Yankees' Tim Hill Opens Up About Team USA Selection

Tim Hill was not sure he would make Team USA, but he did, and he explains how it happened.

Jun 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tim Hill (41) looks on as Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez (75) hits a game winning single to center field in the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The 2026 World Baseball Classic has reached the quarterfinals, and the New York Yankees have more representatives on Team USA than most people expected. One of the newest additions to the roster got there in a way that was anything but straightforward.

In a video posted by SNY on X, Yankees left-handed reliever Tim Hill sat down with reporter Michelle Margaux and walked through exactly how he landed on the Team USA roster. Hill replaced fellow Yankees lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who returned to spring training after a difficult pool play stretch.

It started with a phone call from Andy McKay, but the answer was not immediate. Hill was placed on the reserve list entering spring, which put him in a frustrating middle ground of hoping without knowing.

"Yeah, Andy asked me if I was willing to play. This was kind of a while back. Obviously, I was into it. Coming into spring, he kind of told me, 'hey, you're on the reserve list. It's a maybe, but we'll see.' So kind of had my hopes up, but wasn't sure. Had my hopes up, but didn't want to get them too high. So I was like, maybe I do, maybe I don't. But then he called and said he needed me. So now I'm here. I'm excited."

Tim Hill joins @mmargaux8 and shares how he was selected to be on Team USA's roster pic.twitter.com/K5OpV4Usr4

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) March 13, 2026

Tim Hill on Representing Team USA and His Role in the Bullpen

When asked what he was most looking forward to, Hill kept it grounded.

"Yeah, just representing my country. I think it's a really cool opportunity, getting to play with a lot of these all-star caliber players. Yeah, it's just an honor. It's cool."

Hill is 36 and this is his first WBC roster spot. For a reliever who has spent his career as a reliable but under-the-radar bullpen piece, just being in this conversation is a big deal. His Yankees teammates had already briefed him on what to expect.

"They just said high energy, kind of a playoff atmosphere type thing. But it was really fun and everything that they said kind of excited me and made me want to come."

That excitement makes sense when you hear what he was told. And when asked about his specific role, Hill said:

"I think, obviously, just for the most part, I would say left-handed lanes. But I told them I'm ready for anything, so we'll see."

Hill posted a 3.09 ERA across 70 innings for the Yankees in 2025. He did not appear during pool play since he was only activated for the knockout rounds.

With Team USA now facing Dominican Republic in the semifinals, DeRosa has a proven lefty specialist ready, and Hill sounds like someone who has been waiting for this moment for a while.

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