The World Baseball Classic is approaching, and for several of the top players in Major League Baseball, the tournament represents much more than just an international competition. Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, and Tarik Skubal agree that wearing the Team USA uniform is an experience filled with pride, emotion, and an intensity difficult to compare to any other scenario in professional baseball. For Judge, captain of the US team and star of the New York Yankees, the opportunity to represent the United States on the world stage marks a turning point in his career. The slugger explained that he spoke with several players who had already experienced the World Baseball Classic, and they all conveyed the same idea: there is nothing like it. “I talked to a lot of players who played a couple of years ago, and they told me there's nothing like it,” Judge told MLB Network. "They talk about playoff baseball or games with intense rivalry; they say this is on another level." Judge experienced the 2023 edition as a fan, following each game from the sidelines, an experience that proved as exciting as it was frustrating. “It was killing me to watch it all the time,” the three-time American League MVP told Shehadi. "I watched every at-bat, every moment, every game. You imagine yourself in those moments. I'm really looking forward to watching those at-bats, those games, those moments, and we'll see what happens."

Pride, Learning, and Extra Motivation

For Paul Skenes, winner of the 2015 National League Cy Young Award, the path to the World Baseball Classic wasn't so clear a few years ago. The pitcher recalled that, during his high school years, his vision for the future was completely different. “When I was in high school, what I thought I was going to be doing right now was flying airplanes,” commented the Air Force Academy alumnus. However, as a baseball fan, the tournament was always present as a special goal. “As a baseball fan, watching past World Baseball Classics, I thought: if I ever get the opportunity, I won't turn it down.”

Tarik Skubal,The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner highlighted another key aspect:living with elite players in the clubhouse. The pitcher noted that a conversation with Clayton Kershaw last season “completely changed my perspective on pitching,” and he hopes to have similar exchanges with other teammates. "They'll probably think I'm weird, but it's like, 'No, I want to get something out of this. I want to see what you do and find out why you're so great.' So it's going to be fun,” he said. Beyond the game, national pride is a common sentiment among the three. Skubal was clear about it: "I wear the uniform for everyone in this country who sacrifices so we can play a children's sport. It's something I don't take for granted." Judge agreed and added that he often thinks about the military veterans who attend the games. “We sit here and talk about the sacrifices we make for our jobs, but those are real sacrifices,” he said. In the end, there's only one goal: to compete at the highest level and go for the championship. “This is what you play for, to compete at the highest level against the best players in the world,” Skubal stated. “When I have the guys I have behind me and on the bench, I like knowing that we can beat anyone.”