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The Yankees will have another player in the World Baseball Classic with Ryan Yarbrough joining Team USA.
The New York Yankees received a positive news update on reliever Ryan Yarbrough, who’s set to be an important member of the bullpen for the 2026 season.
The veteran left-hander has been selected to Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the club announced on Sunday, March 1. Yarbrough will be replacing Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan on the roster. Ryan is dealing with a back injury, but could still join the team if they reach the quarterfinals.
The Team USA schedule starts on Friday, March 6, against Team Brazil. The Americans will also face off against Team Italy, Team Great Britain, and Team Mexico as it looks to advance out of Pool B. The games for the group will be at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.
New York Yankees News Update: Reliever Ryan Yarbrough Added to Team USA Roster
Yarbrough will be joined by teammate David Bednar in Team USA’s bullpen. He’s the third left-hander among the relievers, along with Garrett Cleavinger of the Tampa Bay Rays and Gabe Speier of the Seattle Mariners. The ‘pen also has Philadelphia Phillies’ free agent addition Brad Keller and Cleavinger’s teammate, Griffin Jax, as setup options ahead of Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres.
The absence of Ryan hurts Team USA’s starting pitching depth. Fortunately, the pitching staff is headlined by Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. Leading with a pair of Cy Young winners is a solid way to head into the tournament. Logan Webb, Matthew Boyd, Clay Holmes, and Michael Wacha are also on hand to cover some innings.
The 34-year-old Yarbrough isn’t quite the oldest pitcher on the roster. That honor goes to future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. The former Los Angeles Dodgers ace is making his tournament debut. Kershaw intended to play in 2023, but couldn’t get insurance coverage. The veteran won’t have that issue now that he’s retired.
Yarbrough Back in Versatile Role for Yankees in 2026
GettyRyan Yarbrough will be an important swingman in the New York Yankees’ bullpen.
Yarbrough delivered 64 innings of a 4.36 ERA in his first season with the Yankees. He made nine starts and 11 appearances out of the bullpen. Yarbrough shuffled in and out of the rotation based on the needs of the team. He picked up three wins as a starter and chipped in a save as a reliever.
The Yankees’ bullpen is thin on left-handed options. Tim Hill should be the main southpaw after a solid 2025 campaign. The longtime San Diego Padres reliever spent half a season with New York in 2024, posting a 2.05 ERA over 35 appearances. He posted a solid 3.09 ERA over 70 games this past year. The only other lefty reliever on the 40-man roster is Brent Headrick, who is more of a long man, similar to Yarbrough.
Paul Blackburn is back with the club as another long relief option. Blackburn and Yarbrough would be candidates to step into the rotation if injuries or poor performance impact the starting staff. The club may need to fill some gaps until Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon get healthy.
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