Aaron Judge Named Captain of Team USA for 2026 World Baseball Classic
Yankees star Aaron Judge has been named captain of Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, making his tournament debut. He will lead the team, managed by Mark DeRosa, as they aim for championship glory in the upcoming competition.
Published on April 15, 2025
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge has been named captain of Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, marking his first appearance in the international tournament. The announcement was made by Team USA manager Mark DeRosa on MLB Network on April 14, 2025, making Judge the first confirmed player on the roster. At 32, Judge expressed his enthusiasm about representing the country, emphasizing that playing for the U.S. would be a fun and meaningful challenge as he aims for a championship victory.
Judge, a two-time American League MVP, enters the tournament with an impressive season record, batting .357 with 20 RBIs and six home runs in just 15 games. With games scheduled from March 5 to 17 across Houston, Miami, Tokyo, and San Juan, Puerto Rico—with the semifinals and finals in Miami—Team USA, led by returning manager DeRosa, looks to recapture the championship success seen in 2017. Although Judge missed the 2023 WBC, where the U.S. team fell short in a close loss to Japan, his appointment signals a promising new chapter for Team USA in world baseball.