The 2026 World Baseball Classic is right around the corner and Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is ready for the tournament. The reigning National League Cy Young winner shared a clear message for Team USA following his spring training outing on Wednesday, via Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“We're America, we've got to assert our dominance over everybody else,” Skenes told reporters. “That's what we do. It's gonna be fun. USA wins, it's what we do. So, gotta keep it going.”
Paul Skenes ready for World Baseball Classic
Team USA features a talented roster without question. Skenes is expected to make two starts in the tournament, while Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will make just one start. Skenes and Skubal are the best starting pitchers in the sport, and receiving more than three total outings from them would have been ideal, but Team USA is excited to at least have them on the roster.
As for Paul Skenes, he started on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves in spring training and surrendered one earned run across 2.1 innings of work. He added four strikeouts in the game. However, Skenes did walk four hitters.
Skenes is clearly still getting into form. Still, he displayed signs of the pitcher we saw last year. The Team USA squad is hoping he will find his Cy Young form for the World Baseball Classic.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to begin on March 5. The tournament will run through March 17, with the championship scheduled to be played in Miami, Florida.
