2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule and Rosters Announced

2026 World Baseball Classic: Building on Momentum

The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) is set to commence on March 5, aiming to build on the momentum of the 2023 tournament and establish itself as a durable international tradition. The tournament will feature 20 national teams competing across four pools in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Houston, Texas; Tokyo, Japan; and Miami, Florida. The opening game will see Australia play Chinese Taipei.

Tournament Overview

The 2026 World Baseball Classic compresses baseball's traditional rhythm, emphasizing immediate urgency and strategic managerial decisions due to pitch count limits. The event's schedule spans from pool play beginning March 5 to the championship game on March 17.

Historical Context and 2023 Review

Japan holds the most WBC titles with three victories in 2006, 2009, and 2023. The Dominican Republic won in 2013, and the United States in 2017. The 2021 tournament was postponed to 2023 due to a global pandemic.

The 2023 tournament featured several notable events:

• The Dominican Republic was eliminated by Puerto Rico during the group stage.
• Puerto Rico's Edwin Díaz sustained a knee injury, leading him to miss his major league season.
• Mexico defeated Puerto Rico 5-4 in the quarterfinals, scoring three runs in the seventh inning.
• Japan defeated Mexico in the semifinals with a two-run double from Munetaka Murakami.
• In the 2023 final, Japan defeated the United States 3-2.

Shohei Ohtani pitched the final inning for Japan, walking Jeff McNeil, inducing a double play from Mookie Betts, and striking out Mike Trout to secure the championship.

2026 Tournament Pools and Venues

The 20 teams are divided into four pools, with games hosted in four locations:

• Pool A | Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico
• Pool B | Daikin Park, Houston, Texas: Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, U.S.
• Pool C | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan, South Korea
• Pool D | loanDepot Park, Miami, Florida: Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Venezuela

Key Teams and Rosters

Expected rosters for the 2026 tournament feature a mix of returning veterans and new additions:

Enters as an oddsmakers' favorite. The roster includes pitchers Logan Webb, Paul Skenes, and Tarik Skubal, with Clayton Kershaw also listed. Offensive players include captain Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh, Alex Bregman, and Paul Goldschmidt. Young players such as Roman Anthony and Pete Crow-Armstrong have also joined. The team's roster is designed to align with the tournament's pitching limitations, where bullpens are crucial.

The U.S. roster collectively has 65 MLB All-Star Game appearances and four former MVPs (Judge, Harper, Goldschmidt, Kershaw).

The defending champions are aiming for their fourth title. Conflicting reports exist regarding Shohei Ohtani's participation; one source indicates he will not participate, while others list him on the roster, alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yusei Kikuchi, Seiya Suzuki, Munetaka Murakami, and Kazuma Okamoto.

Aims to improve on its 2023 group-stage exit. The lineup includes Vlad Guerrero Jr., Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Manny Machado. Concerns have been noted regarding the bullpen, with closer Jhoan Duran not participating. Albert Pujols manages the team.

Grouped with the Dominican Republic, the team features offensive players such as Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, William and Willson Contreras, Salvador Perez, and Eugenio Suarez. Notable pitching absences include Pablo López and Jesús Luzardo, with Ranger Suarez listed as a key pitcher.

Reached the semifinals in 2023. Randy Arozarena returns, supported by Jarren Duran, Jonathan Aranda, and Alejandro Kirk.

Reached the quarterfinals in 2023. Managed by Francisco Cervelli, its roster includes Vinnie Pasquantino, Kyle Teel, and Aaron Nola. Italy and Mexico are projected to compete for the second advancement spot in Group B.

Grouped in Pool A, the team features MLB regulars Josh Naylor, Bo Naylor, Otto Lopez, and Tyler O’Neill, positioning them for an opportunity to advance past the first round.

Its roster is reported as weaker than in 2023 due to absences like Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa, though Edwin Diaz and Nolan Arenado return.

Great Britain's roster includes Jazz Chisholm Jr. Colombia, Panama, and Cuba are noted as potential upset teams in Group A.

2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule

All times are Eastern.

• Thursday, March 5: South Korea vs. Czechia; Australia vs. Czechia
• Friday, March 6: Japan vs. Chinese Taipei; Panama vs. Cuba; Venezuela vs. Netherlands; Great Britain vs. Mexico; Colombia vs. Puerto Rico; Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua; Brazil vs. U.S.; Czechia vs. Chinese Taipei
• Saturday, March 7: Japan vs. South Korea; Canada vs. Colombia; Netherlands vs. Nicaragua; Italy vs. Brazil; Puerto Rico vs. Panama; Venezuela vs. Israel; U.S. vs. Great Britain; South Korea vs. Chinese Taipei
• Sunday, March 8: Japan vs. Australia; Cuba vs. Colombia; Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands; Italy vs. Great Britain; Israel vs. Nicaragua; Canada vs. Panama; Mexico vs. Brazil
• Monday, March 9: Australia vs. South Korea; Israel vs. Dominican Republic; Panama vs. Colombia; Great Britain vs. Brazil; Puerto Rico vs. Cuba; Nicaragua vs. Venezuela; U.S. vs. Mexico
• Tuesday, March 10: Japan vs. Czechia; Netherlands vs. Israel; Puerto Rico vs. Canada; U.S. vs. Italy
• Wednesday, March 11: Cuba vs. Canada; Mexico vs. Italy; Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic
• Thursday, March 12: No games

• Quarterfinals:
  • Friday, March 13: Two games
  • Saturday, March 14: Two games
• Semifinals (loanDepot Park, Miami):
  • Sunday, March 15: One game
  • Monday, March 16: One game
• Championship (loanDepot Park, Miami):
  • Tuesday, March 17: One game

Broadcast Information

Most games in the U.S. will be broadcast on the Fox family of networks, including Fox, FS1, and FS2. Streaming options will be available via the Fox Sports app and Tubi.