On Monday afternoon, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh announced on MLB Network’s show MLB Central that he will play for Team USA at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Big Dumper ????????
Cal Raleigh will be behind the plate for Team USA in the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic ???? pic.twitter.com/QXp9UxW7nt
— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2025
On MLB Central, Raleigh discussed participating in Monday’s Home Run Derby and his record-breaking first half of the 2025 Major League Baseball season with hosts Robert Flores and Mark DeRosa. DeRosa will return as Team USA’s manager in 2026 after leading the squad to a title-game appearance against Samurai Japan in the 2023 edition of the international tournament.
Raleigh joins Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals as commits for next year’s WBC for Team USA.
Raleigh will start at catcher for the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. He leads MLB in home runs (38) and RBIs (82). He’s on pace to hit 64 home runs this season, which would surpass Judge’s previous AL record of 62, a feat Judge accomplished in 2022.
Raleigh, nicknamed “Big Dumper” by teammates and fans, is a well-above-average defensive catcher who can help limit stolen bases for Team USA in next year’s WBC. The AL’s manager in this year’s All-Star Game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone, penciled him in as the cleanup hitter in Tuesday night’s lineup. He’s sure to be a middle-of-the-order bat at the WBC, no matter who else commits to play for the United States.
Competing in Pool B with the United States will be Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil. The action will take place at Daikin Park from March 6 to 11, 2026. The championship at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on March 17 will follow the quarterfinals and semifinals.
WBN WBC: https://worldbaseball.com/league/wbc/
Photo: Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh celebrates his home run against the Detroit Tigers in the eighth inning during a baseball game, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
