One of the best pitchers in baseball will be joining New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes announced his intention to play for Team USA in next year’s tournament live on MLB Network on Tuesday.
“This is one thing, as a fan of the game, watching the previous World Baseball Classics, I was like, ‘If I ever get the chance to do this, I’m never saying no,’ ” Skenes said.
But the announcement wasn’t a shocker just because it instantly boosted Team USA’s chances of winning the international tournament. It also turned some heads because top starting pitchers typically avoid the tournament or are held out of it as the extra mileage on their arms can increase chances for injury.
After Team USA lost in the championship game to Team Japan in 2023, though, perhaps there is some growing urgency from American players to participate. Notably, Team Japan enjoyed stellar pitching performances from the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto without incident that year.
So, after Skenes grabbed headlines by agreeing to participate, who might be next?
If Team USA is looking for the best American-born pitchers in the game, then Yankees ace Max Fried should be a standout candidate. Since joining the Yankees this season, the California native leads all of Major League Baseball with a 1.05 ERA across eight starts and he remains undefeated. He’s also represented the U.S. before, winning a gold medal for the Team USA Juniors in the 2009 Maccabiah Games.
But there are some factors that may play against Fried joining Skenes next year. For one, he has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, making just 14 starts in 2023. In the early part of an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees, he might feel some pressure to do everything he can to stay healthy.
There also seems to be a chance Fried could opt to play for Team Israel, with The Jerusalem Post reporting that the team hoped to recruit him for the 2023 tournament.
Ultimately, all of that might work against Fried joining Skenes to form a two-headed monster for Team USA. But with the young Pirates ace leading the way, it seems more possible than ever that an ace like Fried will sign up too.
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