Joe Ryan Expresses “Shock” as Team USA Leaves Him Off WBC Championship Roster

[Cody Christie]

There was nothing unusual about Joe Ryan on Monday afternoon. The right-hander took the ball at Hammond Stadium, worked four innings, allowed a single run on five hits, and struck out six with one walk. It looked like a standard March outing, the kind that blends into the rhythm of spring training. Except it wasn’t supposed to happen there.

Ryan’s latest appearance came against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Fort Myers, not under the lights in Miami at the World Baseball Classic championship. For weeks leading up to this, the expectation was that Ryan would factor into Team USA’s pitching plans deep into the tournament. Instead, as events unfolded, he was left watching as the roster shifted in a different direction. The decision caught him off guard.

“That was a shock,” Ryan told the Star Tribune. “Definitely a weird one to process. I was fully prepared, ready to go, the car was all ready, and excited to go there, obviously, the whole time. Then was told I wasn’t going to go.”

The path to that moment had been anything but straightforward. Back in December, Ryan was originally named to Team USA’s roster as part of a loaded pitching staff assembled for a title run. However, a bout of back inflammation during spring training altered his early availability, keeping him out of pool play but leaving the door open for a return in the knockout rounds as the spring progressed.

As Team USA advanced through the tournament, that opportunity seemed likely to materialize. At one point, Manager Mark DeRosa even indicated publicly that Ryan could step in for Clayton Kershaw if the team reached the later rounds, potentially pitching in the championship mix.

Instead, when it came time to finalize the roster for the later rounds, Team USA ultimately used its available spot on reliever Jeff Hoffman, prioritizing bullpen depth over inserting Ryan into a starting role. This decision, made near the championship stage, left Ryan on the outside looking in, although his throwing schedule was carefully built around the possibility of pitching in the final.

Adding to the frustration was the timing and method of communication. Ryan said he first learned of the roster change through Twins leadership shortly after the decision, not Team USA directly, and didn’t hear from USA Baseball until days later. Still, he made it clear where the support came from.

“The Twins were great, super supportive with a really good plan the whole time,” Ryan said. “They really wanted me to go. It wasn’t up to us at the end of the day.”

From Minnesota’s perspective, there is at least a practical silver lining. The organization had adjusted Ryan’s spring workload to align with a potential WBC appearance, and now that plan rolls seamlessly into the regular season. He remains on track to start Opening Day in Baltimore, a role that carries its own weight even if it lacks the global spotlight.

It is a strange baseball reality. One week, you are penciled into a potential championship game for your country. The next, you are back on a spring mound facing a split-squad lineup. For Ryan, the preparation never changed. The opportunity did.

Joe Ryan Timeline for World Baseball Classic

• Dec. 17: Team USA announces that Ryan will be on its roster.
• Feb. 21: Ryan is scratched from his Grapefruit League debut due to back discomfort.
• Mar. 1: Ryan throws a bullpen session but is removed from consideration for the round robin portion of the tournament.
• Mar. 10: Ryan makes his 2026 game debut for the Twins.
• Mar. 12: Mark DeRosa says Ryan and Nolan McLean could pitch in some combination during the championship game.
• Mar. 13: Team USA adds reliever Jeff Hoffman to the roster instead of Ryan.
• Mar. 14: Ryan throws a bullpen session, and the Twins confirm he will remain in camp.
• Mar. 15: Ryan makes his second spring start for Minnesota.

View full rumor

[IndianaTwin]

From the OP: “The Twins were great, super supportive with a really good plan the whole time,” Ryan said. “They really wanted me to go. It wasn’t up to us at the end of the day.”

-------------------

Selfishly, I don't mind that Ryan was able to have a 68-pitch outing on Monday as a result. 

Also, such a response doesn't contribute to the "Joe Ryan wants out of town as soon as possible" narrative. If that was the case, it would have been easy to provide a pretty ho-hum response toward the Twins.  

[h2oface]

They could have used him. Hoffman never played, but I would have preferred Ryan instead of the Met, Molan McLean (5.87 ERA for the WBC). And I don’t understand why DeRosa went with Whitlock in the ninth. Mason had 2 days rest. But seriously….. USA had only 3 hits! And Skubal in uniform in dugout but wouldn’t start!

 

Mason Miller has thrown 272 consecutive pitches (in the 2025 regular season and postseason and the 2026 WBC) without allowing a hit.

[Chembry]

6 hours ago, h2oface said:

They could have used him. Hoffman never played, but I would have preferred Ryan instead of the Met, Molan McLean (5.87 ERA for the WBC). And I don’t understand why DeRosa went with Whitlock in the ninth. Mason had 2 days rest. But seriously….. USA had only 3 hits! And Skubal in uniform in dugout but wouldn’t start!

 

Mason Miller has thrown 272 consecutive pitches (in the 2025 regular season and postseason and the 2026 WBC) without allowing a hit.

McLean pitched very well last night.  His breaking stuff is filthy!! McLean showed why the Mets are extremely high on him.  He still holds rookie status going into 2026 and probably the odd on favorite to win NL ROY.

Miller was only available for 1 inning in a save situation.  Stipulations put in place by the Padres.  Cubs put the same stipulations in for Palencia.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Pitching didn't cost Team USA. Line-up just couldn't get anything going.

[Woof Bronzer]

Holding Venezuela to 3 runs should have been plenty for this roster.   USA lost the game because Venezuela wanted it more, played harder, hit better, pitched better, ran the bases better, played great D, didn't get rattled by the Harper homer, and flat out earned it.  They were unquestionably the better team last night in every aspect of the game and Joe Ryan wouldn't have changed that.  

[Jose Herrera]

Between arbitration and this I feel for Joe. The worst part is that adding Hoffman was a great move, but we ended pitching Whitlock anyway.

[KirbyDome89]

On 3/18/2026 at 10:30 AM, Woof Bronzer said:

Holding Venezuela to 3 runs should have been plenty for this roster.   USA lost the game because Venezuela wanted it more, played harder, hit better, pitched better, ran the bases better, played great D, didn't get rattled by the Harper homer, and flat out earned it.  They were unquestionably the better team last night in every aspect of the game and Joe Ryan wouldn't have changed that.  

Venezuela earned it by playing better no doubt. The "they wanted it more," narrative feels like cope to me though. The US lost the championship game of a single elimination tourney by one run. That's baseball. At some point this season the Colorado Rockies will beat the Dodgers and nobody will think twice about. No questions about LAs effort or desire to play to game. That DR lineup was absolutely stacked. They scored one run in their loss. Did they just not want it enough? We need some perspective. 

[Woof Bronzer]

10 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Venezuela earned it by playing better no doubt. The "they wanted it more," narrative feels like cope to me though. The US lost the championship game of a single elimination tourney by one run. That's baseball. At some point this season the Colorado Rockies will beat the Dodgers and nobody will think twice about. No questions about LAs effort or desire to play to game. That DR lineup was absolutely stacked. They scored one run in their loss. Did they just not want it enough? We need some perspective. 

Fair point and I usually hate the "they just wanted it more" narrative.  But man watching USA sleepwalk through that game vs Venezuela's high energy it sure seemed like that game meant more to them.  Which probably should have been expected given the recent...geopolitical events in Venezuela.

[KirbyDome89]

1 hour ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Fair point and I usually hate the "they just wanted it more" narrative.  But man watching USA sleepwalk through that game vs Venezuela's high energy it sure seemed like that game meant more to them.  Which probably should have been expected given the recent...geopolitical events in Venezuela.

For sure a frustrating experience watching the US offense no show vs both the DR and Venezuela. I think most (and rightfully so) expected the US lineup to put on a better display. After the offense flopped, the frustration became "they didn't care," as opposed to "it's ST and it's 2 games." 

Idk what the tourney meant to the US players. Tbh, I don't really care, because while entertaining, I view the WBC as an exhibition. I would happily trade any number of WBC championships for a Twins sale and return to relevancy. The US guys play 162 games, in the most competitive league in the world, in front of fans in their home country. It's just different, and that's ok. 

I think fans are projecting their feelings (and I'm not unempathetic or even in disagreement) about what's happening outside of baseball onto individual performances and/or single games. 

[Woof Bronzer]

On 3/20/2026 at 4:38 PM, KirbyDome89 said:

I think fans are projecting their feelings (and I'm not unempathetic or even in disagreement) about what's happening outside of baseball onto individual performances and/or single games. 

Fans who pretend "what's happening outside of baseball" didn't have an impact on the WBC are projecting their feelings too.  Sometimes baseball can't be reduced to a series of formulas.  Human emotions matter.  And that's a good thing.