Japan, the only nation with multiple World Baseball Classic titles (2006, 2009, 2023), aims for its fourth championship. The Dominican Republic (2013) and the United States (2017) are the only other past winners. Japan's powerful roster features 2025 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both from the Dodgers, alongside Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi and Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki.
Team USA is led by captain Aaron Judge and includes both 2025 Cy Young Award winners, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. The U.S. squad boasts a combined 65 MLB All-Star appearances and four former MVPs: Judge, Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt, and Clayton Kershaw.
Most games in the United States will be broadcast on the Fox family of networks (Fox, FS1, FS2) and streamed on the Fox Sports app and Tubi.
2026 World Baseball Classic Pools:
Pool A: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan
Pool B: Daikin Park, Houston (Brazil, U.S.)
Pool C: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo (Australia)
Pool D: loanDepot Park, Miami
2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule (All times Eastern):
Pool play begins Thursday, March 12. Key early matchups include Brazil vs. U.S. on March 14 (Fox), Japan vs. South Korea on March 15 (FS1), and U.S. vs. Mexico on March 17 (Fox). The quarterfinals start March 20, with semifinals on March 23 and the championship game on March 25 at loanDepot Park in Miami.