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After seeing what the Americans did in Milan during the Winter Olympics, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is hoping Team USA can continue a dominant trend during the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Skenes is on the roster for the WBC, which begins March 5, representing Team USA alongside some of the best in the U.S. like Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Tarik Skubal.
Skenes was tapped in with how well the U.S. performed in the Milan Cortina Games, which saw a record 12 gold medals won, including both the men’s and women’s hockey teams over Canada in overtime.
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Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during a spring training workout at Pirate City on Feb. 12, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Skenes was asked about the momentum the U.S. has right now leading into the WBC, and he gave a strong response about his expectations.
“Yeah, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the golds that we won in the Olympics,” he said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’re America, we’ve got to assert our dominance over everyone else. That’s what we do.
“It’s gonna be fun. If USA wins, it’s what we do. Gotta keep it going.”
Team USA’s roster will be interesting, though, after seeing Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers, will only make one start before returning to spring training with his team.
Meanwhile, Skenes is expected to start multiple times, but there’s a caveat – Team USA must go deep in the tournament before he will pitch again.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) stands for the national anthem before the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sept. 15, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Skenes told The Athletic his patriotic reasoning behind wanting to play for Team USA.
“We’re doing it to represent the men and women that are fighting for us, along with many other things that make this country the greatest country in the world. That puts it into perspective a little bit,” Skenes, who was thinking about a military career while playing for Air Force before transferring to LSU, told the outlet.
He added that seeing Judge, the reigning AL MVP, answering the call to play for the country also adds to his desire to help the U.S. come away victorious over international talent like Japan and the Dominican Republic.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
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Skenes is coming off an NL Cy Young Award win for his fantastic 2025 performance, which included a 1.97 ERA over 32 starts with 216 strikeouts for the Pirates.
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