Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is set to make his first start for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Monday, March 9, against Mexico. The announcement, made by manager Mark DeRosa, positions the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner as a key piece of the American pitching rotation in the tournament’s pool play.
Skenes, 23, is currently participating in his first World Baseball Classic. In a recent essay for The Players’ Tribune published just hours ago, Skenes expressed profound pride in representing the United States, stating, “This tournament is not about me. It’s not about any of us, really.” His commitment was further highlighted in recent comments where he emphasized what wearing the Team USA jersey means to him.
The star pitcher is coming off a dominant 2025 MLB season where he posted a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts over 187.2 innings, solidifying his status as one of baseball’s premier pitchers. His performance has analysts like ESPN’s Jeff Passan projecting continued excellence for the 2026 campaign, suggesting he is “expanding it.”
While Skenes is slated for Monday’s start, reports from The Athletic indicate he would be on regular rest and the logical choice to pitch if Team USA advances to the WBC championship game later in the tournament.
Background: Paul David Skenes was born on May 29, 2002, in Fullerton, California. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-hander was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Louisiana State University (LSU), where he was a national champion and collegiate standout. He made his MLB debut on May 11, 2024.