Less than a year remains until the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and Team USA’s roster is starting to take shape. They started by announcing that Mark DeRosa will take over as manager once more. Then, Aaron Judge was announced as the team’s captain for his very first WBC debut. Additionally, Team USA has a starting pitcher currently. The newest player to commit to the international competition is Paul Skenes, a sensation from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to MLB.
Skenes is in his second season in the main leagues and won’t even be 23 until May 29. Skenes was in the major leagues less than a year after being taken first overall by the Pirates in the June 2023 MLB Draft. After recording a 1.96 ERA over 133 innings and 23 starts, with 11.5 strikeouts per nine, he was named the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year. Over half of the balls in play against Skenes were grounders, and he struck out one-third of the hitters he faced last summer. His 1.96 ERA wasn’t a surprise; it was earned by his performance.
According to Sarah Langs, Skenes began the 2025 season as the first player ever taken No. 1 in the MLB Draft to start on Opening Day. Skenes’ struggles in his sophomore season are relative, even if he’s striking out slightly less than 25% of hitters and walking a little bit more. Through his first nine starts, he has maintained an ERA of 2.63 and has once again kept the ball in the park and consistently on the ground.
