Credit: Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

After Missing 2023 Loss to Japan, Aaron Judge Reveals WBC Intentions

"We gotta win it"

Credit: Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

The 2023 World Baseball Classic final was straight out of a movie. A sold-out crowd in Miami, Shohei Ohtani staring down Mike Trout with the championship on the line. Full count. Two outs. Then – an 87.2 mph sweeper that sent Japan into a frenzy and left Team USA just short of the trophy.

It was an all-time baseball moment. But missing from the action was a certain 6′ 7″ giant, Aaron Judge.

The Yankees’ captain wasn’t there, choosing instead to focus on his duties in New York. But with the next WBC in 2026, could that change?

Will Aaron Judge play in the 2026 WBC?

Aaron Judge, the captain of what’s often called “America’s Team,” has never represented the U.S. in international play. That could be about to change during the 2026 WBC, with the lofty aspiration of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in mind, where baseball-softball is making its return.

Aaron Judge said he's open to playing in the 2026 WBC. If he does, it would be his first time participating.

Judge: "I think that'd be pretty fun. It'd be cool to represent your country. [Team USA] made it to the finals, but they didn't win it. So we gotta win it. We'll see."
— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) February 19, 2025

Speaking with Fox Sports’ Deesha Thosar, Judge left the door open for a potential WBC appearance.

“I think that’d be pretty fun. It’d be cool to represent your country. [Team USA] made it to the finals, but they didn’t win it. So we gotta win it. We’ll see.”

It’s not a commitment, but it’s something.

Imagine a baseball version of the 2024 USA Olympic basketball squad, headlined by LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant in their pursuit of gold.

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

That being said, the idea of Aaron Judge playing in the WBC or Olympics is exciting, but history suggests it’s complicated.

ALSO READ: Aaron Judge breaks silence on Juan Soto’s Mets jump, defends Yankees’ World Series hopes

The World Series will always take priority, and with the kind of money MLB stars make, franchises are hesitant to let their biggest names participate in outside competitions, even if that be for the country. The Olympics in 2028 will be an even bigger challenge as it lands right in the middle of the MLB season, at a rather crucial point in the playoff race.

For now, Aaron Judge isn’t making any guarantees. But his thinking about it may be just enough to get Yankees and Team USA fans excited.

Aaron Judge

USA

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.