Captain America or Mr. Low Leverage? Fans split on Aaron Judge leading team USA in 2026 WBC

Aaron Judge is the reigning American League Most Valuable Player and the current captain of the New York Yankees. However, his CV has a new entry: Team USA captain for the World Baseball Classic in 2026.

Major League Baseball shared the news on social media on Monday and fans questioned the decision. Here is a look at the initial post and the caption:

"CAPTAIN AMERICA 🇺🇲 Aaron Judge will lead Team USA in the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic."

Despite being a top player, fans note that Judge often comes up short in important moments.

"Our *ss is NOT winning. Mr. Low Leverage as our "Captain" we are going to sink to the bottom of the ocean," @peakenjoyer_ commented

"Lets hope he doesn't drop the ball in the championship game," one fan commented.

"Calling this dude Captain America and he's the worst playoff performer we've ever seen," another fan commented.

Other fans were happy with the announcement, believing that Aaron Judge could get the team back to the top of the WBC.

"Captain America: Aaron Judge. The Revenge Tour Continues," @YankeeHistorian commented

"Judge is one of the greatest players of all time, this shall be a treat watching him represent & lead team USA 🇺🇸," a fan commented.

"I’m a diehard Mets fan but this is Judge’s time to shine. Let him do his thing," another commented.

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Aaron Judge opens up about being named Team USA Captain

Aaron Judge did not participate for Team USA during the 2023 World Baseball Classic as he was still a free agent when the competition started. He spoke with MLB Network on Monday about not only playing in 2026 but taking over the captaincy from Mike Trout.

"It wasn't the best sitting at home, watching Team USA battle. I wanted to be there. I was kind of in the middle of free agency, but I was looking forward to this opportunity again. Getting a chance to represent and be the captain, something that Trouty did the last time, is a pretty special honor."

"Just getting a chance to represent this country. What this country means to me. ... Now getting the chance to have USA across my chest and represent all the great people in our country. ... It's a great opportunity."

Mike Trout could not lead Team USA to a title in 2023, but Judge is hoping that all the stars from the United States step up to help him get the job done.