Yankees' Aaron Judge noncommittal on playing in 2026 World Baseball Classic

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge enjoyed watching this year's World Baseball Classic. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll represent Team USA in the 2026 edition of the tournament. 

"It’s tough to say now since it’s three years down the road," Judge said about possibly playing in the next WBC, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "We’ll see when the time comes. It’s a fun, amazing event. It captivates the world. You’ve got kids everywhere staying up late watching these games, and you’ve got the best players in baseball competing. We’ll see where we are when the time comes." 

Back in February, Judge made it known he was skipping this year's WBC because representing the Yankees and winning a World Series as the club's latest captain were his "priorities" ahead of the upcoming season. The 2022 American League Most Valuable Player tested free agency during the fall but chose to remain with the Bronx Bombers via a nine-year, $360M contract.

St. Louis Cardinals and Team USA third baseman Nolan Arenado didn't name any players but seemed to throw some shade Judge's way when he said this week that "there's no reason why the stars of our game should not be playing in" the WBC. As Judge sat the competition out, individuals such as Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor were among the big names who raved about featuring for their countries. 

Judge, meanwhile, was rooting for Trout to win his battle with Angels teammate and Team Japan unicorn Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday night. Ohtani instead struck Trout out to clinch the WBC title for Japan. 

"I wish Trout would have hit a homer to keep the U.S. in the game, but any time you see two of the best in the game battle it out there on a 3-2 pitch, that’s what any baseball fan wants it to come down to," Judge said about the anticipated showdown. "You’re never gonna see that anywhere else, with both of them from the same team and at the top of their game." 

It appears we're years away from learning if we'll see Judge wearing a Team USA jersey in 2026.