Paul Skenes, perhaps the best and most exciting pitcher in the world right now, has officially committed to join Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Watching Skenes go up against high-end competition while playing for a team that can actually score runs for him will be a treat, and the fact that Aaron Judge will be his captain and teammate has New York Yankees fans dreaming about what could be coming in the future.
This news is huge for Team USA's chances in the tournament. Their weakness in the 2023 WBC was their starting pitching; how many innings Skenes will be able to throw when he takes the ball remains to be seen, but he's immediately the best pitcher Team USA has had in quite some time.
Yankees fans also hope it can have a ripple effect when it comes to their team.
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Paul Skenes committing to Team USA has Yankees fans dreaming of an Aaron Judge recruitment
The reason this connection has been made is that Judge is the only other player, as of this writing, to commit to Team USA. Other superstars will undoubtedly join him, but for now, Yankees fans are in dreamland. To be completely honest, the fit makes a whole lot of sense, too.
Skenes joining Judge in the Bronx would not happen for several years, if it does at all. The right-hander is not set to hit free agency until after the 2029 campaign. But while that's far away, there's reason to believe that it can happen.
The odds of Skenes remaining in Pittsburgh with the Pirates long-term are incredibly slim, assuming he comes close to living up to his enormous potential. They probably took yet another hit now that Skenes will get to bond with some of the game's best players next spring. With that in mind, big market teams are going to be linked to him ad nauseam until he reaches free agency. The Yankees will be right in the middle of rumors, as they are with every other high-end free agent.
Judge is only under contract through the 2032 campaign, but if he connects with the young right-hander, he could easily convince him to come to the Bronx. This will be his opportunity to bolster this relationship. Yankees fans can only hope that happens.