How to Watch the World Baseball Classic Final: USA vs. Venezuela

· Rolling Stone

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Venezuela will contend for its first World Baseball Classic title against the U.S., which is in the final for the third consecutive time and is seeking its second win. Superstar Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Venezuelan national baseball team will be facing a powerhouse U.S. team that includes Aaron Judge and Ernie Clement.

At a Glance: How to Watch USA vs. Venezuela World Baseball Classic Final

Team USA is betting big on Nolan McLean, the 24-year-old Mets pitcher, to start for the team. Eduardo Rodriguez, the 32-year-old left-handed pitcher, will start for Venezuela. The U.S. narrowly beat the Dominican Republic 2-1 to reach the final, while Venezuela beat Japan in the quarterfinals and a surprisingly strong Italian team in the semis.

How to Watch the World Baseball Classic Final

The game starts at 8 p.m. ET at LoanDepot Park in Miami, home of the Miami Marlins. It will air live on Fox. If you don’t have cable or an antenna, you can stream the game live with a live-TV streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV.

DirecTV

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DirecTV includes Fox in its packages, including the MySports Genre pack. You can get a five-day free trial to stream the game live. The MySports pack is $45 for the first two months.

Fubo

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Sports-centric live TV streaming service Fubo has a five-day free trial and includes local channels like Fox. The Core plan starts at $49 for the first month, and costs $74 after the trial period.

Hulu + Live TV

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Hulu + Live TV has a shorter three-day free trial, and includes channels like Fox, FS1, and MLB Network. It also includes Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.

USA vs. Venezuela: Roster, History

The teams face off amidst a fraught political environment for the two countries, after the U.S. deposed and captured the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro. The Venezuelan team has shied away from directly commenting on the political conflict, with coach Omar Lopez cautioning the press, “Please, don’t ask me any more questions about the political situation of my country.”

The U.S. is considered the favorite to beat Venezuela, although the latter already upset a dominant Japanese team to get here. Kansas City Royals’ Maikel Garcia has been a breakout star for the South American nation, rallying past Italy to get to the final.

On the offensive end, Team USA will start Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge. Will Smith will be the catcher for Team USA, having navigated six pitchers in the team’s gritty win against the Dominican Republic.

The World Baseball Classic has been held every four years since the 2009 edition, although the 2021 edition was delayed to 2023 due to the pandemic. Japan has historically dominated, winning three editions and beating the U.S. in the 2023 final. The U.S. and Dominican Republic have one win apiece.