Yankees' Aaron Judge named Team USA captain for 2026 World Baseball Classic
Aaron Judge at Yankee Stadium. Credit: Jim McIsaac
From team captain in the Bronx to team captain of Team USA.
Aaron Judge, who declined to participate in the 2023 World Baseball Classic as it came after his wild free agency of the previous winter, eagerly jumped at the chance to be part of Team USA for the 2026 WBC, on Monday becoming the first player to commit to the tournament that continues to soar in popularity, both among players and fans.
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa, who managed the club to a runner-up finish to Japan in 2023, announced Monday Judge would captain the team (the Angels Mike Trout served as captain in 2023).
“I think it’s a pretty awesome day for USA Baseball,” DeRosa said early Monday afternoon during a news conference with Judge at the Stadium, which took place several hours before the Yankees started a three-game series against the Royals. “When I was named manager, the first guy I thought of was No. 99. I felt like he’s deserving of it. I felt like, I watched Mike Trout walk out, against Japan, holding the flag, I want you to be that guy. I reached out to Trout yesterday (Sunday), I told him where we were going. He said, ‘He’s the one.’ I couldn’t be more fired up for Aaron Judge to be the captain for Team USA.”
Judge, who turns 33 on April 26, said: “I’ve always wanted to play for Team USA.”
“It’s something special to represent our country,” he said. “Just thinking about all the brave men and women that have fought for this country and laid their lives down for us to get a chance to go out here, especially me getting a chance to go out here and play a game, it’s a pretty humbling experience. Happy to represent the U.S. and happy to be your captain.”
Judge, a two-time AL MVP, including last season when he hit 58 homers and drove in 144 runs, is off to another strong start. Entering Monday night, Judge was hitting .357 with an MLB-leading six homers, 20 RBIs and 1.228 OPS.
Judge said he “really wanted” to be a part of the 2023 team but, having signed a nine-year, $360 million free agent contract with the Yankees in December 2022, the timing wasn’t quite right.
“I felt like my first responsibility was to the Yankees,” Judge said. “I just signed a new deal, just got named team captain, I wanted to be a big part of getting the Yankees back to where they need to be. So I felt like I couldn’t miss that first spring training.”
Judge, who did not inform the Yankees beforehand of his decision to commit to Team USA (he is not required to do so and MLB prohibits teams from dissuading its players from participating), will not be involved in recruiting other players.
“I don’t want him worried about recruiting,” DeRosa said with a laugh.
Team USA last won the WBC in 2017, with current Yankees Paul Goldschmidt, then with the Diamondbacks, Giancarlo Stanton, then with the Marlins and tournament MVP Marcus Stroman, then with the Blue Jays. (Goldschmidt was on the 2023 team, too).
“I think this team’s going to be on a mission,” Judge said. “There’s a lot of hungry guys from the last WBC team who want to be in it. I’ll let Mark do his thing.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
