Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes has announced his commitment to pitch for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. This news represents a major boost for the American team, which has struggled to recruit top starting pitchers in recent tournaments.
Skenes joins New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who was named captain of the U.S. team last month. The team will be managed by Mark DeRosa for the second consecutive time.
Paul Skenes is 3-4 so far this year, with an ERA of 2.63 in 54 ⅔ innings across nine starts for the Pirates.
Skenes, 22, was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and made his Major League debut last May. His participation in the 2026 WBC is an achievement for American baseball and could mark a change in the opinion of elite starting pitchers.
The participation of top American starting pitchers in the WBC has been a challenge, due to the tournament being played during spring training and the fear of injuries. To illustrate this, in 2022, thirteen American starting pitchers finished in the top 20 in earned run average among qualifiers, and none of them pitched in the 2023 WBC.
DeRosa assured a young, top-tier ace who has had a historically outstanding start to his career in the Major Leagues. Skenes was dominant from the start as a rookie, with an 11-3 record and a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts for the Pirates.From a position player’s perspective, I can probably fill out five lineups that want to participate. It’ll be the pitching part that we’ll have to secure.
Mark DeRosa
This season, Skenes is 3-4 with a 2.63 ERA in 54 ⅔ innings across nine starts for the Pirates, who are once again in the basement of the National League Central.
On Monday, Skenes limited the New York Mets to one run with six strikeouts in six innings. It was the seventh time he has pitched at least six innings in a start this season.
