NEW YORK — For the primary time in his skilled profession, Aaron Decide wore a baseball hat that represented one thing apart from the New York Yankees.
“Bought the proper dimension,” Decide mentioned as he smiled and positioned a fitted Crew USA cap on his head.
After all, it was the proper dimension, as a result of Mark DeRosa had been dreaming about Decide representing america from the second he agreed to turn into the supervisor of Crew USA within the 2026 World Baseball Traditional.
He would not should dream anymore. Decide and DeRosa formally introduced on Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium that he’ll function the captain for Crew USA in subsequent yr’s much-anticipated world match. Will probably be Decide’s first time taking part within the WBC, and he is the primary participant to be named to the Crew USA roster for 2026.
“Getting the possibility to signify the nation, simply fascinated by all of the courageous women and men which have fought for this nation and laid their lives down for us to get an opportunity to go on the market and play a recreation, it is a fairly humbling expertise,” Decide mentioned. “Completely happy to signify the U.S. And I am glad to be your captain.”
For DeRosa, envisioning Decide main the crew onto the sector whereas holding the American flag made an excessive amount of sense. However first, he needed to clear it with the man who carried the flag earlier than the US took on Crew Japan within the 2023 WBC Remaining. Angels outfielder Mike Trout was the Crew USA captain in 2023, and he is glad to cross that accountability to Decide.
“I reached out to Trout yesterday,” DeRosa mentioned. “Informed him the place we had been going. He mentioned, ‘He is the one.’ I could not be extra fired up for Aaron Decide to be the captain for Crew USA.”
USA vs. Japan Highlights | 2023 World Baseball Traditional Championship
Decide mentioned he didn’t communicate with the Yankees previous to his choice to play within the 2026 WBC.
“I feel he is the proper face to be the captain of Crew USA,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “I do know he is actually enthusiastic about it. I feel it’s going to be an important factor.”
This was DeRosa’s second time asking Decide to play for Crew USA. Decide was recruited to hitch the star-studded US roster within the winter of 2022, however he was a little bit busy navigating his personal free company on the time. Plus, he had simply completed a grind of a 2022 marketing campaign; hitting 62 residence runs with the media and fan frenzy that accompanied breaking a historic report can take a toll on anybody.
When the two-time MVP award winner finally signed a nine-year cope with the Yankees and was named captain in December of that yr, his primary precedence grew to become spending time along with his teammates. Decide did not really feel prefer it was the proper time to desert the Yankees’ spring coaching.
However Decide, who shall be 33 years previous on April 26, mentioned he all the time needed to play for Crew USA. Now he’ll comply with within the footsteps of former Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who represented Crew USA within the World Baseball Traditional in 2006 and 2009.
“I obtained a possibility earlier than I get too previous and Mark would not need me on the market anymore,” he quipped.
DeRosa performed alongside Jeter as a member of Crew USA within the 2009 WBC. He appeared in all eight video games, hit .316, and led the pink, white, and blue with 9 RBI on the best way to USA’s first semifinal look within the occasion.
“It is totally different when you have got the USA throughout your chest. I am unable to communicate to that sufficient,” DeRosa mentioned. “One thing occurs once you put USA throughout your chest and also you stroll into the clubhouse and also you see all these guys. It simply means one thing a little bit bit totally different. You are enjoying for far more than your self. You are enjoying to your great-grandfather. You are enjoying to your grandparents, your dad and mom, what they signify, your morals, your values, all the pieces. It is only a totally different feeling.”
The WBC has appeared to extend in reputation for the reason that USA defeated Puerto Rico to win the championship recreation in 2017. However there was nothing just like the pandemonium that surrounded 2023’s worldwide occasion, when DeRosa piloted probably the most star-studded roster in WBC historical past.
Crew USA’s 30-man roster featured 21 All-Stars and 4 MVPs, together with Trout, Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt and Clayton Kershaw. Although they got here shut two years in the past earlier than Shohei Ohtani and Samurai Japan stood in the best way, Crew USA’s final and solely WBC championship was received in 2017. The primary three installments of the match, which started in 2006, had been received by Japan (twice) and the Dominican Republic.
Decide is hungry to reclaim the title for Crew USA. Although he’ll go away the accountability of participant recruitment to his skipper, will probably be fascinating to see if there is a ripple impact round baseball now that one of many greatest faces of the game has introduced that he’ll play. May reigning Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months Paul Skenes be subsequent? What about All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.?
“I feel this crew goes to be on a mission,” Decide mentioned. “A number of hungry guys from the final WBC crew that wish to be in it. I’ll go away it as much as Mark and let him do his factor. Get the crew that he obtained final time and add a pair extra faces.”
DeRosa mentioned, from a position-player standpoint, he may “in all probability fill out 5 lineups with guys that wish to do it.” However it’s the pitching employees that shall be harder to lock down. Pitchers (and their managers) are usually apprehensive about messing with their ramp-ups from their offseason layoffs in case it results in damage. For the reason that WBC takes place throughout spring coaching, it may be powerful for pitchers to agree to leap into that aggressive playoff setting whereas holding in thoughts that they are nonetheless increase their workloads for the Main League Baseball season.
“That is the toughest factor for these guys,” DeRosa mentioned. “They’re coming proper out of 10 days in spring coaching they usually’re getting smacked within the mouth with a playoff at-bat. However that is the great thing about it as nicely, to see the best gamers in our nation come collectively and sort of — I do not wish to say shed their egos, as a result of that is what makes them profitable — however play as one, and play as a crew.”
“I really feel like we’re all beneath one flag, one nation,” Decide mentioned. “I feel that is a fairly cool idea that you simply get a bunch of fellows that compete towards one another all yr lengthy, and now you’ll be able to carry us all collectively and struggle beneath one mission. It may be one thing particular. The joy of getting an opportunity to signify your nation. We play this recreation for such a small period of time, so to get a possibility like this, I feel guys actually gravitate in the direction of it.”
Full WBC rosters shall be finalized by subsequent February. Crew USA will play in Pool B, which is able to embody Brazil, Nice Britain, Italy and Mexico. Pool B is scheduled to happen from March 6-11 at Daikin Park in Houston, the house of the Astros. The semifinals and finals shall be held in Miami at LoanDepot Park, the house of the Miami Marlins, starting on March 15.
Till then, Decide is on a distinct mission. He is targeted on getting the Yankees again to the World Collection and successful his first championship. Easy sufficient.
“I am hoping for an extended, lengthy season this yr,” Decide mentioned. “Very quick offseason. And we’ll simply maintain it rolling proper into the WBC.”
Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand coated the Mets for 4 years as a beat reporter for the New York Each day Information. Comply with her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
Aaron Decide
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