New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge has officially been named the captain for Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a role he takes on with great pride and responsibility.
The announcement came Monday from USA manager Mark DeRosa, who confirmed that Judge would lead the team in what promises to be an exciting international showdown.
DeRosa revealed that there was strong competition for the captaincy, with Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout also in the mix.
However, after careful consideration and consultation with Trout himself, the decision was made to appoint Judge as the leader of the team.
“I felt like I watched Mike Trout walk out against Japan holding the flag, and I want you to be that guy. So I reached out to Trout yesterday and told him where we were going, and he said, ‘He’s the one,'” DeRosa recounted, quoting Trout’s three-word endorsement.
Trout, who has been a fixture in the American baseball scene, gave his full backing to Judge’s appointment.
DeRosa expressed his full confidence in the decision, noting his enthusiasm for the choice. “I couldn’t be more fired up for Aaron Judge to be the captain for Team USA,” he added.
For Judge, the honor of leading his country in the 2026 WBC is deeply meaningful.
“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 play a game, it’s a pretty humbling experience. I’m happy to represent the U.S. and be your captain,” Judge said of the honor.
Appearing on the MLB Network, Judge reflected on his previous absence from the tournament, admitting it was tough to not have the honor of representing our country.
“It wasn’t the best, sitting at home watching Team USA battle,” Judge said. “I wanted to be there, it was kind of in the middle of free agency.”
Now, with the opportunity to wear the Red, White and Blue, Judge sees this as a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.
“Getting a chance to represent this country – and have Team USA across my chest, it’s a great opportunity,”’ he said. “I never had this opportunity before, even growing up as a kid.”
Yankees fan or not, it’s hard not to love Judge.
Despite being in the spotlight 24/7 as the face of the biggest organization in the sport, Judge has never once said or done a wrong thing.
He’s a phenomenal representative of Major League Baseball and a is a true role model for every kid out there.
Having said that, did DeRosa and the powers that be make a mistake by not naming Bryce Harper the captain of Team USA???
