Aaron Judge will captain Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic—his first time suiting up for the national team—and the announcement has already generated plenty of buzz. With a strong roster expected to form, Judge believes this group could be on a mission to win it all.
“We can have the recipe from last year… I think we did have a great lineup, great bullpen and pitching staff. I think we can add a couple new pieces. There are a lot of young players in the game who are exciting and definitely want to represent their country. As for recruiting, it’s really just, ‘You want to go out there and win?’ That’s the biggest sign. I think this team is going to be on a mission. A lot of hungry guys from the last WBC team want to be in it…”
Judge made it clear he wants new faces involved—and that will be important—but many of the players from the 2023 Team USA roster performed well and have gotten off to strong starts this MLB season. That includes stars like Mike Trout, who was in excellent form during the last tournament.
Why Didn’t Judge Play in Previous WBCs?
In his latest comments, Judge explained that he’s always wanted to play for Team USA, but the timing during the last tournament didn’t work out. His priority at the time was with the Yankees—especially after signing a new contract and being named team captain.
“I always wanted to play for Team USA… Watching the last couple of WBCs was a great experience. I told everybody that I wanted to be part of it. So now I’m getting the opportunity… I said one little thing to Andy… We are going to have an exciting group. The group was great last time—just excited to be a piece of that.”
“It was tough, especially seeing the group they had—some of the greatest players in the game, all stacked in one lineup. It was something I really wanted to be part of. But I felt my first responsibility was to the Yankees. I had just signed a new deal, got named team captain, and I wanted to help get the Yankees back where they needed to be. So I felt I couldn’t miss that spring training. I hope we have another deep run this year and finish the job—and then it’ll be fun to go out there and play for our country.”
Team USA’s WBC Track Record
If Judge hopes to help lead Team USA to another World Baseball Classic title, assembling a top-tier roster will be key—especially in the bullpen and starting rotation, just as he mentioned. That kind of depth will be essential against powerhouse teams like Japan, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.
- 2023 – Lost to Japan in the Final
- 2017 – Won the WBC title vs. Puerto Rico
- 2013 – Eliminated in Round 2
- 2009 – Lost to Japan in Semifinals
- 2006 – Eliminated in Round 2
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Can Team USA win another WBC, this time with Judge as captain?
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