The hype for the 2026 World Baseball Classic is building, and the spotlight is once again shifting toward two of New York’s biggest stars. On Instagram this week, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor announced he will captain Team Puerto Rico — reclaiming a role he never really lost.
Lindor led Puerto Rico in the 2023 WBC, hitting .450 with a 1.050 OPS across five games, and now returns with unfinished business. The 31-year-old joins a short but potent list of players who are projected to be already committed to the roster, including Marcus Stroman, Javier Báez, and Carlos Correa.
The announcement comes just days after Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was named captain of Team USA. Judge is fresh off another MVP season and a World Series appearance, having posted a .322 average with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs, and career-highs in OPS, OBP, and slugging. Lindor wasn’t far behind. His 2024 campaign saw him hit .273 with 33 home runs and finish second in NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani. He also powered the Mets’ unexpected run to the NLCS, reminding everyone of his value as a leader and offensive force.
With both stars now officially captains of their respective WBC teams, the baseball world is getting a taste of what fans in New York have long craved: a true Subway Series rivalry at the international level.
Mets vs. Yankees is everywhere you look
The regular season series between the Mets and Yankees in 2024 only added fuel to that fire. The Mets swept the Yankees 4-0, but both captains made noise. Judge hit .444 with two homers and seven RBIs; Lindor batted .400 with two homers and six RBIs of his own.
Off the field, the rivalry deepened after Juan Soto — who starred for the Yankees in 2024 — signed with the Mets in the offseason for a record-setting $765 million. While the Yankees try to prove they never needed Soto, the Mets are banking on him to deliver their future. So far in 2025, both teams are 11-7 and sitting atop their respective divisions.
Individually, Judge has continued to dominate, leading the league in batting average (.409), OBP (.519), slugging (.803), OPS (1.322), and RBIs (21). Lindor, meanwhile, is off to a slower start, batting .239 with one homer and six RBIs.
Still, the storylines are aligning for a blockbuster summer and an even juicier WBC showdown. Puerto Rico vs. USA. Mets vs. Yankees. Lindor vs. Judge.
And maybe — just maybe — New York gets the ultimate bragging rights battle on two stages.