Here we go! It's semifinals time at the World Baseball Classic. Sunday we get a great matchup. The United States, having bested Canada, is here as expected. However, the most-impressive team in this tournament has been the Dominican Republic. It is an absolutely offensive powerhouse. However, the pitching matchup here sees Luis Severino going up against Paul Skenes. Yes, the United States is bringing out the big guns for this one.
The game starts at 8 p.m. ET, which is relevant in terms of getting your DFS roster situated in time and to note that, if you're like me, you'll have to toggle between this game and the Oscars. For DFS purposes, you select a team of six players. One is your Captain, who earns 1.5 times the points, but at an elevated salary. You can roster a starting pitcher, but I wouldn't. One, both of these lineups are formidable. Two, starting pitchers have been coming out early in this tournament, which makes sense given that they would otherwise be pitching in Spring Training games. Here's the lineup I landed on.
Captain
Kyle Schwarber, USA vs. DOM ($12,600): As one of the five guys to play in all five games for the United States thus far, it's clear that Schwarber will be in the lineup for this one. Additionally, he's slugged as per usual and used his keen batting eye to post a .958 OPS. Luis Severino was hurt by pitching home games in a Triple-A park last season, but he had a 3.02 ERA on the road for the Athletics. However, since 2023, and pitching for three separate teams, Severino has allowed lefties to hit .283 against him. That's why I wanted a lefty slugger from the United States for my Captain.
Utility
Fernando Tatis, DOM vs. USA ($9,200): I didn't want to presume that Skenes would mow down a team that has scored 51 runs in five games and got the mercy rule evoked against South Korea in the quarterfinals. Plus, even if Skenes goes all out since this is a semifinal game, it's hard to envision him going beyond the fifth innings. Thus, my strategy became simple: Get three Dominican players who have raked in this tournament. Tatis has an 1.403 OPS and has driven in 11 runs. Good starting point, right?
Vladimir Guerrero, DOM vs. USA ($8,800): Looking ahead to the 2026 MLB season, with how Guerrero looked in the playoffs last year and with the way he's looked in this tournament, there's a good chance he's going to be in the thick of the MVP race. Vladito leads the Dominican squad with an 1.601 OPS and he's hit two doubles and two homers. He hits lefties, he hits righties, and you want him on your roster for his elite bat skills.
Junior Caminero, DOM vs. USA ($7,800): Next up is Caminero, who has hit .375 and slugged .813. He's the only Dominican player to ground into a double play, and he's done it three times, but that's a minor quibble. Yes, in the inverse scenario of Severino's, Caminero benefited from a Triple-A ballpark in 2025, but he did hit half his 45 home runs on the road. This is a legitimate slugger (who could stand to take a walk now and again, but that's a quibble).
Roman Anthony, USA vs. DOM ($5,800): Anthony is only 21, and he has 71 games of MLB experience to his name, but he's third on the American team in plate appearances, so clearly the belief levels are high. The southpaw slugger has rewarded that trust with a .908 OPS. While I did note that starting pitchers have come out of games in this tournament fairly early, Anthony had a .770 OPS against lefties as an MLB rookie, so he has the ability to hold his own if the Dominican bullpen is deployed against him.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, USA vs. DOM ($4,800): I end with another lefty from the United States squad, which gives me a nice balance between players from these two teams. Unlike Anthony, Crow-Armstrong is largely ineffective against lefties. If Gregory Soto comes out of the bullpen, PCA might hit the bench. That being said, he's grabbed himself a role for this team, and he's posted an 1.295 OPS with two home runs. The lefty also stole 35 bases for the Cubs last season. At this salary, Crow-Armstrong could provide bang for your buck even if he only gets two plate appearances against Severino.
