Pirates ace to anchor Team USA in 2026 World Baseball Classic

Growing up in a military family, Paul Skenes knew his future would someday include representing the United States internationally. Little did Skenes know that his future would live on the baseball diamond. 

Skenes enrolled in the Air Force Academy, thinking he’d be a pilot, not a pitcher, before transferring to LSU and becoming the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. 

Since debuting for the Pittsburgh Pirates just over a year ago, Skenes has enthralled the baseball world and has blossomed into one of the sport’s best pitchers. In 32 career starts, the soon-to-be 23-year-old is 14-7 with a 2.16 ERA (195 ERA+) over 187.2 IP. He’s accumulated 7.3 WAR, started last year’s All-Star Game, was third in the National League Cy Young voting and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. 

Now, Skenes can add pitching for Team USA to his resume. The right-hander joined Team USA manager Mark DeRosa on “MLB Central” on Tuesday to reveal that he had agreed to join the roster for next spring’s World Baseball Classic.