American Patriot: Yankees' Aaron Judge Wants To Represent His Country

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge got to within a few wins of bringing home his first World Series title, and it seems like the experience might have made him more open to other competitions.

Including potentially joining the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which would be his first experience in the international competition. Speaking to reporters this week at spring training, Judge said he's now open to joining Team USA in next year's event. 

"I think that'd be pretty fun," he said. "[Team USA] made it to the finals, but they didn't win it. So we gotta win it. We'll see."

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Aaron Judge Joining World Baseball Classic Roster Would Boost Team USA

Team USA did reach the finals in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with Samurai Japan, led by Shohei Ohtani, coming out victorious. 

While the WBC had previously received little fan interest, the past few events have seemed to generate much more enthusiasm and excitement. The Ohtani-Mike Trout battle to close out the final became an instantly iconic moment, showing how much the tournament meant to the players involved.

If the 2026 team has even better participation, the US roster could be exceptional, even relative to the 2023 roster. 

Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, Trout, Kyle Tucker, Gunnar Henderson, Will Smith and so on. Along with any other young, up-and-coming players that could break through. Like Jackson Holliday. 

If the Four Nations hockey tournament was any indication, international tournaments are more popular than ever. With Aaron Judge involved, the WBC could be even bigger.