Aaron Judge Says He's 'Pissed' About WBC Final Loss, Laments USA's Offensive Struggles vs. Venezuela

New York Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge reflected Tuesday night on Team USA's surprising 3-2 loss to Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic final.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Judge expressed excitement for the start of the 2026 MLB season, while also making his frustration known regarding Tuesday's loss, telling reporters, "I'm always fired up for the Yankees, but I'm still pissed about this. So, I'm looking forward to the next time we get to throw on the red, white and blue and take care of business."

Despite a star-studded lineup featuring some of the best hitters in baseball, the United States mustered only three hits in the final, and they didn't score a run until there were two outs in the eighth inning.

Judge credited the Venezuelan pitchers with a strong performance, but he also placed blame on himself and the rest of Team USA for not taking advantage of golden opportunities.

"They made their pitches," Judge said. "They were working the corners on both sides, and then, when we didn't get a pitch, we either popped it up or hit it into the ground. Stuff like that can't happen. When you get a pitch to hit, you got to be able to drive it. If you get one pitch in the game, you got to do something with it. They just went out there and executed their game plan, and we couldn't get anything going offensively."

Judge has won each of the past two American League MVP awards and three of the past four, but he looked lost at the plate at times against Venezuela, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

The same can be said for most of Team USA's lineup, as Bobby Witt Jr., Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman, Roman Anthony and Will Smith all went hitless in three at-bats apiece.

It was a shocking development since Venezuela had an unheralded pitching staff led by 32-year-old veteran Eduardo Rodríguez of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who got the start in the championship game.

Rodríguez posted a 5.02 ERA last season, but he looked like an ace on Tuesday, tossing 4.1 innings of one-hit, no-run baseball.

It wasn't until the eighth inning that an important bat came to life for the Americans when Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper belted a two-run home run to tie the game at 2-2.

The tie was short-lived, though, as Venezuela went back on top in the ninth when Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez delivered an RBI double off Boston Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock.

Team USA had last licks in the bottom of the ninth, but it was more of the same, as the Americans went down in order, punctuated by Chicago Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia striking out Anthony.

Judge had his moments at the WBC, tying for the team lead with two home runs and tying for third on the squad with five RBI, in addition to executing a key outfield assist in the semifinals against the Dominican Republic that saw him throw out San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatís Jr. at third in a big spot.

He also tied for the team lead with six walks, but Judge's seven strikeouts were the second-most on the team, and he hit only .222 over the seven games he appeared in.

As disappointing as it was for Team USA to come so close to a second WBC title only to fall one run short, Judge will have to put it in the rear-view mirror quickly.

The start of the 2026 regular season is only one week away for Judge and the Yankees, as they will go on the road to face the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, March 25 at 8:05 p.m. ET in the opening game of the MLB season.