When Team USA takes the field next March for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, its roster will have a three-time MVP and a Cy Young Award winner, along with a pair of flashy, speedy outfielders. During MLB’s awards show in Las Vegas, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll and Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong announced their commitment to join Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Paul Skenes and Cal Raleigh.
“Whenever you call, you know my answer is yes,” Crow-Armstrong said of meeting manager Mark DeRosa at the Home Run Derby. “I love playing for my country more than anything. Getting to play for you, play with Cal, Corbs, Mr. Judge, it’s gonna be great.”
Team USA adds Corbin Carroll and Pete Crow-Armstrong to its roster!
Two of the most electric young players in the game will play for Team USA in the #WorldBaseballClassic 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UFgOMxyJDq
— MLB (@MLB) November 14, 2025
Crow-Armstrong is no stranger to wearing the stars and stripes, having been part of Team USA’s 12U, 15U and 18U national teams, along with time spent in its developmental programs.
When asked if he would dye his hair and razor in stars and stripes, Crow-Armstrong quipped, “If that’s what this requires, absolutely.”
Judge, who did not participate in the 2023 WBC when Team USA lost to Samurai Japan in the championship, will serve as captain in his Team USA debut. Witt Jr., who played in 2023, will return and likely be the club’s starting shortstop. Skenes, the NL’s reigning Cy Young Award winner, will anchor the rotation, and Raleigh, who finished as runner-up to Judge in Thursday’s AL MVP voting, will be the club’s primary catcher.
“No, it was not a hard decision,” Carroll said of accepting the invite. “… It’s gonna be awesome.”
Carroll, who won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2023, is biracial, with Taiwanese heritage on his mother’s side. He was offered a spot on Taiwan’s roster but declined the invitation, asserting he’d like to earn a spot on Team USA.
In 2022, Team USA rode its star-studded lineup, which featured Pete Alonso, Mookie Betts and Mike Trout, to a finale appearance against a Japan team that was headlined by Shohei Ohtani and featured future MLB stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in its rotation, along with Munetaka Murakami, who was posted last week. The roster sorely lacked quality starting pitching, instead boasting a robust relief corps.
The 2026 WBC will feature a 20-team field and officially kicks off March 6, with its championship finale set for March 17 at Miami’s loanDepot Park. Team USA will play in Pool B along with Brazil, Mexico, Great Britain and Italy.