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Another star player has committed to Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. announced on Thursday that he will join New York Yankees star and USA captain Aaron Judge and Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes in the event. Judge, Skenes, and Witt are the first three players to commit to Team USA.

Witt's father, Bobby Sr., was a member of the silver medal-winning Team USA at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Witt was a member of USA's 2023 WBC that finished runner-up to Japan. He was entering his second big-league season at the time and served mostly as a pinch-runner behind Tim Anderson and Trea Turner, USA's starting double-play combination. Witt went 1 for 2 with a double in the WBC and appeared in five games.

"It's a blast. These are the things you dream of," Witt told USA Today at the time. "It's like a two-way All-Star game. It's incredible just getting around these guys, seeing all of the All-Stars, and the work they put in. You're just talking about baseball, or whatever, every single day, which is awesome. You kind of emulate what those guys are doing, and learning what I need to do to get ready. Believe me, I'm soaking it all in."

Now 25, Witt is hitting .282/.338/.484 with 10 home runs and 21 steals this season. He leads baseball with 27 doubles. A year ago, Witt finished second to Judge in the AL MVP voting. He led baseball in batting average (.332) and hits (211) in 2024, and was a 30/30 player for the second straight season.

The 2026 WBC will begin on March 5. The championship game is scheduled for March 17 at loanDepot Park in Miami. USA is in Pool B with Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, and Mexico.