Team USA is bringing back the same manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but the team captain will be different.
USA Baseball announced on Monday that New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge has been named Team USA’s captain for next year’s WBC. He’ll replace Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout, who captained Team USA to a silver medal during the last WBC in 2023.
According to Team USA manager Mark DeRosa, he checked with Trout before giving Judge the title. The three-time AL MVP approved of the choice, telling DeRosa, “He’s the one.”
Although Trout (33) is only one year older than Judge (32), this feels like the former passing the torch to the latter. Whereas Trout was baseball’s undisputed best player during the 2010s, Judge and Shohei Ohtani have surpassed him in the 2020s as he’s broken down with injuries.
While Trout is still a good player when healthy and is already a surefire Hall of Famer, his best days appear to be behind him. He’s only topped 100 games in a season once since winning his last MVP award in 2019, and his Angels haven’t had a winning season since 2015.
Meanwhile, Judge is still at the top of his game. He’s won two AL MVP awards in the last three years and appears well on his way to winning a third in 2025 if he stays healthy.
One of the most respected players in the game, Judge just led the Yankees to the World Series last fall and already serves as New York’s captain, so he knows how to lead a team.
Kudos to Trout for being willing to pass the baton to Judge and give someone else a chance to shine. He’s always been a class act and drama-free in Anaheim, so it’s not surprising to see him show similar grace here.
