Another Yankee committed to the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Thursday. That would be closer David Bednar, who will pitch for Team USA once again. Teammate Aaron Judge is captaining the stars and stripes squad, which also received commitments from pitchers Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller on Thursday. Bednar pitched for Team USA’s silver-winning club in 2023. A member of the Pirates at the time, he allowed one earned run, walked none and struck out five over four innings of work in the international tournament. The right-hander shined for the Yankees after being acquired in a pre-deadline deal this past summer, posting a 2.19 ERA while saving 10 games. While Bednar, a free agent after the 2026 season, and Judge are the only Yankees players officially committed to the WBC so far — Andy Pettitte is also Team USA’s pitching coach — several other pinstripers are being courted. Great Britain is trying hard for second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who wants to play in the WBC, while reliever Fernando Cruz is on Puerto Rico’s preliminary roster, according to the club’s general manager and ex-Yankee Carlos Beltrán. The Dominican Republic’s manager, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, said that he spoke to Yankees catcher Austin Wells about participating in the WBC. However, Pujols noted that Wells has a child on the way, which could impact his availability. Reliever Camilo Doval could also suit up for the D.R. Cody Bellinger, who the Yankees hope to retain in free agency, is another possibility for Team USA, while utilityman José Caballero has expressed interest in playing for Panama. One Yankee who won’t be playing in the WBC is Max Fried, as the right-hander previously declined an invitation from manager Mark DeRosa. ...read more read less