Paul Skenes will join Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher announced Tuesday on MLB Network.
“When I was coming through high school, the thing I thought I was going to be doing right now is flying jets, rather than playing in major-league baseball stadiums against the best of the best,” Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, said.
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“I’ve gotten the chance to wear USA across my chest a couple times. I’ve gotten to wear it in a couple different fashions — in camo and in a baseball uniform. As a fan of the game, watching the previous World Baseball Classics, I was like, ‘If I ever get the chance to do this, I’m never saying no.’”
“If I ever get the chance to do this I’m never saying no…”
Paul Skenes is ALL IN for Team USA 🇺🇸 https://t.co/1w5yZscqEv pic.twitter.com/1UdpyyXOks
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 13, 2025
Skenes, 22, made his major-league debut last season after a dominant collegiate career with the Air Force Academy and LSU.
Upon debuting in Pittsburgh, Skenes quickly became one of the biggest names in baseball. He has a 2.16 ERA and a 7.3 WAR, recording 223 strikeouts in his first 32 MLB starts.
U.S. manager Mark DeRosa compared recruiting Skenes to “going big-game hunting.” If the team reaches the WBC championship game, Skenes is the pitcher DeRosa said he hopes to hand the ball to.
“I said to him, ‘Paul, I’m gonna try to build a dream team. And if I’m building a dream team, you’re in the starting rotation,” Team USA manager Mark DeRosa told Skenes on Tuesday. “Your words were, ‘I’m in.’”
The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge will serve as Team USA’s captain during the tournament. DeRosa is entering his second WBC as Team USA’s manager. His first stint was in 2023, when the United States finished second to Japan, led by Shohei Ohtani.
The 2026 WBC will run March 5-17. Team USA starts play in Houston, as part of a pool that includes Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico and Italy.
Skenes’ Pirates are 14-28, one of the worst records in MLB. The team fired manager Derek Shelton on Thursday after a seven-game losing streak and promoted bench coach Don Kelly as his replacement.
Skenes is 3-4 on the season with a 2.63 ERA in 54 2/3 innings entering Tuesday, tied for sixth-most in MLB.
(Photo: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
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