It is fair to question the motives of some ballplayers heading to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, or how much they prioritize the triennial international competition while ramping up for Major League Baseball’s regular season. New York Yankees superstar and Team USA captain, Aaron Judge, is not one of them.
Standing in front of a star-spangled-studded roster of All-Stars, MVPs, and Cy Young Award winners, Judge laid out just how important this is to American baseball — and how serious he is going to take it.
“I think honestly, within this room, you are the hardest-working motherf—kers in the game,” Judge said (h/t MLB). “When we step out on that field, I want that to be our standard. So when teams see us preparing, they see us warming up, even in the games, that standard of being the hardest-working team, I want that…
“So sacrifice for your family at home, you’re sacrificing for your country, and you’re sacrificing for the brothers in the trenches with you every single day. And that’s one thing I want us to do, fellas. I want to die on that field with you.”
The Americans are among the three favorites to win the World Baseball Classic, alongside the defending champions, Japan, and the Dominican Republic. While the tournament kicks off on Thursday, the US takes the field on Friday for its group-stage opener against Brazil in Houston.
“We kick Brazil’s ass, and then we go on to the next, alright?” Judge said.
The Yankees captain, who is still waiting to win his first World Series title in the Bronx, is the two-time defending American League MVP and was the first player to commit to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic last April.
He was not planning on making a speech on Monday when the team was assembled in Phoenix, AZ, but star pitchers Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes reached out during the offseason, advising him to do so.
“The room has a presence,” Judge said (h/t MLB.com). “I think that’s what I felt when I stood up there. Just a presence in this room. We can talk about the players, but look at our coaching staff, too. The whole coaching staff, you’ve got All-Stars, Silver Sluggers, World Series champs. [Pitching coach and former Yankee Andy] Pettitte, one of the best postseason pitchers ever. Some of the best baseball players ever to play the game in one room.
