"Scrapping bottom of the barrel"; "Dark horse gem" - Fans split as Garrett Whitlock joins Team USA’s WBC pitching unit

Boston Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock has committed to play for Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic edition. Whitlock joins All-Star players such as Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes, Bobby Witt Jr., Pete Crow-Armstrong and Corbin Carroll, who are confirmed to participate in the tournament scheduled to begin on March 6 in Houston.

Team USA is establishing quite the roster to dethrone Team Japan from the top, but their latest recruitment has not gone down well with the fans.

"Scrapping the bottom of the barrel here" one fan reacted.

"NOOO," another replied.

"First wtf move by USA," one fan wrote.

"wtf we don't want him," another added.

"Does he wanna get the other Garrett on his team to join?" one fan talked about teammate Garrett Crochet.

However, there were some fans who actually liked this recruitment.

"USA's getting a dark horse gem, Whitlock's gonna shine," one fan wrote.

"🇺🇸 will probably have the best team in history," another added.

"Red Sox made him a one-inning guy on June 29 and he had a 0.56 ERA from that point onward. I promise you overreactors in the replies that he deserves a spot lol," one fan wrote.

Garrett Whitlock becomes first Red Sox player in WBC since 2013

The last time a Red Sox player represented the USA in the WBC was Shane Victorino in 2013. Garrett Whitlock is set to become the latest member and the first one from the Red Sox camp to represent the country in the WBC.

Before 2013, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis from the Red Sox played for the US in the 2009 edition. Mike Timlin and Jason Varitek also turned up for the country from Boston for the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2006.

Whitlock had a great rookie season, but injuries hindered his growth as he only pitched 168.1 total innings the following three seasons. He made four starts in 2024 before an elbow surgery prevailed.

In 2025, he became a reliever and did well. He posted a 2.25 ERA while striking out 91 batters in 72 innings over 62 games. Most importantly, in his last 31 appearances, he has registered a 0.30 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 30 innings.