The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins this week, and star-studded Team USA got its first practice in on Monday in Scottsdale, AZ.
The Pat McAfee Show was on hand, and Pat McAfee even got to pitch to Clayton Kershaw.
McAfee spoke with Kershaw, Aaron Judge, and Bryce Harper ahead of the opportunity on ESPN. While the recently retired Kershaw is known for his remarkable major-league pitching career that featured three NL Cy Young Awards, Harper warned McAfee that Kershaw “can swing it.” And Kershaw told McAfee, “I’m ready.”
McAfee, a former NFL punter, showed off a decent arm on the mound, but the command was quite shoddy. His miss on a 3-1 pitch had Kershaw laughing hysterically.
“I had no idea where the ball was going,” McAfee posted on X.
“IT ALL HURT SO BAD,” McAfee added.
Kershaw, 37, retired from an illustrious 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2025 MLB season, but he’s giving it a go for Team USA in the WBC. He told MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger on Monday, “I don’t have a season to prepare for, so I’m here if there’s an innings problem, if there’s a pitch count problem, I’m here. I can pitch every day. This is it for me, so if they want me to throw a thousand pitches, I’m in for it.”
Additionally, Kershaw will serve as a studio analyst for NBC’s upcoming MLB coverage.
While Monday was more on the casual side for Team USA, the intensity will pick up from here. Team USA plays exhibition games on Tuesday and Wednesday, and its first WBC game arrives on Friday against Brazil. You can see the full WBC television schedule here.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.