Aaron Judge announced Monday that he will play for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa revealed that the New York Yankees captain will also be captain of the U.S. squad, which begins play on March 6, 2026.
“I was looking forward to this opportunity,” Judge said during an interview on MLB Network. “Getting a chance to represent, be the captain, something that [Mike Trout] did the last time, is a pretty special honor.”
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Judge, 33, will be making his WBC debut after he did not play on the 2023 U.S. WBC squad, captained by Trout, because he was a free agent. That winter, Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million contract to stay with the Yankees. Coming off his new deal, he said he didn’t want to miss any of the team’s spring training that season.
