By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
The World Baseball Classic has returned after three years, when Japan defeated the U.S. in a thrilling 3-2 championship game that averaged 5.2 million viewers.
The 2023 WBC proved that the baseball world yearned for international competition as fan bases from across the sport rattled ballparks for victories and electrifying plays.
New faces and returning heroes look to create another exciting event this spring before the MLB regular season.
Pool A: Puerto Rico
The storylines coming into the 2026 WBC include multiple teams keeping players from joining their country because they failed to receive insurance coverage for the tournament. Team Puerto Rico seemed to be hit the hardest. The squad lost veteran infielders Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor to insurance issues.
The Puerto Rican lineup is not as strong as it has been in past tournaments. It will be led by Willi Castro and Eddie Rosario in the outfield and veteran Nolan Arenado at third base. Royals starter Seth Lugo headlines the rotation while Edwin Diaz remains the staunch closer.
Cuba stands at a disadvantage with a lack of consistent major league starters that came aboard for the WBC. The team features only two players that are firmly in the majors with Yariel Rodriguez and Yoán Moncada.
Pool A looks to be the closest pool in the tournament as Canada and Colombia also have a chance to reach the knockout stage.
Canada presents multiple solid MLB players, including Tyler O’Neill in the outfield, Edouard Julien in the infield as well as Josh and Bo Naylor. The biggest knock on team Canada is the pitching staff, which will be led by veterans Jameson Taillon, James Paxton and Cal Quantrill.
Colombia historically does not make much noise in the WBC. This year, the team has the opportunity to get through a group that does not have a clear favorite. The leaders on the field — Gio Urshela, Harold Ramírez and Jorge Alfaro — did not perform well in 2023 and do not look to make a noticeable leap in 2026.
Puerto Rico will take Pool A while Canada sneaks into second place.
Pool B: USA
The U.S. is looking to make another run at a WBC championship after falling a run short of Japan in 2023. The Americans’ squad is stacked from top to bottom. On the mound, Team USA features both reigning Cy Young winners in Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal (only playing in one game) while the bullpen is led by the flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, set to close out games started by some of the best pitchers in the game.
The U.S. lineup will also be a juggernaut. Cal Raleigh will play behind the plate after setting the single-season home run record for catchers with 60. The infield will feature names like Bryce Harper, Bobby Witt Jr., Alex Bregman and Brice Turang.
The outfield is led by captain Aaron Judge and supported by two talented young stars in Roman Anthony and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Pool B is the USA’s to lose, though Mexico can give the Americans a good fight with an overall solid squad, especially the outfield. Randy Arozarena ignited the 2023 WBC with a .450 batting average, nine RBIs and six doubles. He will be paired with Jarren Duran and Alek Thomas as one of the better outfield trios in the WBC.
In the end, the U.S. wins the pool, and Mexico joins the knockout stage in second place.
Pool C: Japan
Pool C has a pretty clear winner: reigning WBC champion Japan. The reason? Shohei Ohtani. Does he get glorified nonstop by the baseball world? Yes, and there is still good reason why. The four-time MVP is coming off his second World Series victory with the Dodgers and continues to prove why he is the best player in the sport.
While Ohtani is not the only contributor on team Japan, he is the headliner and focus no matter the opposition. Alongside him is starting pitcher and Dodger teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who recorded second-best 2.45 ERA and 12 strikeouts in the 2023 tournament. Masataka Yoshida also serves as a formidable bat as he led the previous WBC with 13 RBIs.
While Korea looks to be in second place in Pool C over Australia, Czechia and Chinese Taipei, no one in this relatively weak group will come close to topping Japan.
Pool D: Dominican Republic
This group will come down to two historically strong baseball countries: Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Both teams are full of MLB talent and multiple all-stars. The race to win the pool will come down to pitching.
Neither side has the strongest pitching staff in the tournament. Venezuela will have to rely on starters Ranger Suárez, who is coming off of one of his best seasons for the Phillies, and Eduardo Rodríguez. After the top two starters, the staff falls off with a lack of depth in the rotation and no stars in the bullpen.
The Dominican Republic’s rotation brings in more depth with its starters, showcasing 2022 Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, Luis Severino and Cristopher Sánchez, who broke out in 2025 with a 2.50 ERA and 212 strikeouts for Philadelphia. The relievers will be led by multiple key closers. Camilo Doval brings in a fastball topping out at over 100 miles per hour, Carlos Estevez led MLB with 42 saves for the Royals and Seranthony Domínguez has been utilized in high-intensity situations throughout his career.
The winner of Pool D will be the Dominican Republic, papi.
Both Venezuela and the DR boast lineups with numerous all-stars and future Hall of Famers, but the Dominicans on the mound will give their team the edge and go back to the knockout stage after falling short in a disappointing 2023.
Venezuela will finish in second place ahead of Israel, the Netherlands and Nicaragua.
While it is difficult to predict the positions in the WBC bracket, be on the lookout for the U.S. and Japan to make another run at the championship. Those two seem to be head and shoulders above the rest of the field on paper, and they have backed it up over the previous two tournaments.
The World Baseball Classic will be broadcast across FOX Sports networks and runs through March 17.
