{"id":501488,"date":"2026-03-03T15:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/501488\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T15:56:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:56:07","slug":"mlb-star-paul-skenes-set-to-rep-team-usa-at-world-baseball-classic-i-love-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/501488\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB star Paul Skenes set to rep Team USA at World Baseball Classic: \u2018I love America\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes may be the biggest, if not one of the biggest, supporters of the U.S. military members<\/a> among active MLB players.<\/p>\n

So, for him to represent Team USA<\/a> at the World Baseball Classic meant a lot.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFirst and foremost, I care because I\u2019m from America. I love America. I\u2019ve seen the WBCs in the past and There\u2019s no bigger stage or no greater honor than wearing USA across your chest,\u201d he said Monday on the MLB Network.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think the other one, I went to the Air Force Academy for two years. Wanted to serve. I was intending on serving and ended up transferring out to LSU. Won a national championship there, did some cool stuff there. But there was a big part of me that was fully intent on serving in the military as a career after college. So, this is, it\u2019s not serving but it\u2019s a pretty close second.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the last two MLB seasons, Skenes has pitched for a cause bigger than wins, losses or Cy Young Awards. He teamed up with the Gary Sinise Foundation<\/a> (GSF) for a strikeout campaign. For each strikeout Skenes throws this season, he pledged to donate $100 to the organization. The foundation has helped expand service efforts, providing the military, veteran and first responder communities with additional fundraising and outreach.<\/p>\n

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Skenes had 216 strikeouts last season and won the National League Cy Young Award<\/a> for the first time.<\/p>\n

He made clear last week he\u2019s pitching in the World Baseball Classic to honor the men and women in the military.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we do it for,\u201d Skenes told\u00a0The Athletic.<\/a>\u00a0\u201cThis is the greatest country in the world. That\u2019s what I believe. That\u2019s why I wanted to serve, why I went to the Air Force Academy. And those folks don\u2019t get the recognition they deserve.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing it to represent the men and women that are fighting for us, along with many other things that make this country the greatest country in the world. That puts it into perspective a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fox News\u2019 Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

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