The Milan Cortina Olympics are over, but the world’s best athletes aren’t done competing just yet.
Baseball will take center stage internationally in March as top players face off in the World Baseball Classic.
Japan and tournament MVP Shohei Ohtani won it all last time around in 2023, defeating the U.S. in a riveting championship game. Three years later, the WBC will feature even more superstars — including Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and more.
Here’s everything to know about the 2026 WBC:
When is the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will be played from March 5 through March 17.
Where is the World Baseball Classic taking place in 2026?
As is tradition, the WBC will be played all across the globe.
Host cities will include Houston and Miami in the U.S., Tokyo in Japan and San Juan in Puerto Rico. All knockout bracket games will take place in the U.S., with the semis and final at loanDepot Park in Florida, home of the Miami Marlins.
Who is playing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
There are 20 teams in the WBC, broken up into four pools of five.
- Pool A
- Puerto Rico (host)
- Canada
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Panama
- Pool B
- United States (host)
- Brazil
- Great Britain
- Italy
- Mexico
- Pool C
- Japan (host)
- Australia
- Chinese Taipei
- Czechia
- South Korea
- Pool D
- Dominican Republic
- Israel
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Venezuela
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani earned his third straight MVP award, repeating as unanimous NL MVP
What is the World Baseball Classic format?
For pool play, each team plays four games against the other clubs in their pool. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the single-elimination knockout bracket. Here’s the schedule for the bracket:
- Quarterfinals
- Pool C runner-up vs. Pool D winner (March 13 in Miami)
- Pool B runner-up vs. Pool A winner (March 13 in Houston)
- Pool A runner-up vs. Pool B winner (March 14 in Houston)
- Pool D runner-up vs. Pool C winner (March 14 in Miami)
- Semifinals (reseeded based on quarterfinals results)
- Semifinal 1 (March 15 in Miami)
- Semifinal 2 (March 16 in Miami)
- Final
Which MLB players are in the World Baseball Classic?
The 2026 WBC will be full of MLB players, including many of the game’s biggest stars.
You can find the entire Team USA roster here, but let’s take a look at some of the talent that will be on the field:
United States
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs
- Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
- Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
- Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
- Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
- Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
- Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
- Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Japan
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs
Dominican Republic
- Juan Soto, New York Mets
- Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
- Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
- Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
- Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
Team USA is bringing a loaded roster to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, featuring some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball. Here’s a look at the superstars set to represent the United States.
Venezuela
- Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
- Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers
Netherlands
- Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
- Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres
Canada
- Bo Naylor, Cleveland Guardians
- Josh Naylor, Seattle Mariners
Great Britain
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees
Mexico
- Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
How to watch the World Baseball Classic in 2026
All WBC games will air on FOX Sports properties, including FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes. They can also be streamed on the FOX Sports App and Tubi. The entire 47-game tournament will be available to watch.
