Padres stars could steal the WBC spotlight in USA vs. Dominican Republic

There are bigger names in this semifinal than the ones wearing San Diego across their chest in the regular season. Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, and even Juan Soto are all in there. The whole thing is basically an All-Star Game with a national anthem and actual consequences. And yet, this matchup still feels like it could get hijacked by three familiar faces. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado have helped turn the Dominican Republic into the loudest team in the tournament, while Mason Miller has been doing his usual psycho-on-a-mission routine at the back of Team USA’s bullpen. 

It is not just USA vs. Dominican Republic. Nor is it totally about Skenes trying to survive a lineup that has already mashed a record-tying 14 home runs in the tournament. It is also a Padres stress test in prime time, with Tatis and Machado bringing the fireworks for the Dominican side and Miller lurking as the American answer if this thing gets tight late. 

Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Mason Miller turn WBC semifinal into a Padres showcase

Tatis, of course, has treated the WBC like it was specifically designed for him. He launched the first grand slam in Dominican Republic WBC history against Israel, drove in six runs in that game, and then kept the circus going against Venezuela with another homer. MLB’s tournament coverage has leaned all the way into the chaos, and for good reason. This is the version of Tatis Padres fans always want more of. And he’s apparently incapable of hitting a meaningful home run without setting off a celebration. 

Machado has been a little different. Tatis has been unavoidable to miss. He's the cold stare behind him. He has not needed to own every highlight to feel essential to what the Dominican Republic is doing. Against Venezuela, the game-ending double play was fielded by Machado, with MLB flat-out noting that his defense in this tournament has been superb. That’s such a Machado detail. Let everybody else flip bats. He will just keep vacuuming up baseballs at third and making the whole machine continue to spin.

Team USA hasn’t bulldozed this tournament the way people expected. They lost to Italy, got shoved into some unnecessary drama with Cal Raleigh snubbing his Mariners teammates during competition, and then had to grind out a 5-3 quarterfinal win over Canada just to get here. But once the ninth inning arrived, Miller did what elite closers do. He struck out the side and slammed the door. 

That is why this semifinal has such a great angle for the Padres. San Diego fans are watching their stars shape the mood of the game from opposite sides. This is one of those rare games where the organization wins either way. If the Dominican Republic keeps rolling, Tatis and Machado will be right in the middle of it. If Team USA survives, there is a pretty decent chance Miller has his fingerprints on the ending.

Either way, San Diego will be all over one of the biggest games of the baseball calendar. That is a pretty nice reminder of just how much star power still sits at the center of this roster, even when the jerseys say something else for a week.