Paul Skenes will be putting on the Red, White, and Blue next year.
The former LSU Tiger and current Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher announced on Tuesday that he will be committing to play for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament consisting of national teams from around the world. While baseball has made a return to the Olympics, those take place in the middle of the Major League Baseball season. With the WBC happening before the season, plenty of the game’s biggest stars are able to compete.
The 2026 edition of the tournament will be held across three different host countries: the United States, Japan, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, the US will have games both in Houston and Miami.
Japan is the defending champions, winning the last WBC back in 2023. The United States previously claimed their first title back in 2017. Overall, Japan leads the way with three titles out of the five times the event has been held. No other country has more than one, with the Dominican Republic joining the US as the only other champions.
Skenes is off to a great start in the 2025 season with the Pirates. He has a 2.63 ERA and has struck out 53 batters over 54 2/3 innings of work. His team, however, has struggled. They sit at 14-28 through 42 games this season.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will take place from March 5th through 17th.