It will take some time for the sting of losing to Venezuela in the championship game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic to wear off for Paul Skenes and the rest of Team USA.
The Americans were favored to beat Venezuela, but they ultimately fell short of their mission to take home the gold, as they lost to Eugenio Suarez and company on Tuesday, 3-2.
Skenes, back with the Pittsburgh Pirates after his Team USA stint, recently opened up about his thoughts at the WBC.
“Not good enough,” the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner said, via Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The 23-year-old Skenes loved the experience, especially the bond formed with other Team USA players, despite failing on the grand stage.
“Obviously, want to win. But in terms of being around the guys, that was pretty dang cool. Just being in that clubhouse, yeah, just got to finish the job.”
Every game in the WBC matters, given its format, and it's something that Skenes hasn't experienced yet in the big leagues, as the Pirates have not been to the postseason since 2015. In his first two years in MLB, the Pirates finished last in the NL Central each time.
Skenes could only watch his teammates in the Venezuela game, having started in the semifinals against the Dominican Republic. He was solid in that start, tossing for 4 1/3 innings and allowing just an earned run on six hits with two strikeouts in a 2-1 victory.
In the championship game, Team USA gave the ball to Nolan McLean, who surrendered two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
Skenes now turns his attention to his duties with the Pirates, who will have him on the mound on Opening Day against the New York Mets at Citi Field in Queens, on March 26.
