{"id":41112,"date":"2025-04-15T07:13:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T07:13:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=41112"},"modified":"2025-04-15T07:13:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T07:13:07","slug":"yankees-superstar-gets-mike-trouts-approval-for-exciting-new-team-usa-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=41112","title":{"rendered":"Yankees Superstar Gets Mike Trout’s Approval for Exciting New Team USA Role"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mike Trout is ready to pass the torch to New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Jul 17, 2018; Washington, DC, USA; American League outfielder Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees (99) and American League outfielder Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels (27) run to the dug out after the first inning in the 2018 MLB All Star Game at Nationals Ballpark. \/ Geoff Burke-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Team USA is bringing back the same manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but the team captain will be different.<\/p>\n

USA Baseball announced on Monday that\u00a0New York Yankees\u00a0superstar Aaron Judge has been\u00a0named Team USA’s captain\u00a0for next year’s WBC. He’ll replace\u00a0Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout, who captained Team USA to a silver medal during the last WBC in 2023.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Team 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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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