United States.- The
2026 World Baseball Classic is approaching and promises to once again become the biggest stage in international baseball, with the participation of
20 national teams from around the world that will compete for the title of champions.
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The official announcement of the
30-player rosters will be made this
Thursday at 7:00 PM (ET) through
MLB Network and MLB.com, where each country will announce its final roster.
Start and Tournament Venues
The tournament will begin on
March 5 at the
Tokyo Dome, with the opening match between
Chinese Taipei and Australia (March 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET in the United States).
The other groups will start action on
March 6 at the following venues:
- Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Daikin Park, Houston
- loanDepot park, Miami
Tickets and Streaming
Entries for the matches in
San Juan are now available. Single game tickets for
Tokyo, Houston, and Miami are on sale to the general public.
In the United States, World Baseball Classic games will be broadcast by
FOX Media, including FOX, FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports app, FOX One, and Tubi. In Japan, games in Japanese will be available through
Netflix.
Competition Format
Each group will be made up of
five teams, who will compete under the
round-robin format. The
top two from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
The qualified teams from the Tokyo group will play the quarterfinals in Miami, while those from San Juan will do so in Houston. The semifinals and the final will be held in Miami, with the decisive match scheduled for March 17.
Team Ranking
The
top four teams from each group in the World Baseball Classic 2023 automatically secured their qualification for the 2026 tournament. The remaining spots were defined in qualifying tournaments held last March, where
Chinese Taipei and Nicaragua earned their spot in Taipei, while
Colombia and Brazil advanced from Tucson.
Stars and Featured Selections
Several figures from world baseball have already confirmed their participation, barring unforeseen injuries. Among them are
Shohei Ohtani, Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Classic;
Salvador Pérez leading Venezuela; a
Dominican Republic loaded with Major League stars; and a
United States team that will seek revenge after finishing as runners-up in 2023.
The complete rosters will be available after the MLB Network special reveal program this Thursday night.
Stories to follow
Japan, the only country to conquer multiple World Baseball Classic titles, will seek a “fourth crown.” The United States will try to win its first championship since 2017, while powers like “Dominican Republic”, “Korea” and “Puerto Rico” will seek to redeem themselves after their results in the previous edition.
Also noteworthy are the return of the
Czech Republic, a fan favorite; the boost from
Chinese Taipei after winning the Premier12 2024; the participation of
Nicaragua under the direction of Dusty Baker; and the expectation of a new surprise selection, as happened with Mexico in 2023.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is shaping up to be an unmissable event, filled with emotions, historical rivalries, and moments that will continue to strengthen baseball globally.
Meanwhile, Edwin Encarnación stated: “I believe that all Dominicans should feel proud. We have a roster with which we can compete against any team in the world. The guys are prepared and motivated. Each of the players has put in 100%, I would say 110%, to represent our flag.”
Encarnación assured that the players will go out onto the field to give their all and to raise the national flag high.
