Aaron Judge has pinstriped company on Team USA.
David Bednar will once again be in the bullpen for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, USA Baseball announced Thursday, becoming the latest addition to what is turning into a stacked roster with Judge as its captain.
Bednar, then a Pirate, pitched in the back end of the bullpen for USA in 2023 when it fell short to Japan in the championship game.
Now as a Yankee, he will return to a relief corps that currently includes Mason Miller, Garrett Whitlock, Griffin Jax and Garrett Cleavinger.
“His personality’s infectious,” USA manager Mark DeRosa said last week at the winter meetings, when Bednar’s commitment was not yet official.
“He was one of my favorites. So yeah, I would hope he’s back.”
So far, Judge and Bednar are the only Yankees who have officially committed to play in the WBC, which begins March 5 and will take them away from spring training.
But others are being courted by their respective countries, including Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Great Britain), Fernando Cruz (Puerto Rico), Camilo Doval (Dominican Republic), Austin Wells (Dominican Republic) and José Caballero (Panama).
Special adviser Andy Pettitte will serve as the pitching coach for the USA, while bench coach Brad Ausmus is set to manage Team Israel.
Bednar’s participation came on the same day as USA Baseball announced that back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal would serve as a co-ace to Paul Skenes, further bolstering a formidable rotation.
After arriving in The Bronx at the trade deadline this summer, Bednar took over the closer’s job and posted a 2.19 ERA with 10 saves and 35 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.
He was even better in the playoffs, giving up one earned run across six innings with two saves and nine strikeouts.
“You look at his second half and what he was able to do, you’re talking about a quality back-end reliever,” USA general manager Michael Hill said at the winter meetings.
“Someone with experience finishing games and leverage moments.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
