Bryce Harper says Kyle Schwarber is the ‘glue guy’ on Team USA and he cannot wait to play with Aaron Judge

Bryce Harper was on the Pat McAfee Show ahead of the World Baseball Classic and delivered exactly the kind of quotes you want from a guy heading into an international tournament representing his country.

When asked about the glue guys in the Team USA clubhouse, Harper did not hesitate on either answer. Kyle Schwarber is the glue and his own Phillies teammate, the guy he has played alongside in Philadelphia, is the one holding the clubhouse together.

That tracks completely. If you were building a WBC clubhouse culture from scratch you would absolutely want Kyle Schwarber as the guy who walks in and makes everyone feel like they belong.

Then there is Aaron Judge.

Bryce Harper on the Team USA Locker Room:

"Schwarbs is the glue guy and I'm so excited to play with Aaron Judge..

We've got such a great group of guys and it's gonna be a lot of fun" ~ @TheJudge44 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/dAnBIPHBJ5

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 2, 2026

“There’s nobody else I’d rather be wearing the captaincy on his chest than Judgey. I’ve been excited to play with him the whole time.”

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Love it. Bryce Harper has been one of the best players in baseball for over a decade and he is genuinely giddy about playing with Aaron Judge. That tells you everything about the respect these players have for each other and how seriously they are taking this tournament.

This is not a group going through the motions for a few weeks before spring training. This is Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, and a roster full of legitimate stars who actually want to be there.

Harper also said something that cuts right to what the WBC is supposed to be about.

Bryce Harper on representing Team USA:

"It's about us. … There's no greater feeling than going out there listening to your national anthem blare over the speakers knowing what you represent." 🇺🇸

—Bryce Harper on the importance of representing Team USA

(via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/nNSnPh5kiP

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 2, 2026

“It’s about us. There’s no greater feeling than going out there listening to your national anthem blare over the speakers knowing what you represent.”

That is the whole thing right there. The best players in the world getting genuinely emotional about putting on a USA jersey and playing for something bigger than their contract or their franchise. After everything that happened with USA Hockey in Milan, the patriotism energy is running high right now and Harper is fully tapped into it.

Team USA is going to be fun to watch. Schwarber is the glue, Judge has the captaincy, and Bryce Harper cannot wait to get started.

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