Team USA manager Mark DeRosa announced on MLB Network that Aaron Judge has been named captain of Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. This marks the Yankees star’s debut in the tournament, after he sat out in 2023 due to free agency.

Judge expressed his excitement about the opportunity to represent the United States: “Just getting a chance to represent this country, what this country means to me. Honestly, every game, during the national anthem [and] ‘God Bless America,’ getting a chance to sit out there, for me it’s a time to reflect about all the brave men and women that have fought for this country and given me the opportunity to step on a baseball field and play a game that I love. Now, getting a chance to have ‘USA’ across my chest and represent all the great people in our country and represent what this country means, it’s a great opportunity. I never had this opportunity before, even growing up as a kid, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

The reigning American League MVP said Monday of his absence in 2023, where Team USA reached the finals but fell to Japan: “It wasn’t the best sitting at home watching Team USA battle. I wanted to be there I was in the middle of free agency, but I was looking forward to this opportunity again. Getting the chance to represent and be the captain is something that [Mike Trout] did last time and is a pretty special honor.”

Judge, who turns 33 this month, becomes the first player officially named to the 2026 roster and joins fellow Yankees captain Derek Jeter as one of the few to represent the franchise in the WBC.

The 2026 WBC will run from March 5–17, with games in Houston, Miami, Tokyo, and San Juan. Team USA is placed in Pool B alongside Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, with the championship set for March 17 in Miami. Team USA last won the World Baseball Classic in 2017.

DeRosa, recently named manager, will be joined by a coaching staff that includes Skip Schumaker, Andy Pettitte, Matt Holliday, and others. The full roster will be revealed over the coming year.

Editorial credit: Conor P. Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com