Skenes: World Baseball Classic is 'unbelievable opportunity'
Paul Skenes decided years ago that, if he got a chance to play in a World Baseball Classic, he wouldn't pass it up.
So, when Team USA manager Mark DeRosa called Skenes after his start April 19 at PNC Park against the Guardians, Skenes didn't hesitate.
"DeRosa called me and I was like ‘Yeah, I’m in,’ and he was like, ‘All right, well, we’ve gotta work through some stuff,’ and I’m like, ‘DeRo, I’m in.’ " Skenes recalled. "It really felt like I was talking him into it. So, yeah, just super excited."
"It’s Team USA, there’s no thought needed for it," he added later.
After attending Air Force and having a dream of one day flying jets, rather than playing in Major League Baseball stadiums, Skenes said he values the opportunity to wear "USA" across his chest. He already helped the 12U national team win silver in 2014 when they competed at the COPABE Pan American Championships in Mazatlan, Mexico and played for the collegiate national team in 2021 and 2022.
"There’s no greater Team USA team to play on than this one and represent the nation on the biggest stage," Skenes said.
Skenes and Aaron Judge, who was announced as the team's captain on April 14, are the only players that have been announced. However, some of the best American players have played for the team. The roster included Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, Kyle Tucker, Trea Turner, Bobby Witt Jr. and Skenes' current teammate, David Bednar in 2023.
Andrew McCutchen played on the team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic alongside Adam Jones, Paul Goldschmidt, Buster Posey, Christian Yelich and Marcus Stroman. So, for Skenes, he sees it as an opportunity to represent his country and continue to get better.
"Obviously going with the goal of winning gold, but the silver lining of it being around the best players in the game for three, four weeks, however long it is," Skenes said. "So, it’s an unbelievable opportunity and I can’t wait to learn and be around them."
Given he is one of the first players announced, I asked Skenes if he'd be doing any recruiting for Team USA in the near future:
"I'll do whatever I have to do to win gold," he said.
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THE ASYLUM
Greg Macafee
10:17 pm - 05.13.2025NEW YORKSkenes: World Baseball Classic is 'unbelievable opportunity'
Paul Skenes decided years ago that, if he got a chance to play in a World Baseball Classic, he wouldn't pass it up.
So, when Team USA manager Mark DeRosa called Skenes after his start April 19 at PNC Park against the Guardians, Skenes didn't hesitate.
"DeRosa called me and I was like ‘Yeah, I’m in,’ and he was like, ‘All right, well, we’ve gotta work through some stuff,’ and I’m like, ‘DeRo, I’m in.’ " Skenes recalled. "It really felt like I was talking him into it. So, yeah, just super excited."
"It’s Team USA, there’s no thought needed for it," he added later.
After attending Air Force and having a dream of one day flying jets, rather than playing in Major League Baseball stadiums, Skenes said he values the opportunity to wear "USA" across his chest. He already helped the 12U national team win silver in 2014 when they competed at the COPABE Pan American Championships in Mazatlan, Mexico and played for the collegiate national team in 2021 and 2022.
However, this opportunity is different.
"There’s no greater Team USA team to play on than this one and represent the nation on the biggest stage," Skenes said.
Skenes and Aaron Judge, who was announced as the team's captain on April 14, are the only players that have been announced. However, some of the best American players have played for the team. The roster included Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, Kyle Tucker, Trea Turner, Bobby Witt Jr. and Skenes' current teammate, David Bednar in 2023.
Andrew McCutchen played on the team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic alongside Adam Jones, Paul Goldschmidt, Buster Posey, Christian Yelich and Marcus Stroman. So, for Skenes, he sees it as an opportunity to represent his country and continue to get better.
"Obviously going with the goal of winning gold, but the silver lining of it being around the best players in the game for three, four weeks, however long it is," Skenes said. "So, it’s an unbelievable opportunity and I can’t wait to learn and be around them."
Given he is one of the first players announced, I asked Skenes if he'd be doing any recruiting for Team USA in the near future:
"I'll do whatever I have to do to win gold," he said.
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