Pirates' Paul Skenes Couldn't Say No to Team USA
NEW YORK — Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes has excelled so far in the MLB, but he wants to take his game to the highest stage of the international game.
Skenes announced on MLB Network that he is representing Team USA at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, one of two players to do so along with New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.
He has represented Team USA three times prior, making this his fourth time and first at the World Baseball Classic.
Skenes played for the 2014 12U National Team at the COPABE Pan American Championships in Mazatlan, Mexico. He batted .286, with six hits and one RBI, making eight starts in the 10 games he played.
He then did it with the 2021 Collegiate National Team for the Stars vs. Stripes series, posting a 3.58 ERA and six strikeouts over seven innings of work.
Skenes pitched again with the 2022 Collegiate National Team at Honkbalweek Haarlem, throwing four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk and posting four strikeouts in a 10-0 win over the Netherlands.
He also attended Air Force and originally intended on serving his country, before transferring to LSU and choosing baseball as his career.
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa made the call for Skenes, but when he did, he realized that Skenes was the one who wanted to do it more than anything else.
“Yeah, when we talked, it almost felt like I was selling you," Skenes said to DeRosa. "No, yeah I mean it’s important. When I was coming through high school, the thing I thought I was going to be doing right now was flying jets rather than playing in major league baseball stadiums against the best of the best."
“I’ve gotten the chance to wear USA across my chest a couple of times. Gotten to wear it in a couple different fashions. Obviously in camo and obviously in the baseball uniform. This is one thing, as a fan of the game, watching the previous World Baseball Classics, I was like, "If I ever get the chance to do this, I’m never saying no."
"If I ever get the chance to do this I'm never saying no..."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 13, 2025
Paul Skenes is ALL IN for Team USA 🇺🇸 https://t.co/1w5yZscqEv pic.twitter.com/1UdpyyXOks
Team USA finished in second place at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with Shohei Ohtani striking out Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to win gold for Japan.
The only time Team USA won gold was back in 2017, with Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen playing for the team.
Skenes has only one goal in mind at the World Baseball Classic, which is winning gold at loanDepot Park in Miami in front of his country.
“That was in Amsterdam I think. The biggest thing I recall is that we didn’t win gold," Skenes said. "That’s the goal this time.”
