USA is beginning to assemble its star-studded squad for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and one of its first major pieces is Paul Skenes. The young Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, who made his MLB debut in 2024 and quickly established himself as one of the most dominant starters in the league, confirmed his commitment to represent his country in the international tournament.
The news ignited excitement among baseball fans, who celebrated on social media with references to the Avengers, imagining Skenes as part of a star-studded team. The expectation is no less: the United States is looking for revenge after the painful defeat against Japan in the 2023 final and the arrival of an ace like Skenes is seen as a key step to return to the top.
A pitching gem
At just 22 years of age, Skenes has already made his mark in the Major Leagues. In his rookie season, he was selected to the All-Star Game, won the National League Rookie of the Year award and finished third in the Cy Young voting, all with a low-profile team like the Pirates. So far in 2025, he has nine starts, a 2.63 ERA and 53 strikeouts in just over 54 innings.
His presence represents a change of direction for Team USA, which in the previous edition of the World Baseball Classic suffered from a lack of elite arms. In 2023, none of the top 13 American starters (in ERA) participated. “It will be the pitching that we will have to make sure,” warned manager Mark DeRosa when he named Aaron Judge as captain last month. Now, with Skenes confirmed, it seems that the rebuilding is starting on solid ground.
Reactions, excitement and the start of assembly
The enthusiasm of the fans was not long in coming. “Let’s get the Avengers together,” wrote one fan on X, while another commented: “It’s the beginning of the best team we’ve ever seen.” Although only Skenes and Judge have confirmed their participation so far, that has been enough to spark excitement and comparisons with superheroes abound.
Even figures like Tarik Skubal have shown previous interest in joining, which could create a domino effect. With heavyweight names committed early on, USA Baseball seems determined to avoid the mistakes of the past, prioritizing the recruitment of its best pitchers without waiting until the last minute.
The road to Houston, home of Group B, where the United States will face Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil, has already begun. Paul Skenes not only arrives as a luxury reinforcement, but also as a symbol of a new mentality: to seek top-level talent from the start and consolidate a roster capable of regaining the world crown.
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