Mike Trout Supports Aaron Judge Being Named Team USA Captain for WBC, 'He's The One'

Mike Trout, the 2023 captain of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, is more than happy to pass the torch to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who was named the captain for the 2026 event on Monday.

"I reached out to Trout yesterday, told him where we were going," Team USA manager Mark DeRosa noted. "He said, 'He's the one.'"

Judge, who didn't participate in the 2023 WBC to focus on the Yankees after signing a nine-year, $360 million deal, said it was an honor.

"It's something special getting a chance to represent our country," he noted. "Just thinking about all the brave men and women that have fought for this country and laid their lives down for us to get a chance to go out here, and especially me, to get a change to go out here and play a game, it's a pretty humbling experience."

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, meanwhile, called Judge the "perfect face to be captain of Team USA."

He's certainly the best bat the country has to offer. The 32-year-old is hitting .357 this season with six homers, 20 RBI, 17 runs and an absurd 1.228 OPS, following up on his epic 2024 season that saw him lead MLB with 58 homers, 144 RBI and a 1.159 OPS, earning him his second AL MVP.

Having Judge in the fold will make Team USA a scary opponent for the rest of the world. The country will play in Pool B alongside Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil. The 2026 World Baseball Classic will commence next year on Thursday, March 5.