Chris Elwell
Staff Writer
Two of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor have been named the captains of their respective countries for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Judge will lead the United States after their runner-up finish in 2023, and Lindor will represent Puerto Rico as the captain for the second straight tournament.
The 2023 WBC set records in terms of viewership, averaging 5.2 million viewers in the United States for the championship game between Team USA and Team Japan. The game peaked at 6.5 million viewers across Fox Sports, Fox Deportes, and FS1, which marked the most-watched WBC game ever in the United States.
Team USA Outlook
2026 will mark Judge’s first time playing on the international stage and said on MLB Network that he wanted to be with the team as they made their way to the championship game against Japan.
Judge had just signed a nine-year, $360 million contract extension with the Yankees during the 2022-23 offseason and wanted to prioritize being present for the team’s spring training activities. He was interested in playing in the WBC but felt his presence and leadership with the team was more important.
“I wanted to be there,” Judge said on MLB Network. “I was looking forward to this opportunity again.”
Team USA’s 2023 roster featured premier talent across the field, headlined by 21 former All-Stars and four MVPs in Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, Clayton Kershaw, and Mike Trout.
Judge and the coaching staff led by returning manager Mark DeRosa have the opportunity to build the best team that Team USA has ever had for a WBC tournament. The level of talent on the field during the last tournament will see returning players along with some of the best young talents in the game who could be key contributors, such as Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Merrill, Mason Miller, and Paul Skenes.
Team USA’s coaching staff consists of ten former MLB players who played a combined 110 big-league seasons. Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker will be the team’s bench coach, five-time World Series champion Andy Pettitte will be the pitching coach, seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday as the hitting coach, two-time Team USA coach Dino Ebel as the third base coach, and Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard as the first base coach.
Former big-league managers Fredi Gonzalez and David Ross will serve as the assistant and bullpen coaches, respectively. Former All-Stars Brian McCann and Michael Young will also serve as assistant coaches.
The blend of experience within the coaching staff and the level of talent expected to be across the field will make Team USA one of the teams to beat going into the tournament. Judge has cemented his status as one of the most dominant sluggers in recent memory, and with him leading the charge, Team USA will be looking to claim their second WBC title in tournament history and first since 2017.
In the five WBC tournaments played historically, Team USA has advanced to the quarterfinals or better in all five. Team USA will start the 2026 tournament in Pool B alongside Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, and Mexico in Houston, Texas at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.
Team Puerto Rico Outlook
Puerto Rico will begin the tournament in Pool A and compete with Canada, Colombia, Cuba, and Panama to finish in the top two seeds of the group to advance to the quarterfinals. The group will play their games in San Juan, giving Lindor and Team Puerto Rico home-field advantage for their first matchups of the tournament.
Lindor has become perhaps the most well-known player from Puerto Rico and represents the country with immense pride.
Lindor was named captain after a team vote, and he led them to the quarterfinals with his leadership off the field and his performance on the field. He finished in the top 20 in batting average among all players in the tournament with a .450 average in his five games played, scored six runs, had five RBIs, a triple, and a stolen base.
Puerto Rico’s mix of superstar players like Lindor and supporting cast of proven MLB players like Javier Baez, Jose Berrios, Carlos Correa, and Edwin Diaz gives them one of the most experienced teams in the field and a true title contender.
Yadier Molina will return as manager for the second consecutive tournament and Carlos Beltran will serve as the general manager tasked with filling out the remainder of the coaching staff.
The 2026 tournament will be Lindor’s third WBC appearance as Puerto Rico attempts to win their first title after losing 8-0 to Team USA in the 2017 championship game and losing to Team Mexico in the quarterfinals in 2023. The returning players for Puerto Rico will indicate their success compared to other top teams like Team USA, the defending champion Team Japan, and Team Dominican Republic, who have not won since 2013 but are always considered one of the favorites to win the tournament.
Judge and Lindor are two of the brightest stars in baseball, and they will lead their respective teams into the tournament to make for a stage that is just as memorable as every tournament played before. Baseball and other sports fans alike had a new level of appreciation for the tournament that was unmatched before, which made for electrifying games both on the field and for fans of different teams interacting within the stadium.