The last World Baseball Classic gave us one of the most iconic baseball moments of all time. Japan vs the USA, the championship game, top of the 9th, two outs, Mike Trout in the box against friend and then teammate Shohei Ohtani. Two of the greatest baseball players in recent history. Ohtani ended up striking out Trout for the win and to take home the trophy to Japan.
This year, the USA looks to get back to where they were four years ago for 2026, but there will be some changes from the 2021 roster, with the first being the new captain, Aaron Judge. Judge was selected to be the captain of team USA by Mark DeRosa, in 2021, Trout was the captain for team USA, also by DeRosa. “We’re going back with one mission,” said DeRosa in an interview. Many fans are supporting the decision to appoint Judge as the 2026 captain.
It’s still very early in roster releases, with the only other captain or player announced is shortstop Fransisco Lindor, who was named the captain for Puerto Rico. With more stars starting to play for their respective countries, the 2026 World Baseball Classic will be one of the best of all time!