Team USA’s roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic is finally starting to come together. In pursuit of their first WBC win since 2017, Team United States has already added the league’s top talents like Will Smith, Brice Turang, and Gunnar Henderson. And on Tuesday, the team confirmed Kyle Schwarber as their latest roster addition.

The last time Schwarber represented Team USA was back during the 2023 WBC. That time, he smashed two classic “Schwarbombs” across five games. And now he’s coming off the best season of his career. The season that saw him lead the National League with 56 home runs.

He’s set to play alongside Yankees icon Aaron Judge, who is serving as Team USA’s captain.

It will mark Judge’s first time suiting up for the national team. With such a strong roster coming together, Judge has a feeling this team could be on a mission to win it all.

“As for recruiting, it’s really just, ‘Do you want to go out there and win?’ That’s the biggest sign. I think this team is going to be on a mission. A lot of hungry guys from the last WBC team want to be in it…” he said earlier when he committed to WBC 2026.

Speaking of the Yankees, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said Tuesday that Yankees left-hander Max Fried has declined the offer to play in the upcoming tournament.

However, the USA did get a commitment from Dodgers’ star catcher Will Smith. The 30-year-old put together a strong season for the defending World Series champions. He maintained a slash line of .296/.404/.497 with 17 home runs and 20 doubles. 

As for Kyle Schwarber, he is the lone Phillies representative on Team USA. Although that could change as the 2026 WBC gets closer.

With him on board, Team USA now has 12 committed players for the tournament. As of now, the projected Team USA WBC roster features Corbin Carroll in left field, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center, and Aaron Judge in right.

The infield includes Gunnar Henderson at third base, Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop, and Brice Turang at second, with first base still unfilled. Cal Raleigh is listed as the starting catcher, while Kyle Schwarber occupies the designated hitter spot. The starting rotation currently shows Paul Skenes and Matt Boyd, with additional pitchers yet to be added. Garrett Whitlock will be taking care of the bullpen. And Will Smith is included on the bench, with several roster spots still open as the lineup continues to take shape.

As for Schwarber, on the same day the news broke that he’d be playing in the WBC, he also re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. For the record, he’s returning on a $150 million extension that runs through the 2030 season.

The deal didn’t exactly come as a surprise. The Phillies avoided the scenario of watching him land elsewhere this winter.

What’s next for the Phillies after re-signing with Kyle Schwarber?

With Kyle Schwarber locked in, the Phillies now have stability at the top of their lineup. Dave Dombrowski has referred to the 2024 offseason as a “bridge,” and the front office has hinted that 2025 could bring a much bigger shakeup. But with limited external options and few upgrades available outside their own free agents, the Phillies may ultimately bring back much of the roster that fell to the Dodgers in the NLDS.

Starting with J.T. Realmuto, will the Phillies re-sign him?

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Even though J.T. Realmuto’s production at the plate has dipped in recent years, he’s still the best catcher on the free-agent market. And with no clear internal replacement, the Phillies are interested in bringing back the 34-year-old veteran.

One potential trade route closed when the Nationals acquired catching prospect Harry Ford from the Mariners on Dec. 6 in the deal for lefty reliever Jose Ferrer.

If the Phillies explore other options, they could check in with the Kansas City Royals about prospects Carter Jensen or Blake Mitchell. And if they really want to take a big swing, they could inquire about Orioles switch-hitting star Adley Rutschman.