Tarik Skubal joins Paul Skenes in Team USA’s loaded rotation for 2026 World Baseball Classic
Reigning two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will join Paul Skenes, the Cy Young winner in the National League, atop Team USA’s rotation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the team announced Thursday, giving the United States one of the most daunting rotations in the tournament.
The addition of Skubal came the day after Team USA, runner-up in the last tournament, shared that three other starting pitchers had committed: Joe Ryan, Clay Holmes and Nolan McLean. Matthew Boyd joined the team earlier this month.
Skubal made 31 starts for the Detroit Tigers last year, logging a league-best 2.21 ERA en route to his second straight Cy Young. He took home 26 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America, becoming the first repeat AL Cy Young winner since Pedro Martinez in 1999 and 2000. His standout season came on the heels of a dominant 2024 campaign, in which he paced the American League in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228) to win the pitching Triple Crown.
Trade rumors continue to swirl around Skubal as the Tigers contemplate what to do with their 29-year-old ace. Skubal will be a free agent next season, and the Tigers could look to capitalize on his final year of control. However, nothing has been decided, and Detroit could push for a World Series run with Skubal leading its rotation.
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— Tarik Skubal (@TarikSkubal) December 18, 2025
Skubal and Skenes, largely regarded as the top pitchers in their respective leagues, should anchor a rotation that could be the early favorite entering the tournament. Shohei Ohtani has committed to play for Samurai Japan, but has not disclosed if he will pitch. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki have not announced their commitment. Both are coming off long seasons and spent portions of the year on the injured list.
The Dominican Republic, which will be managed by Albert Pujols, has a stacked lineup featuring Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto and San Diego Padres teammates Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., but outside of Sandy Alcantara, it has not locked up its rotation.
Mason Miller, one of the top closers in the league, also announced Thursday that he’d play for Team USA. He’ll join a loaded core of position players led by captain Aaron Judge and managed by Mark DeRosa. Kyle Schwarber, Will Smith, Cal Raleigh, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brice Turang have all committed as well.
Team USA finished as silver medalists in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, losing to Samurai Japan in the championship game, with Ohtani striking out Mike Trout to seal the win.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins March 5, with pool play starting in Puerto Rico, Houston, Tokyo and Miami. Team USA will open play in Pool B on March 6 at Daikin Park in Houston, where it will compete against Mexico, Great Britain, Brazil and Italy.
