Mike Trout, who led Team USA as captain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, has no reservations about handing the role to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who was officially named the 2026 captain on Monday. “I reached out to Trout yesterday, told him where we were going,” Team USA manager Mark DeRosa shared in an interview. “He said, ‘He’s the one.’”
Judge was officially introduced as Team USA’s captain for the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Monday, with manager Mark DeRosa making the announcement on MLB Network. Judge is the first player to commit to the 2026 roster and is set to make his WBC debut in the upcoming tournament.
The Yankees star had shown interest in suiting up for Team USA in the past but opted out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic after a historic 62-home run season and a hectic free agency that ended with a nine-year, $360 million deal. With the Yankees naming him their first captain since Derek Jeter, Judge believed his focus belonged in the Bronx at that time.
“It's something special getting a chance to represent our country,” said the 32-year-old. “Just thinking about all the brave men and women that have fought for this country and laid their lives down for us to get a chance to go out here, and especially me, to get a change to go out here and play a game, it's a pretty humbling experience.”
Mike Trout passing the torch to Aaron Judge
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Though Trout is just a year older than Judge, this move feels symbolic — a passing of the torch. Trout dominated the 2010s as the face of baseball, but in the 2020s, injuries have slowed him down while Judge and Shohei Ohtani have taken center stage.
Mike Trout remains a high-level player when healthy and is already a lock for the Hall of Fame, but his prime seems to be in the rearview. Since claiming his last MVP in 2019, he’s played more than 100 games just once, and the Angels haven’t posted a winning season since 2015. On the other hand, Judge is still dominating. With two AL MVPs in the past three years, he’s firmly in his peak and on track for a third in 2025—assuming he stays on the field.
Judge, already the Yankees’ captain and a proven leader, just guided New York to the World Series last fall. He’s one of the most respected players in the game and fully understands what it takes to lead a team.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone called Judge the “perfect face to be captain of Team USA.” At the plate, few can match him. The 32-year-old is hitting .357 with six home runs, 20 RBIs, 17 runs, and a staggering 1.228 OPS this season. It’s a continuation of his dominant 2024 campaign, where he led the majors with 58 homers, 144 RBIs, and a 1.159 OPS on his way to a second AL MVP award.
With Judge on board, Team USA becomes an even more intimidating force heading into the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The Americans are set to compete in Pool B, grouped with Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil. The tournament kicks off Thursday, March 5, 2026.
