Paul Skenes is one of the power arms on the United States national baseball team roster for the World Baseball Classic, and he recently said he feels special to wear the national team jersey. Although he has yet to make his debut in the tournament, he already watched his team secure a 15–5 victory over Brazil national baseball team.
The report on Skenes’ comments was shared by Shawn Spradling on X (@shawn_spradling): “Out of all the jerseys I’ve had, the USA one is the one I’m most proud of wearing,” said the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, who is still waiting for his chance to take the mound in the WBC.
It’s not the first time Skenes has expressed pride about representing Team USA. On Feb. 25, he said, “We’re America, we’ve got to assert our dominance over everybody else. That’s what we do,” referencing the dominance the United States has historically shown in the Winter Olympic Games.
Skenes has always wanted to play for the national team
A month before the World Baseball Classic even began on February 5, Skenes admitted he didn’t hesitate when Mark DeRosa asked him to join the roster to play with the national team, something that he always wanted to do for his country.
“I don’t need time… In high school I thought I was going to be flying jets. As a fan of the game I was like, ‘If I ever get the chance to do this, I’m never saying no,’” Skenes said during an interview segment on MLB Network, where he appeared alongside Aaron Judge and Tarik Skubal.
Skenes could soon get his opportunity to debut for Team USA. According to Underdog MLB on X (@underdogmlb), he was expected to be part of the planned rotation and could take the mound against Mexico national baseball team. His arm would be key in slowing down a strong opponent, and he could also pitch in another stage of the tournament.
- Logan Webb vs. Brazil
- Tarik Skubal vs. Great Britain
- Paul Skenes vs. Mexico
- Nolan McLean vs. Italy
- Quarterfinal – Webb
- Semifinal – Skenes
- Final – McLean