If Aaron Judge is Captain America, then Paul Skenes might just be the Winter Soldier. And yes, the World Baseball Classic just got that much more exciting.
Team USA’s 2026 roster is starting to look downright stacked. Guess the last loss to Japan still stings. Along with New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Pirates ace Paul Skenes is now officially on board. And, well, it turns out this ace didn’t need much convincing to join.
After the announcement, he actually said, “When we talked, it almost felt like I was selling you.” And there is a reason he is so passionate about playing for the country.
The Team USA 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic announcement is: Paul Skenes!!!!! Pirates Ace Paul Skenes will be pitching for Team USA next year in the WBC pic.twitter.com/oPV2KdWovG
— Juan RC (@elclass_king) May 13, 2025
Paul Skenes spent two years at the Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU. It was there he helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series title back in 2023. That summer he became the No. 1 overall draft pick and has been on the ride ever since. So he had not a doubt; he wanted to play in the WBC.
Paul Skenes mentioned, “When I was coming through high school, the thing I thought I was going to be was flying jets… So I got to wear USA across my chest… This is one thing—as a fan of the game, watching the WBC—if I ever get a chance to do this, I am never going to say no.”
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