Paul Skenes Discusses WBC Experience After USA's Title Game Loss, 'Not Good Enough'

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is apparently still unhappy about Team USA's loss to Venezuela in Tuesday's championship game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

When asked by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Colin Beasley what his WBC experience was like, Skenes answered Thursday: "Not good enough."

"Obviously, want to win," Skenes continued. "But in terms of being around the guys, that was pretty dang cool, just being in that clubhouse. Just got to finish the job."

Skenes helped lead the United States to a WBC semifinal victory over the Dominican Republic on Sunday, two days before Nolan McLean got the start in Team USA's 3-2 gold medal game loss to Venezuela.

Team USA was unable to turn either to Skenes or reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who had already stated he wouldn't take a second WBC start in order to focus on preparing for Opening Day with the Detroit Tigers.

The United States ultimately trailed for most of the final before a game-tying two-run RBI from Bryce Harper in the bottom of the eighth, which was erased by Eugenio Suárez's go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth.

Two days after that gold medal game loss, Pirates manager Don Kelly announced that Skenes would remain on track to start his 2025 season with the Pirates after his two WBC starts.

The NL Cy Young Award winner is set to make his final spring training start on Saturday before pitching for the Pirates in their Opening Day game against the New York Mets next Thursday.

Kelly said when discussing Skenes' WBC experience on Thursday he hoped the tournament, which also featured a total of 15 players from the Pirates' roster, would help his club take a step forward in 2026.

"It's a long season, and it's one game at a time. I know it sounds clichéd," Kelly said. "We have to go out there, and dominate our work, and play good baseball to win as many games as we can, and it happens one day at a time. So, how we go about it— I think it's something that these guys, going through the WBC, can learn from, Paul included."

Skenes could potentially get his next shot at representing Team USA during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the United States has so far joined Venezuela and the Dominican Republic in the six-team bracket. Whether MLB players are ultimately able to attend the tournament will depend on upcoming negotiations expected to begin in April between MLB and MLBPA.

Before then, Skenes will prepare to help the Mets start off the 2026 regular season next Thursday at 1:15 p.m. ET at Citi Field.