Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman are hyped to rep Team USA in the WBC

After finishing as the runner-up in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, it's safe to say that Team USA has assembled its version of the "Redeem Team" for the 2026 tournament. The roster is practically a who's who of the best players in the world, from both reigning Cy Young Award winners (Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes), the top-two AL MVP finishers from last year (Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh), flamethrowing closer Mason Miller, and former Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber.

Even the coaching staff (featuring former Cubs Mark DeRosa and David Ross) is loaded, with MLB legends like Andy Pettitte (pitching coach), Matt Holliday (hitting coach), and Michael Young (assistant manager) highlighting DeRosa's group in the dugout.

Thus, it's no wonder that Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong, arguably the two faces of the Cubs franchise at the moment, are eager to play some games for Team USA this spring.

“It’s an honor to represent your country,” Bregman told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. “I’ve been able to do it five times before this [including as an amateur], and to be able to do it again with this group of players, it’s going to be very special."

Cubs' stars are a luxury on Team USA's stacked WBC roster

“I mean, how can you put together a better roster than what we’ve got?” PCA added. “I’m so freakin’ stoked. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I feel like everybody’s going to do the work for me. I’ve just got to go play defense. That’s my job. I’m just there to go track it down and catch it.”

That may feel like an oversimplification of Crow-Armstrong's skillset — he posted a 30/30 season in 2025, after all — but among an outfield group with Judge, Byron Buxton, and Roman Anthony, it's true that PCA won't have to do much more than display his all-universe defense in center field to help the cause. Corbin Carroll's injury will grant the Cubs' star some more playing time in the WBC, but he'll spend most of his time at the bottom of DeRosa's lineup, adding a lethal speed threat ahead of the fearsome top of the order.

Joining Bregman and Crow-Armstrong on Team USA's roster will be pitcher Matthew Boyd, though he, too, is more luxury depth than an important centerpiece. Thanks to the presence of Skenes and Skubal, not to mention fellow aces Joe Ryan and Logan Webb, Boyd won't be asked to do much other than eat innings and dominate left-handed batters.

Again, this isn't a slight against any of the Cubs' players heading to the WBC. It's just the reality of playing for such a stacked team. Even Bregman, a three-time All-Star, probably won't see too many at-bats in the heart of Team USA's batting order.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins on March 5 and will run for nearly two weeks, until the championship game on March 17. The Cubs will send 13 players to the tournament in total, including starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (Canada), outfielder Seiya Suzuki (Japan), and closer Daniel Palencia (Venezuela).