The roster for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic is beginning to take shape.
Several superstars such as Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt, Corbin Carroll, Paul Skenes and Pete Crow-Armstrong have already committed to the roster. The one thing the roster is currently lacking outside of Skenes is solid starting pitching.
That changed a bit Wednesday with the addition of a veteran left-hander from the Chicago Cubs. During the "Foul Territory" podcast, Cubs' pitcher Matthew Boyd announced he would be joining Team USA. Boyd has never pitched in the WBC, marking 2026 as his first appearance in the event.
Boyd's major league career has been riddled with injuries, but he found an excellent landing spot in Chicago last season. An injury free season saw Boyd go 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA and 154 strikeouts across 31 starts and 179 2/3 innings pitched. Those numbers were all the best for Boyd since the 2019 season, his last full season without injuries.
He will now join the aforementioned Skenes and Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock in the Team USA starting rotation. With the event being just three months away, more additions to the roster should begin to file in.
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