Key Takeaways:
- 2026 World Baseball Classic runs March 5-17
- 20 teams across 4 pools in Tokyo, Miami, Houston, San Juan
- Features stars like Ohtani, Judge, Soto, Vlad Jr., Ronald Acuna Jr.
The World Baseball Classic is back, and it might be the most star-studded tournament yet. Here is everything you need to know.
When and Where:
The 2026 WBC runs from March 5 through March 17. Games will be played in four locations: Tokyo (Japan), Miami (Florida), Houston (Texas), and San Juan (Puerto Rico). The knockout rounds and championship game will all take place in Miami at loanDepot Park.
The Teams:
Twenty teams will compete across four pools. Pool A features Puerto Rico, Canada, Colombia, Cuba and Panama. Pool B includes the United States, Brazil, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico. Pool C has Japan, Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia and South Korea. Pool D is the Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Star Power:
This might be the most loaded WBC ever. Team USA features Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Bobby Witt Jr. and more. Japan brings back Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dominican Republic has Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Julio Rodriguez. Venezuela rounds out the star power with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Jackson Chourio.
Notable Roster News:
Taj Bradley has withdrawn from Team Mexico. Paul Skenes expects to make two starts for Team USA during the tournament before returning to Pirates camp.
How to Watch:
All games will air on FOX Sports properties including FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes.
Japan enters as the defending champions after defeating Team USA in the 2023 final in dramatic fashion with Shohei Ohtani facing Mike Trout in the ninth inning.
Off the Record: This might be the most exciting WBC yet. The talent pool is absolutely ridiculous – Judge, Ohtani, Soto, Tatis, Vlad Jr., Acuna – these are some of the biggest names in baseball. The format with games in four countries makes it a true global event. And having the final in Miami is going to be electric. One thing to watch: how teams manage their star pitchers. Skenes only making two starts tells you everything – teams do not want to risk their MLB investments. But that also means we could see some incredible matchups when these guys are on the mound. March cannot get here fast enough.