Before Team USA manager Mark DeRosa named Aaron Judge captain of his squad for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, he ask Angels veteran Mike Trout for permission to give the Yankees slugger that title. “He’s the one,” Trout told DeRosa.

Aaron Judge will be the U.S. captain at next year’s World Baseball Classic, the same role the two-time American League Most Valuable Player fills with the New York Yankees.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player Award winner, will serve as the captain of Team USA's roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, he announced Monday.