On the same day MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh is set to swing in the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby, the Seattle Mariners catcher was announced as a member of Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Raleigh joins New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, named the team captain, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. as players that have committed to play for manager Mark DeRosa next spring. Team USA will begin play on March 6, 2026.

“Obviously, we’ve been following him. We’ve been tracking him hard,” DeRosa said on MLB Network before the official announcement was made. “Twenty-eight homers, 30 homers — but I was taken more aback by [his] defense, I gotta be completely honest.”

“Then you got to 35 homers,” he continued, “and my best friend on the planet, [former Braves and Yankees catcher] Brian McCann… he called my phone, he goes ‘Will you stop the nonsense and call Cal Raleigh, and get him on Team USA?'”

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DeRosa then joked that Raleigh needed to recruit AL starting pitcher Tarik Skubal for Team USA while warming him up on Tuesday night. McCann will be an assistant manager on DeRosa’s coaching staff.

Raleigh, 28, is the starting catcher for the American League on Tuesday. He leads MLB with 38 home runs at the All-Star break, three ahead of Judge. He has already surpassed the 34 homers that he hit all of last season.

The fifth-year star also leads the majors with 82 RBI, one more than his future World Baseball Classic teammate.

“It’s like every kid’s dream, right?” Raleigh said on MLB Network. “You grow up watching ‘Miracle‘… you got the USA across your chest, it’s like a dream getting to play for your country. What a special chance.”

On DeRosa’s coaching staff will be Skip Schumaker as bench coach, pitching coach Andy Pettitte, Matt Holliday as hitting coach, and bullpen coach David Ross. McCann, Michael Young and Fredi González will be assistant managers. Third base will be coached by Dino Ebel and first base by George Lombard.

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The United States has won the 2017 World Baseball Classic but lost to Japan in the 2023 championship game. Japan has won the event three times.

Team USA will play in Pool B for the World Baseball Classic, joining Brazil, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico. Those teams will play at Daikin Park in Houston from March 6 to 11. In addition to Houston, pool play rounds will be played in Miami, San Juan and Tokyo. The semifinals and finals will be played in Miami, with the championship game scheduled for March 17.