Angels’ Mike Trout Still Missing From Team USA’s Roster For 2026 World Baseball Classic

The 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters will be officially finalized and revealed on MLB Network on Feb. 5. With just a few days left before the big reveal, one name is still missing from Team USA’s roster: Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout.

Trout was the captain of Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was also struck out by Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who was representing Team Japan, for the final out of the 2023 championship game.

Team Japan was crowned the 2023 WBC champions. Trout told reporters in April that he wants to compete in this year’s WBC and said he has some unfinished business in the tournament.

“I want to and I expect to, for sure,” Trout said in April, per MLB’s Rhett Bollinger. “There’s a lot of unfinished business, no doubt. I think the overall hype of what it brought to baseball and to guys across the league, guys reaching out to me, to guys that were on the team, the experience was unbelievable.”

Trout still has not committed to representing Team USA in the WBC this year. But he reportedly remains “in the mix”, according to Team USA manager Mark DeRosa.

“We’re talking to him, we’re talking to a couple other players, and trying to figure out what Mike wants to do,” DeRosa said at the MLB Winter Meetings in December, per ESPN.

The biggest concern for Trout is his ability to play in the tournament and be prepared for the 2026 season with the Angels. Trout missed most of May with a left knee contusion, which is the same knee he suffered a torn meniscus in August 2024.

Trout could not contribute in center field and was primarily a designated hitter for the Angels in 2025.

“He’s got to be ready for ’26 with the Angels,” DeRosa said, per ESPN. “He didn’t play much defensively, if at all, so it’s a give and take – what he wants to do, what he feels comfortable with.”

Which MLB Players Will Represent Team USA?

No Angels players are currently listed on the 24-man Team USA roster for the WBC.

The only other designated hitter is Kyle Schwarber, and the outfielders are Byron Buxton, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Aaron Judge. The catchers are Will Smith and Cal Raleigh, and the infielders are Alex Bregman, Ernie Clement, Gunnar Henderson, Brice Turang and Bobby Witt Jr.

Finally, the pitching staff includes David Bernard, Clay Holmes, Griffin Jax, Brad Keller, Clayton Kershaw, Nolan McLean, Mason Miller, Joe Ryan, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Gabe Speier and Logan Webb.

There are six spots remaining for Team USA to fill before the rosters are announced on Feb. 5.

Photo Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

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