin play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic on Saturday night, taking on Great Britain at Chase Field, home of MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks. The Americans are guaranteed to play at least four games in total, one apiece against each of the teams in their pool (Great Britain, Mexico, Canada, and Colombia). After that, the top two teams in each pool will advance to what amounts to a single-elimination eight-team tournament.  

The Americans are the defending WBC champions, having won the tournament the last time it was held, back in 2017. Will fate be as kind to this year's squad? We'll find out, beginning on Saturday. You can view the full tournament schedule by clicking here. Otherwise, let's move on to how you can watch Team USA's opener.

Team USA vs. Great Britain how to watch

Date: Saturday, Mar. 11 | Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Chase Field (Phoenix, AZ)
TV channel: Fox | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: TBD (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Starting pitchers: RHP Adam Wainwright vs. TBA

Players to Watch

The Americans will start Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright. He's battled injury and his mechanics this spring, resulting in reduced velocity. Wainwright will be on a strict pitch count, as is the case for every starter throughout pool play, meaning his impact on the game will likely be limited to three or four innings.

Great Britain has just one pitcher who appeared in the majors last season, with that being reliever Ian Gibaut. It's hard to foresee a scenario where Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and the rest of the American lineup do anything but feast upon that pitching staff. That said, these tournaments are always good for an upset or two, so who can say for certain?

If you're looking for one Great Britain player to keep an eye on, make it catcher Harry Ford. He's a recent first-round pick of the Mariners who spent last season in A-ball, where he hit ..274/.425/.439. Ford is a good prospect, even if he's not ready to face big-league-caliber pitching on a consistent basis. 

Prediction

Great Britain, at least on paper, appears to be the weakest team in the pool. Wainwright's velocity drop this spring concerns us, but realistically, this matchup shouldn't give the Americans many problems.

Pick: Team USA 7, Great Britain 1