In nearly a year, the 2026 World Baseball Classic will take place. Aaron Judge will be the captain for Team USA. It will pit the top national teams in the world against each other for the chance to be named the outright world champions of baseball. While there is still plenty of time left before players begin to think about taking the international stage, that has not stopped the United States from looking ahead. They announced that Judge would serve as the team captain in the tournament.
Judge, who did not play for the team in 2023, joins a team eager to get the gold medal back after losing to Japan in the last edition of the tournament. A superstar for the Yankees, winning two AL MVPs in 2022 and 2024 and guiding the team to the World Series in 2024, Judge is the first confirmed superstar to join Team USA for the 2026 tournament and most likely will not be the last.
What Judge Brings
Over the last few seasons, Judge has cemented himself as one of the league’s top players. His immense home run power has taken the league by storm and created a rivalry with Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. They are going head-to-head about who the best hitter in baseball is. While Mike Trout was the captain last time, Judge being named the captain gives Team USA a superstar player to lead who is in the prime of their career. Also the current captain of the Yankees, his role as the Team USA captain will not be much different than his current role.
With Judge confirming his intention to participate in the World Baseball Classic, it proves that Team USA is going all-in on winning the whole thing. With teams like Japan always fielding a star-studded team, with current MLB stars Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto all on their 2023 title team, Team USA will want to field a team that they believe can win a gold medal.
Judge’s Career Thus Far
From the moment Judge made his MLB debut in 2016, he has been a highly touted player in the league. A six-time All-Star, he has turned a Yankees team that struggled to return to glory after Derek Jeter left back into a perennial contender. In 2022, Judge put together his best season as a pro, breaking Roger Maris’ Yankees home run record when he hit 62. This led to a handful of accolades including the MVP, being named All-MLB First Team, and winning the Hank Aaron and Silver Slugger awards.
Last season, he led the league in home runs and while the Yankees fell to the Dodgers in the World Series, it was the first time in 15 years they made an appearance in the “Fall Classic.” Signing a nine-year contract extension after his historic 2022 season, Judge will be the cornerstone piece for the Yankees for years to come. He is expected to be the franchise player during the team’s quest for its 28th World Series title.
Final Thoughts
Judge is the perfect pick to be the Team USA captain. While Ohtani is considered the face of baseball in today’s era, Judge is the face of baseball in the United States. As Team USA prepares to take center stage in the international scene, having the best player from the country be the captain could not be a more fitting endeavor. Even though it is still unknown as to how the rest of the roster will shape up, many other stars will likely follow suit and join Judge for the World Baseball Classic.
