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After seeing what the Americans did in Milan during the Winter Olympics, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is hoping Team USA can continue to dominate during the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Skenes is on the roster for the WBC, which begins March 5, representing Team USA alongside some of the best in the U.S., like Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Tarik Skubal.
Skenes knows how well the U.S. performed at the Milan Cortina Games, during which it won a record 12 gold medals, including gold medal wins for the men’s and women’s hockey teams over Canada in overtime.
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Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates during a spring training workout at Pirate City Feb. 12, 2026, in Bradenton, Fla. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Skenes was asked about the momentum the U.S. has right now heading into the WBC.
“Yeah, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the golds that we won in the Olympics,” he said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’re America. We’ve got to assert our dominance over everyone else. That’s what we do.
“It’s gonna be fun. If USA wins, it’s what we do. Gotta keep it going.”
Team USA’s roster will be interesting, though, because Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers, will only make one start before returning to spring training with his team.
Skenes is expected to start multiple times, but there’s a caveat. Team USA must go deep in the tournament before he will pitch again.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes stands for the national anthem before a game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh Sept. 15, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Skenes explained to The Athletic his reasoning behind wanting to play for Team USA.
“We’re doing it to represent the men and women that are fighting for us, along with many other things that make this country the greatest country in the world. That puts it into perspective a little bit,” Skenes, who was thinking about a military career while playing for Air Force before transferring to LSU, told the outlet.
He added that seeing Judge, the reigning AL MVP, answering the call to play for the country also adds to his desire to help the U.S. come away victorious over international talent like Japan and the Dominican Republic.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
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Skenes is coming off an NL Cy Young Award win in 2025, which included a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts with 216 strikeouts for the Pirates.
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