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After seeing what the Americans did in Milan during the Winter Olympics, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes hopes Team USA can continue to dominate during the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Skenes is on the roster for the WBC, which begins on March 5th, representing Team USA alongside some of the best in the United States, such as Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Tarik Skubal.
Skenes knows how well the U.S. performed at the Milan Cortina Games, winning a record 12 gold medals, including gold medal wins for the men’s and women’s hockey teams over Canada in overtime.
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Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates during a spring training at Pirate City on Feb. 12, 2026 in Bradenton, Fla. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Skenes was asked about the momentum the USA has right now heading into the WBC.
“Yes, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the golds we won in the Olympics,” he said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We are America. We have to assert our dominance over everyone else. That’s what we do.
“It’s going to be fun. If the U.S. wins, that’s what we’re doing. We’re going to keep doing it.”
Team USA’s roster will be interesting, however, because Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers, will make just one start before returning to spring training with his team.
Skenes is expected to start multiple times, but there is a caveat. Team USA must go deep in the tournament before he pitches again.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes stands for the national anthem before a game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on September 15, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Skenes explained to The Athletic his reasoning for wanting to play for Team USA.
“We do it to represent the men and women who fight for us, along with a lot of other things that make this country the greatest country in the world. It kind of puts it into perspective,” said Skenes, who considered a military career while playing for Air Force before transferring to LSU.
He added that seeing Judge, the reigning AL MVP, answer the call to play for the country also adds to his desire to help the U.S. win over international talent like Japan and the Dominican Republic.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Skenes is coming off an NL Cy Young Award win in 2025 that included a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts with 216 strikeouts for the Pirates.
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