Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes confirms he’ll be joining Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes confirms he’ll 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 along with Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil, playing in Houston, Texas.
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 NL Rookie of the Year, also 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.