As much as the Dodgers try to put a stop to the sport of baseball as we know it, life goes on. With spring training in full swing, everyone’s eyes are turning back to the diamond. As teams assemble and new acquisitions meet their teammates for the first time, another question looms: Who’s playing in the World Baseball Classic (WBC)?
The WBC tournament has been operational since 2006, spearheaded by commissioner Bud Selig of steroid-era fame and controversy. It is the only baseball tournament to be played across different continents, and has continued on a repeating basis every three years since. This partnership brings some of the largest baseball entities in the world together, mainly MLB, Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization. Japan has historically dominated the tournament, with victories in 2006, 2009 and 2023. They are the only country with multiple titles.
The WBC assembles players of all talent levels to compete in a pool format. There are four pools that encompass most baseball-playing countries. Games will be hosted in parks across the globe, with teams in the same pool all staying in one park beginning March 5. The top four teams from the 2023 tournament have already secured their spots, while underdog countries have had to earn their participation by playing in qualifying games. Interestingly, this tournament will be the first time the pitch clock has been used in the WBC — with rules identical to those currently in use in MLB.
Player health has been a concern since the outset of the tournament, with high-intensity games taking the place of the more casual spring training contests for most players. In fact, late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was vehemently opposed to the tournament on account of his stars (Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez) risking injury before the regular season. Despite this, owners cannot actually prohibit players from participation in the WBC. Private insurance coverage remains the biggest barrier for players to navigate.
Due to insurance issues, some of MLB’s best will not be allowed to participate in the WBC. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and other stars are being turned away due to injury risk. If players logged major injuries during the last MLB regular season, they are marked as “chronic injuries” and insurance won’t cover their team contracts. Despite Bad Bunny’s offer to pay their insurance, these heavy-hitters will be cheering on their respective countries from the sidelines.
In 2023, Team USA certainly did not roll out the best available roster. Despite an amazing lineup, their pitching staff left much to be desired. We could surely list some examples, but you, dear reader, would likely not even recognize them. Even Trea Turner turning into the second coming of Christ for the duration of the tournament was not enough to get them a victory over Team Japan in the final. The moment culminated in Team USA captain Mike Trout, a playoff win-starved legend of this era, striking out against Shohei Ohtani to seal defeat.
In 2026, the roster vastly improved on paper. A rotation that depended on a ragtag group of geriatrics during last year’s tournament now features some of the league’s best. The two-headed monster of Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, both Cy Young winners in 2025, is an absolute force to be reckoned with on the mound. The lineup is even deeper than 2023’s team, with both AL MVP Aaron Judge MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh. Raleigh is coming off of one of the greatest catching seasons of all time — his 60-homer-year being one of the biggest reasons behind the Mariners success in 2025. The stars seem to be aligned for Team USA. They are the heavy betting favorites to win with odds between +100 and +130. The million dollar question remains: Will they get it done with national pride on the line?
Even with a bevy of superstars at its disposal, a Team USA triumph will be easier said than done. The 2026 iteration of the tournament features a gauntlet of imposing threats, including the Samurai Japan squad that dashed America’s title hopes back in 2023.
Japan’s batting lineup is relatively unaltered from last WBC’s iteration. Shohei Ohtani will be making his return to the team, hoping to build on an international legacy that includes his aforementioned legendary strikeout of Mike Trout to end 2023’s tournament. While Ohtani won’t be pitching at this year’s WBC, “Shotime” and his inimitable power-speed combination will be the engine that powers Japan’s offense.
Ohtani isn’t alone in the slugging department, however. He’ll be flanked by two of Japan’s premier power hitters in Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami, both of whom recently signed MLB contracts. Star outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who missed 2023’s tournament, will look to maintain his momentum after a fantastic 2025 season in MLB.
Those unfamiliar with Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league should keep an eye on star batsmen Kensuke Kondoh and Teruaki Satō. Kondoh is a contact machine capable of playing nearly any position on the field, and Satō is fresh off an MVP award after a 40 home run campaign that propelled his Hanshin Tigers to the Japan Series.
Japan’s pitching staff will be missing their most electric hurler in Rōki Sasaki, who was blocked from participating in the tournament by LA Dodgers management. While Sasaki will be greatly missed, Japan’s rotation still boasts a stellar one-two punch of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Hiromi Itoh, the latter of whom is viewed as the successor to the legendary Yu Darvish. They’re not nearly as star-studded as team USA, but Japan’s chemistry and championship experience will be tough to beat.
The most dangerous lineup in the WBC might belong to the Dominican Republic, who are seeking a return to glory after a humiliating 2023 performance in which they were eliminated in the group stage. This year’s DR squad sports an absolute murderer’s row of hitters headlined by Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and José Ramirez. Outfielders Julio Rodriguez and Fernando Tatís Jr. make for a lethal power-speed combo, and the infield boasts a litany of offensive talent including Ketel Marte and Manny Machado.
Unfortunately, the same praise can’t be lauded upon the pitching staff. If the Dominican lineup is a supercar, the rotation is akin to a lemon held together with duct tape and prayers. Cy Young runner-up Cristopher Sánchez is penciled in as the top starter, but the rest of the pitching staff is full of uncertainty. Sandy Alcantara has been a mixture of injured and awful since his 2022 Cy Young campaign, and Brayan Bello has next to no international pitching experience. Luckily for the DR, their monstrous lineup is capable of keeping them in any contest.
Rounding out the slate of contenders is team Venezuela, who are looking to reach the WBC semifinals for the first time since 2019. Venezuela’s lineup is led by former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and 3-time batting champion Luis Arráez, along with team captain Salvador Perez. The Venezuelan squad has embraced the youth movement in this year’s tournament, sporting electric talents like Jackson Chourio and Wilyer Abreu in the outfield. Star catcher William Contreras will be taking over behind the plate, allowing the aging Perez to play his preferred position of designated hitter.
Venezuela’s pitching is characterized by depth and versatility, with veterans Pablo López and Ranger Suárez leading an experienced rotation. If players like Eduardo Rodríguez and Germán Márquez can survive the dangerous lineups of opposing contenders, Venezuela’s balanced squad could sneak its way into the finals.
While this year’s Classic is sure to deliver some superstar highlights, the tournament is often at its best when the usual stalwarts aren’t the focus. The WBC allows for 20 teams to qualify, and many of its most memorable player performances have come from complete unknowns. 2023’s tournament saw Yu Chang — a bench-warming journeyman throughout his MLB career — seemingly inherit the spirit of Babe Ruth as he casually mashed grand slams and ascended to international superstardom.
The WBC’s eclectic and often hilarious mixture of superstars and nobodies has produced some of the most shockingly entertaining moments in recent baseball history. It’s enjoyable to watch Shohei Ohtani blast a 450-foot home run, but it’s downright enthralling to see a Czech electrician strike him out a few innings later. For many of the WBC’s participants, baseball is just a side job. But for a few weeks, they get to occupy the same stage as the game’s goliaths, and even get the better of them.
It’s a tumultuous time for the world in many respects, and baseball itself is seeing its own share of troubles with 2027’s potential lockout looming. Despite these tribulations, the WBC arrives at a perfect time, as the tournament allows longtime fans and newcomers alike to enjoy the beautiful game on the global stage. Right now, the world could use a fairy tale, and come April, the best place to find new legends in the making will be on the baseball diamond.
Contact Ben Petteruti and Mac Ribner at petteruti@oxy.edu and ribner@oxy.edu
