Pirates' Paul Skenes to join Team USA in World Baseball Classic
Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes will be joining Team USA to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, it was announced Tuesday.
The tournament is set to take place in March of 2026, with Team USA competing in Pool B in Houston along with Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil.
Paul Skenes will take the mound for Team USA in the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KjXJ95L3Un
— MLB (@MLB) May 13, 2025
The 2023 No. 1 pick will be 23 years old by the time he takes the mound in the tournament, having posted a brilliant debut campaign where he won National League Rookie of the Year, while also being named one of three finalists for the NL's Cy Young Award. Through 54.2 innings pitched this season, Skenes has a 2.63 ERA with six quality starts.
The WBC Championship will be played at loanDepot Park in Miami on March 17, 2026. Team USA will look to redeem itself following a second-place finish in the 2023 WBC, having lost to Team Japan 3-2 in the championship match where Shohei Ohtani walked away with the MVP award while representing his home country.
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