Yankees Aaron Judge Opens Up About His WBC Experience

Fifteen runs, a blowout win and a captain who homered in his very first WBC at-bat. Team USA came out swinging in their 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B opener against Brazil at Daikin Park in Houston, and New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge was the one who started it all.

After the game, Judge spoke to reporters about what this tournament has felt like so far. The video was shared by SNY Yankees on X.

"It's been great, I even go back to the first inning, Bobby Witt's up there and they're chanting USA," he said. "My heart was pounding just on the on-deck circle. It was just an unreal atmosphere."

Aaron Judge talks about how his World Baseball Classic experience has been so far:

"I even go back to the first inning. Bobby Witt's up there and they're chanting "U-S-A." My heart was pounding just on the on-deck circle.

It was just an unreal atmosphere and looking forward to… pic.twitter.com/TVnwxPsnxq
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) March 7, 2026

With Witt Jr. on base via a single, Judge worked a 3-0 count and drove a sweeper from Bo Takahashi 405 feet into the seats for a two-run homer. It left his bat at 106.5 mph. Brazil cut it to 2-1 when Lucas Ramirez, son of Manny Ramirez, homered off Logan Webb on the very next half inning. But Webb settled in and retired the next 12 batters he faced, striking out six.

The game stayed closer than expected until the fifth, when Brice Turang lined a bases-clearing double off the left field wall to blow it open. Team USA drew 17 walks on the night, scoring seven of their 15 runs in the ninth inning alone. It was not a clean win, but against tougher competition, Judge and this roster have a lot more to offer.

Aaron Judge Sets the Tone as Team USA Captain at the 2026 WBC

Mar 6, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a home run during the first inning against Brazil at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Judge sat out the 2023 tournament. This time, he was the first player to commit, and manager Mark DeRosa named him Team USA captain, a role that mirrors what he already does in the Bronx every day.

The Yankees have not won a World Series since 2009, and the last two Octobers have only added to that frustration. They lost the 2024 World Series to the Dodgers, then fell to the Blue Jays in the 2025 ALDS. A WBC gold medal would be a real achievement, though Yankees fans know it only raises the bar higher come October.

"Looking forward to just more moments like that as this tournament goes on. We got a squad here that's excited, we're gelling pretty early, which has been great and it's time to take care of some business," Judge added.

Judge next faces Great Britain in Pool B play, with Tarik Skubal scheduled to start on the mound for Team USA.

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