During the MLB Awards Show on Thursday night in Las Vegas, Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll officially committed to play for the United States at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
After Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr., and Paul Skenes all committed by mid-July, news on further commitments had gone quiet for several months. That changed Thursday in Las Vegas, when Crow-Armstrong and Carroll announced their plans to play in March.
Crow-Armstrong had a breakout first half for the Cubs. Before the All-Star break, he hit .265/.302/.544 with 25 home runs, 71 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. Combined with elite defense in center field, he emerged as one of the leading candidates for the NL MVP. His production dipped in the second half, when he hit .216/.262/.372 with six home runs and 24 RBIs. He finished with a .768 OPS, 31 home runs and 95 RBIs, establishing himself as one of the best center fielders in the game. Team USA will hope he resembles his first-half form if he ends up starting in center. Despite the slump, he still finished 15th in MLB in fWAR at 5.4.
Carroll, a Taiwanese American, is eligible to play for both Taiwan and the United States but declined an invitation to play for Taiwan in March, opting instead to represent Team USA.
In 2025, Carroll posted the best season of his career. His 6.5 fWAR ranked seventh in MLB. He hit a career-high 31 home runs, doubled his barrel rate from 2024 to 14.5 percent, and set career highs with a 92.1 mph average exit velocity and a 49.9 percent hard-hit rate. He also ranked as the top baserunner in baseball, according to FanGraphs. His 21.0 fastball runs above average, per FanGraphs pitch values, ranked second in MLB. His ability to destroy fastballs fueled his breakout and cemented his status as one of the sport’s elite players.
In 2026, Carroll will take the field in the sport’s biggest international event as the United States looks to capture its second WBC title. A strong performance could elevate his profile even further.
Team USA will compete in Pool B in Houston as it looks to rebound from its championship-game loss to Japan in 2023. The group includes Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil. Pool play runs March 6–11. If the U.S. advances, it will play a quarterfinal in Houston on March 13 or 14 against one of the top two teams from Pool A in San Juan. A win there would send Team USA to the semifinals in Miami on March 15 or 16, with the championship game set for March 17.
Photo: Corbin Carroll, right, celebrates with Jorge Barrosa (1) after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
