Matthew Boyd makes huge Team USA WBC decision

Among the other players confirmed to play for Team USA are Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr., Corbin Carroll, and fellow Chicago Cub Pete Crow-Armstrong.

The manger will be former MLB player Mark DeRosa, who also played for the Cubs. The 2026 World Baseball Classic will be the first tournament held since 2023. That year, Japan came out on top, and Team USA finished in second place.

The upcoming tournament also marks the 20th anniversary of the orginial WBC held in 2006. It was that year in which Japan also came out on top whereas Team USA were eliminated in the second round.

Boyd finished the season with a 14-8 record, 154 strikeouts, and a 3.21 ERA. Additionally, he is scheduled to play in Chicago until the conclusion of the 2026 regular season.

The number of MLB players who played for Team USA in the WBC

A swath of some of the best players in history represented Team USA in the World Baseball Classic since 2006. In the first year, Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Derrick Lee, and Chipper Jones played.

Seven years later, Ryan Braun, R.A. Dickey, Ben Zobrist, David Wright, and Jimmy Rollins donned the red, white, and blue.

For the 2017 World Baseball Classic, some of the players included Buster Posey, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Adam Jones, Chris Archer, Marcus Stroman.

During the 2023 tournament, Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, and Mike Trout competed.

All in all, Boyd is joining a great tradition.