Next spring will feature the return of a worldwide event where numerous countries battle it out on the baseball diamond. The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to begin March 5, 2026. While we are still awhile away from learning which current MLB stars will suit up for their respective countries, yesterday afternoon we did learn which coaches will be in the dugout for Team USA.
The 2026 Team USA coaching staff features a ton of returnees, and numerous familiar faces for Atlanta Braves fans. Leading the staff once again is former Brave and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa. In the last iteration of the WBC in 2023, DeRo led Team USA to a runner up finish after an instant classic final with Team Japan.
110 big-league seasons.
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) April 11, 2025
24 All-Star Game appearances.
11 World Series titles.
8,566 career hits.
Our coaching staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic is LOADED 🇺🇸
📰: https://t.co/EDREzeQJxp pic.twitter.com/A46VNTv77v
Brian McCann and other former Braves round out Team USA's 2026 coaching staff
Longtime Braves backstop Brian McCann will be right beside DeRo in the dugout as he serves as one of Team USA's assistant managers. Joining B-Mac in the assistant management role is former Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez. He will bring some big league managerial experience to the dugout thanks to the decade he spent leading the Braves and Marlins.
The first base coach George Lombard also spent seasons donning a Braves uniform. Lombard was a second round pick by the Braves in the 1994 draft and spent parts of three seasons playing for Atlanta from 1998-2000.
The final former Brave is another former backstop who will serve as Team USA's bullpen coach, David Ross. The former Cubs manager spent 4 years in Atlanta as a catcher and played 15 seasons in the bigs before transitioning to a managerial role.
Elsewhere the coaching staff isn't lacking in MLB accolades as Skip Schumaker, Andy Pettitte, Matt Holiday, Dino Ebel, and Michael Young roundout the grouping. In total the staff has combined for 110 big-league seasons, 24 All-Star Game appearances, and 11 World Series titles. Hopefully fans will be as entertained as they were in 2023 when baseball's brightest stars like Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout battled in front of a packed crowd in Miami.