MLB star Paul Skenes set to rep Team USA at World Baseball Classic: 'I love America'

Pittsburgh Pirates prima Paul Skenes whitethorn beryllium the biggest, if not 1 of the biggest, supporters of the U.S. subject members among progressive MLB players.

So, for him to correspond Team USA astatine the World Baseball Classic meant a lot.

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Pitcher Paul Skenes #30 of Team USA throws during a workout astatine Papago Park Sports Complex connected March 2, 2026, successful Phoenix, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

"First and foremost, I attraction due to the fact that I’m from America. I emotion America. I’ve seen the WBCs successful the past and There's nary bigger signifier oregon nary greater grant than wearing USA crossed your chest," helium said Monday connected the MLB Network.

"And I deliberation the different one, I went to the Air Force Academy for 2 years. Wanted to serve. I was intending connected serving and ended up transferring retired to LSU. Won a nationalist title there, did immoderate chill worldly there. But determination was a large portion of maine that was afloat intent connected serving successful the subject arsenic a vocation aft college. So, this is, it’s not serving but it’s a beauteous adjacent second."

For the past 2 MLB seasons, Skenes has pitched for a origin bigger than wins, losses oregon Cy Young Awards. He teamed up with the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF) for a strikeout campaign. For each strikeout Skenes throws this season, helium pledged to donate $100 to the organization. The instauration has helped grow work efforts, providing the military, seasoned and archetypal responder communities with further fundraising and outreach.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) watches from the dugout successful the sixth inning of the MLB National League crippled betwixt the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates astatine Great American Ball Park successful downtown Cincinnati connected Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Skenes had 216 strikeouts past play and won the National League Cy Young Award for the archetypal time.

He made wide past week he’s pitching successful the World Baseball Classic to grant the men and women successful the military.

"That’s what we bash it for," Skenes told The Athletic. "This is the top state successful the world. That’s what I believe. That’s wherefore I wanted to serve, wherefore I went to the Air Force Academy. And those folks don’t get the designation they deserve.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) throws a transportation successful the 2nd inning against the Atlanta Braves during outpouring grooming astatine CoolToday Park connected Feb. 25, 2026. (Jonathan Dyer/Imagn Images)

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"We’re doing it to correspond the men and women that are warring for us, on with galore different things that marque this state the top state successful the world. That puts it into position a small bit."

Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

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