World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Breakdowns, Top Players, Predictions

Rowdy fans, superstars, late-inning drama and a competitive vibe that feels more like October than March.  The 2026 World Baseball Classic will have it all. 

Played across two continents and composed of 20 nations, the WBC begins on March 3 and culminates with the Championship Game on March 17 in Miami. Will we see Team USA led by Aaron Judge get revenge on Shohei Ohtani and Japan after that 2023 championship classic? Or, can a talented squad like Mexico, Dominican Republic or Venezuela make a deep run? 

Let’s start by getting familiar with the stacked rosters in Pool A and B and break down each side. And check back each day this week as we dive into the other pools.

Pool A: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico
Pool B: (Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, USA)
Pool C: (Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan, Korea)
Pool D: Thursday (Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Venezuela)

POOL A

This pool is set to take over Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from March 6–11. The hosts are the favorites to top the group, bringing its championship pedigree into a loaded five-team clash that will feature perennial contender Cuba, rising force Canada, gritty Panama and underdog Colombia. Passion, pride and powerhouse talent are sure to collide and make for an electric atmosphere.

Canada

 (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Turning down big-league talent? Too much depth? These are good problems to have for Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt, who has led the country in every WBC tournament from its inception in 2006. He’s seen Canada struggle to roster major-leaguers (and defeat Team USA, anyway, in the group stage in ‘06). This year, he’s received an all-time high interest from players with proven MLB experience to suit up for Team Canada, resulting in limited roster space and major-league talent at nearly every position.

Team Canada, feeling confident about its talent depth, is on a mission to break into the quarterfinals in Miami for the first time — and it has a path to get there. Canada is competing in a Pool that, for the first time, doesn’t include the United States or Mexico, a pair of persistent adversaries that impeded its advancement in the previous five tournaments. And Team Puerto Rico is weaker than ever this year, missing a few familiar faces due to insurance issues. If Canada is going to break past the group stage for the first time ever, this is the year to do it.

The Top Player(s): Brothers Josh and Bo Naylor will team up to play first base and catcher, respectively, for Team Canada. Josh Naylor, who has slugged 51 home runs over the past two seasons, is essentially replacing Freddie Freeman, who opted out from the WBC this year. Though Bo played for his native country in the last WBC, Josh is making his return to the tournament for the first time since 2017. He’s fresh off signing a five-year, $92.5 million contract with the Seattle Mariners — and his customary edge and energy will be terrific assets for Canada. Also dangerous for Team Canada: outfielder Tyler O’Neill, top prospect Owen Caissie, and pitcher Jameson Taillon.  

Colombia

(Photo by Alex Trautwig/WBCI/MLB via Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: This year marks just the third time Colombia has qualified for the tournament, and it could finally be the year Colombia sneaks past the pool stage. Colombia enjoyed just one win in the 2023 WBC — a jaw-dropping upset — when it defeated a heavily-favored Team Mexico, 5-4, in the group round. But even that result doesn’t tell the whole story. Team Colombia came mighty close to a couple more victories last time, eventually losing a nail-biter to the USA and again to Great Britain in heartbreaking fashion. Colombia is expected to fare better this year thanks to a blend of veterans and young talent on the roster. 

The Top Player(s): Jose Quintana. The 37-year-old southpaw has a career ERA of 3.76 pitching for eight teams since his major-league debut for the White Sox in 2012. As he gets ready to suit up for his ninth club, the Colorado Rockies, Quintana will start by leading Colombia’s rotation. He is returning to the tournament for the first time since the country’s WBC debut in 2017, when he held the USA to just one run in 5.2 innings pitched. Behind Quintana, veteran right-hander Julio Teheran will help round out Colombia’s starting staff. 

Cuba 

(Photo by Yuki Taguchi/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: The pressure is on for Team Cuba to continue its impressive streak. Cuba has advanced out of the Pool Stage in all five previous WBC tournaments, making it one of the most successful countries in the field. In order to complete this feat for a sixth time, and try to build on last time’s successful run to the semifinals before falling to the United States, Cuba will need strong pitching from its proven arms. It has a weapon in reliever Livan Moinelo, who is the reigning MVP of Japan’s Pacific League after recording a 1.46 ERA for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in 2025.

The Top Player(s): Alfredo Despaigne. Cuba’s 39-year-old slugger is the WBC’s all-time leader in home runs with seven. Despaigne still held onto that mark after failing to clear the fences in 2023, which was the final year of his decade-plus run playing in Japan’s Western League. He returns to the international stage looking to lead Cuba’s offense, which will be without familiar faces in Yoenis Cespedes and Luis Robert Jr. Alongside Despaigne, Angels infielder Yoan Moncada will return to Cuba’s lineup after coming off a trio of injury-riddled seasons in the major leagues. 

Panama

(Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Even though Panama is a baseball country, it has surprisingly struggled to place any better than 11th in the WBC’s history, and that includes failing to qualify for the tournament in consecutive tries in 2013 and ‘17. Last time, Panama was excellent in a tough Pool, going 2-2, but it didn’t advance after coming out on the losing side of an unprecedented five-way tie that was decided by fewest runs allowed per defensive out recorded. To avoid a similar fate, Panama is looking to leave no doubt about its dominance and aiming to qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time. It will roster a slew of experienced major-leaguers, including a terrific defensive infield alignment, making for an advantage in the tournament.

The Top Player(s): There’s more than one standout big leaguer bringing excitement to Panama’s roster. The rotation will be led by Cleveland Guardians southpaw Logan Allen. The 27-year-old Allen, whose mother was born and raised in Panama and still has a ton of extended family in her native country, will get the nod in a huge Game 1 against Cuba. Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero will make his return to the WBC, leading the infield alongside Edmundo Soda. Johan Camargo, veteran Ruben Tejada, and catcher Miguel Amaya. 

Puerto Rico

(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Sure, Puerto Rico is weaker this WBC than in previous years without star infielders Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Javy Baez. But it’s still stacked with familiar MLB talents, and Puerto Rico should not be underestimated. Led by manager Yadier Molina, Puerto Rico gained another veteran in eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, who previously played for Team USA in the 2017 and 2023 tournaments, but switched it up this year to honor his Puerto Rican-Cuban mother. While the rest of Pool A might be feeling more confident in light of Puerto Rico’s debilitated squad, the power of Bad Bunny’s support and the high-level talent from the rest of its blonde-haired roster might just be tougher to take down than anyone thinks.

The Top Player(s): The proven major-league flair on Team Puerto Rico is worth highlighting. The pitching staff features Seth Lugo, Fernando Cruz, Jorge Lopez, and of course, new Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz, who is returning to the tournament after his fluke knee injury while celebrating on the mound during the 2023 WBC. Veteran catchers Martin Maldonado and Christian Vazquez will represent half of the battery. Reds shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo will take over for Lindor in the dirt, while Arenado holds down the hot corner. Outfielders Willi Castro, Heliot Ramos, Eddie Rosario, and MJ Melendez lengthen Puerto Rico’s lineup. 

What Will Be The Best Game of Pool A?

Every game in this pool is expected to be intense, but due to home-field advantage in front of what will definitely be a raucous crowd, Cuba vs. Puerto Rico on March 9 looks like one of the marquee matchups. 

Which Pool A Teams Advance To The Quarterfinals?

 In a bit of an upset, Canada will win Pool A. This is Canada’s best chance at advancing to the quarterfinals, and they have the star power and talent to do it. Puerto Rico, as the host country, will come close to winning the Pool Stage, but it will ultimately place as runner-up. 

POOL B

 (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Why This Team Can Make Noise: Even with Corbin Carroll injured and Tarik Skubal only expected to make one start, this is still the best team that USA has ever assembled, and it’s a group on a mission after losing to Japan in the 2023 WBC finals. Four of the top five finishers in 2025 AL MVP voting (including MVP Aaron Judge), the 2025 AL and NL home run leaders (Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber), both of the reigning Cy Young Award winners (Skubal and Paul Skenes) and All-Star closer Mason Miller are among the members of the roster. The lineup is loaded at every spot, but it’s the elite rotation (Skubal, Skenes, plus 2025 All-Stars Joe Ryan, Logan Webb, Matthew Boyd and more) that really sets this year’s group apart from previous iterations and could have Team USA back on top after winning it all in 2017. 

The Top Player(s): It has to be the captain, Judge, who’s preparing to play in his first WBC coming off his third MVP season in the last four years. But you can take your pick here on a roster that includes 21 former All-Stars. Raleigh just blasted 60 home runs in a record season for a catcher, while Schwarber launched 56. Bobby Witt Jr. led the majors in hits each of the last two years. Skenes followed up a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024 with a Cy Young season in 2025. Skubal is coming off back-to-back Cy Young campaigns. Webb was an All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner who finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting last season. Two-time MVP Bryce Harper, a member of Team USA’s 16U and 18U teams who was unable to suit up in the 2023 tournament due to injury, will finally make his WBC debut. On, and on and on…

Mexico

(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: It took a Munetaka Murakami walk-off double in the ninth inning for eventual champion Japan to advance past Mexico in the 2023 WBC semifinals. Mexico’s third-place finish was its best in WBC history, and much of that group will be returning in an effort to reach its first finals. Plus, Jonathan Aranda and Jarren Duran are much more accomplished hitters now than they were at the last tournament. The rotation could be this group’s Achilles’ heel, but the top half of the lineup is stellar, and the injection of new talents — All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz, All-Star backstop Alejandro Kirk, slick-fielding shortstop Joey Ortiz and former top pitching prospect Taj Bradley among them — could be enough to get this Mexico team where it hasn’t gone before. 

The Top Player(s): You could certainly make the case for Duran or 2025 All-Stars Kirk, Muñoz or Aranda here, but fellow 2025 All-Star Randy Arozarena will be the heartbeat of this group. He tends to find a different gear with these kinds of events, and his swagger rubs off on everyone around him. At the 2023 WBC, Arozarena mesmerized with his glove and excelled with his bat. He was arguably the best hitter in the tournament, registering a 1.507 OPS while roping six doubles and a home run in six games. 

Italy 

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Why This Team Can Make Noise: Team Italy has made it to the quarterfinals of the WBC twice, including at the 2023 tournament after beating Cuba and the Netherlands in pool play. Going 2-2 probably won’t be good enough to advance this time in a pool that includes USA and Mexico, but the additions of MLB veterans Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen in the rotation to go with a lineup filled with promising big-league talent and recent top prospects — a group that includes Royals teammates Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone, White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee and Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone — gives the Italians a chance to make a run. They could be riding the momentum of wins against Brazil and Great Britain before having to face the top teams in the group, at which point an upset could be brewing. 

The Top Player(s): Nola’s coming off his worst year as a big-leaguer, but he’s the best starting pitcher that Italy has taken into the tournament. Pasquantino, who slugged 32 homers last year, is the most accomplished hitter in a young lineup that offers tremendous upside.  Marsee (24), Teel (24) and Canzone (28) each hit better than 20% above league average last season, and Caglianone — the No. 6 overall pick in 2024 — offers prodigious power potential. He struggled in his first taste of the majors last year, but he hit 20 home runs in 66 minor-league games before the call-up. 

Great Britain

(Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: This was one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the last tournament, as Great Britain’s players fully leaned into the joy of the competition by celebrating every clutch hit by pretending to sip tea on the basepaths. There were many reasons to celebrate, not only because Great Britain upset Colombia to win its first ever WBC game but also because the Brits scored eight runs against Canada and took a tie game into the seventh against Mexico. The arrow is pointing up on this group, which, even beyond star Jazz Chisholm Jr., is full of players who are either in affiliated baseball now or have MLB experience. One interesting side note: Beck brothers Tristan (a Giants reliever) and Brendan (a Yankees minor leaguer starter), whose mother is from Great Britain, will be playing together for the first time since they were college teammates at Stanford in 2018. “I think we can surprise some people,” Tristan told me. 

The Top Player(s): Chisholm, one of multiple Bahamian talents on the Great Britain roster — a group that also includes D-backs outfield prospect Kristian Robinson, who had an .862 OPS at Triple-A Reno last year — is coming off a 30-30 season with the Yankees and is the best player that the Brits will have ever taken into the tournament. He’ll be co-captain with Nationals prospect Harry Ford, who homered twice in the 2023 tournament and has a chance to be Washington’s catcher in 2026 after making his MLB debut with the Mariners last season. Ford had an .868 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma in 2025.

Brazil

(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Making their second trip ever to the WBC, Brazil lacks the MLB talent of other teams in this pool; however, it does not lack the MLB bloodlines. Team Brazil has three players who are the sons of accomplished MLB veterans in Dante Bichette Jr., Lucas Ramirez (Manny Ramirez’s son) and 17-year-old Joseph Contreras (Jose Contreras’ son). Of that trio, Ramirez, a 17th-round pick of the Angels in 2024, is an intriguing name to watch after going 5-for-13 in last year’s qualifier. Brazil won the qualifier in Tucson last March to make the tournament for the first time since 2013, when it went winless but nearly stunned Japan in Tokyo in a 5-3 defeat. Perhaps they have one upset in them. 

The Top Player(s): In that 2013 loss to Japan, Leonardo Reginatto went 3-for-4 and knocked in two runs. Fast-forward 12 years, and the Brazilian infielder hit .385 with four RBI in the Tucson Qualifier last year to help get Brazil back to the WBC. The 35-year-old, who made it to Triple-A in the Twins’ organization in 2018 and has appeared in every WBC and qualifying game that Brazil has ever played in, had an .862 OPS in the Mexican League in 2025.

What Will Be The Best Game of Pool B?

USA vs. Mexico. In pool play three years ago, Mexico jumped out to a 7-1 lead on the United States after four innings behind two Joey Meneses home runs and never looked back while cruising to an 11-5 win. Both teams ultimately advanced out of the pool, which is the likeliest outcome again, but that will surely be on USA’s mind this time around. 

Which Pool B Teams Advance To The Quarterfinals?

This pool should end with a flourish, as it’s likely that the last two games on the docket — USA vs. Mexico on March 10 followed by Mexico vs. Italy on March 11 — decide which teams move forward. Team USA sweeps to win Pool A, while Mexico and Italy enter the final game of pool play in a win-or-go-home matchup. For the second straight tournament, the U.S. and Mexico move forward. 

POOL C

The World Baseball Classic will officially begin with a Pool C game between Chinese Taipei and Australia at the Tokyo Dome on March 5 (or March 4 at 10 p.m. ET, for those watching in the United States). Playing at home, Team Japan should again have no problem emerging as winners of this pool as it attempts to defend its WBC crown. Samurai Japan will be hosting many of the same teams it did three years ago, as the three-time champs are again in a group with Korea, Australia and Czechia. The only difference in 2026 is that Chinese Taipei has replaced China. Korea has the best odds to advance out of the bracket with Japan, but in the 2023 WBC, it was Australia that pulled off the upset and made it to the quarterfinals for the first time in its country’s history. Will that happen again? 

Japan

(Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Japan, the king of international baseball, is the only country to win the WBC multiple times. Samurai Japan outscored its pool-play opponents by 30 runs and went undefeated in the last tournament, and now it gets Seiya Suzuki in the lineup after he was injured for the previous competition. The rotation will look different and not quite as deep this time around — Shohei Ohtani will only be hitting, and Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Yu Darvish will not be participating — but there are still plenty of MLB and NPB stars intact for manager Hirokazu Ibata to lead Japan to its fourth WBC championship. For White Sox and Blue Jays fans who might have missed the 2023 WBC, the tournament should be an entertaining showcase for Munetaka Murakami — whose walk-off double sent Japan past Mexico in the 2023 WBC semifinals — and Kazuma Okamoto before the NPB standouts embark on their big-league careers. 

The Top Player(s): Some guy named … Ohtani? He was the tournament MVP after striking out Mike Trout to lead Japan to victory, and even if he won’t be able to help on the mound this time, the four-time MVP will remain an imposing presence in the box coming off back-to-back 50-homer MVP seasons with the Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who struck out 12 of the 27 batters he faced in the 2023 WBC, will be coming off World Series MVP honors and an All-Star season with the Dodgers as he leads Japan’s pitching staff. There’s also plenty of NPB talent to keep an eye on, including reigning Sawamura Award winner Hiromi Itoh and Central League MVP Teruaki Sato, who hit 40 homers in NPB last season. Also worth monitoring: New Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who’s coming off a career year in NPB, is not on the initial roster but is part of the designated pitcher pool and could be added in later rounds if (when) Japan advances. 

Korea

 (Photo by Yuki Taguchi/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Korea has appeared in all five WBC tournaments and finished runner-up in 2009. It hasn’t replicated that success over the last few tournaments, but Korea scored more runs than any team in its pool in 2023 and finished the tournament with the highest OPS of any team. If it wants to emerge out of pool play this time, it will again have to be the offense — a group that includes a handful of MLB talents, including Jung Hoo Lee, Hyeseong Kim, Jahmai Jones and Shay Whitcomb— leading the way. In addition, Dane Dunning, a six-year MLB veteran and non-roster invite at Mariners camp, will try to help upgrade a pitching staff that produced a 7.55 ERA in the 2023 WBC. He told me he’s excited to honor his mother and her side of the family by participating this year for Team Korea, which he wanted to do in the last tournament but was unable to due to injury. 

The Top Player(s): Lee went 6-for-14 in the 2023 WBC. The Giants outfielder, who hit above league average in 2025, will again be among the top hitters in Korea’s lineup, which also includes multiple KBO standouts. Infielder Do Yeong Kim missed time due to injury last year but had 38 homers and 40 steals as a 20-year-old in 2024. Outfielder Hyun Min Ahn, nicknamed “Muscle Man,” was the KBO Rookie of the Year last season at 21 years old after launching 22 home runs with a 1.018 OPS and more walks than strikeouts. MLB fans will also recognize former All-Star Hyun-Jin Ryu, who pitched to a 3.23 ERA at 38 years old last year in the KBO and will add big-game experience to the pitching staff. 

Chinese Taipei

 (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Chinese Taipei has appeared in all five WBC tournaments and in 2023 beat Italy and the Netherlands in pool play but failed to advance due to tiebreaker rules. Still, after winning its first ever gold at the 2024 Premier12 tournament — outfielder Chieh-Hsien Chen, who’s on the 2026 WBC team, hit .625 and was named Premier12 MVP — Chinese Taipei will enter the 2026 WBC with some momentum as it looks to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013. Outfielder Stuart Fairchild and infielder Tsung-Che Cheng both played in the big leagues last year, Jo-Hsi Hsu will soon be taking his high-90s fastball to NPB and there are prospects sprinkled throughout the roster. Chinese Taipei is a real challenger to emerge from this bracket. 

The Top Player(s): Former big leaguer Yu Chang was such a force at the 2023 WBC that he was his pool’s MVP despite his team not advancing. The infielder hit .438 with four extra-base hits and eight RBI over four games in that tournament and then followed that up in international play by going 7-for-18 with five extra-base hits in last year’s qualifier. On the pitching side, Hsu has starred the last two seasons in the Chinese Professional Baseball League and parlayed that success into a deal with NPB’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. In addition, Wei-En Lin struck out 117 batters in 87 innings across three minor-league levels with the A’s last year and made two scoreless appearances in the qualifiers. One thing to watch: Cubs minor league Player of the Year Jonathan Long, who hit 20 home runs in Triple-A last year and was set to play for Chinese Taipei, suffered an elbow injury in a spring game, leaving his status for the tournament in question. 

Australia

(Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Australia is on the rise in international play. The country has participated in all five editions of the WBC and in 2023 it made it out of pool play for the first time ever after securing wins against Korea, China and the Czech Republic. Australia nearly made it to the semifinals, but a late rally against Cuba fell short in a 4-3 defeat. While there isn’t much MLB representation on the roster, that didn’t matter in the last tournament. Robbie Glendinning, Rixon Wingrove, Alex Hall, Tim Kennelly and Robbie Perkins — who all homered in the 2023 WBC and at least have minor-league experience — return to an Australia offense that had an .815 OPS in the last tournament. The Aussies will have trouble holding down elite lineups, but the additions of Guardians prospect Travis Bazzana and White Sox infielder Curtis Mead give them more offensive firepower in 2026. 

The Top Player(s): Bazzana has already made history for his country as the first ever Australian-born player to be drafted in the first round. Later this year, the 23-year-old Guardians top prospect could be patrolling the infield in Cleveland. He had an .858 OPS in 26 games at Triple-A Columbus last year and will bring both power and speed to the Australian club, which already has another MLB infielder in Mead, an Adelaide native who played in 90 games between the Rays and White Sox in 2025. On the pitching staff, Jack O’Loughlin pitched for the A’s in 2024 and started twice for Australia in the 2023 WBC, allowing just one hit in 4.2 innings. One thing to watch: Three-time All-Star reliever Liam Hendriks, who missed the 2023 tournament while battling cancer, is part of Australia’s designated pitchers pool and could be called up if Australia advances out of the first round. 

Czechia

(Photo by Yuki Taguchi/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Why This Team Can Make Noise: Just because most of the Czech players are amateurs with other day jobs doesn’t mean they can’t strike out Ohtani, too. (Yes, electrician Ondrej Satoria will be bringing his changeup back to the Czechia roster in 2026.) This team full of moonlighting baseball players captured fans’ hearts — and even the admiration of MLB greats — for the way it played in 2023, plating eight runs in a win against China and jumping out to an early lead against champion Japan before succumbing to the far more talented champions. 

The Top Player(s):There are no MLB players on the Czechia roster, but outfielder Marek Chlup played in NPB last year, infielder Terrin Vavra has played in 68 big-league games for the Orioles, and catcher Martin Cervenka had a 10-year minor-league career. Pitcher Martin Schneider is back after recording a 2.57 ERA in the 2023 tournament, but the Czech firefighter will be turning 40 when the WBC begins. 

What Will Be The Best Game of Pool C?

Korea vs. Chinese Taipei. This game on March 8 could determine which team moves on as the runner-up. Another interesting one to watch will be Korea vs. Australia one day later, especially considering that Australia upset Korea in pool play in 2023. 

Which Pool C Teams Advance To The Quarterfinals?

Let’s assume Japan will again sweep its way through pool play and win Pool C. Korea, Chinese Taipei and Australia could all factor into the runner-up mix, but Korea will have enough pop in the lineup to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.