Bednar Rises from Triple-A Demotion to WBC Heroics for Team USA

Last April, David Bednar was in Triple-A Indianapolis, optioned down by the Pittsburgh Pirates after an ugly start to his 2025 campaign and coming off a disappointing 2024. Roughly a year later, he was on the mound for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, delivering what one report described as one of the gutsiest relief outings for his country on the international stage.

The arc between those two moments is the kind of story that gets lost in transaction wires. After bottoming out in Indianapolis, Bednar clawed back to Pittsburgh's closing job, earned a summer trade to the Bronx, and landed in a Yankees bullpen that needed exactly what he had left to offer. He took over the closer's role from Devin Williams, saved 10 games with a 2.19 ERA in the regular season, and then made his first postseason trip count: two saves and a 1.50 ERA across five playoff appearances.

The numbers alone would have justified the trade. But the Yankees' appreciation ran deeper than the stat line. The organization valued the steady presence Bednar brought to the Bombers' bullpen and clubhouse, a quality that doesn't show up in leverage index or save percentage but gets noticed fast in a clubhouse managing a pennant race.

Now Bednar has carried that form to the World Baseball Classic, pitching for Team USA alongside Aaron Judge and several other Yankees who left spring camp over the weekend to join their respective countries. It is his second WBC appearance; the first ended with Team USA losing the 2023 final to Japan. Bednar called signing up again a "no-brainer."

Standing near Judge's locker, he made no effort to hide where he thinks the tone for this roster gets set. "Just look at the roster. It's an incredibly impressive group. It all starts with that guy over there," Bednar said, gesturing toward the Yankees captain. "It just starts to influence and has a domino effect. And I think everybody saw the excitement of how special it was the last go-around. Everybody's hungry to get that gold."

Team USA enters this tournament with what Bednar and others have described as its most talented squad to date, with Judge serving as captain. The 2023 loss to Japan remains the unfinished business framing every at-bat and every bullpen appearance.

Off the field, Bednar's contract situation remains unresolved. He told the Daily News that no extension talks happened over the offseason, leaving his future in the Bronx an open question. A strong finish to the WBC, following the postseason performance he already put on record, would position him well for whatever conversation comes next.