Aaron Judge addressed questions about Team USA’s focus following the team’s surprising 8–6 loss to Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. The defeat raised concerns after the heavily favored American roster fell behind 8–0 before mounting a late comeback attempt.
The loss quickly sparked criticism and speculation about whether the team was fully prepared for the matchup. Some reports suggested players and coaches remained in the clubhouse until late after their previous win against Team Mexico, leading to questions about the team’s readiness.
Judge, however, rejected the idea that the team lacked focus. “Oh, not at all. Not at all,” Judge said, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Judge credits Italy for strong performance
Judge explained that the time spent together after the previous game was simply teammates enjoying the experience of playing together in the tournament. “Everyone on this team has been enjoying this experience. You’re getting a chance to have these guys all in one clubhouse, share stories, share at-bats, share any information to make each other better,” Judge said.
The New York Yankees star also made it clear that the result had more to do with Italy’s performance than anything that happened the night before. “Italy is a great team. They definitely showed it today. But whatever happened yesterday has nothing to do with what happened today,” Judge added.
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Team USA still hoping to advance
Judge finished the game 0-for-4 with a walk, striking out in the ninth inning against former Yankees teammate Greg Weissert, who secured the save for Italy. Meanwhile, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa revealed an oversight that leaves Judge and the American squad on the brink of elimination in the WBC.
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Now, the Americans must wait and see if results from the final group games will allow them advance to the quarterfinals, despite the disappointing loss.
