2026 World Baseball Classic Guide: Everything to know before first pitch

Baseball players across the globe are packing their bags to head off for another edition of the World Baseball Classic.

Yes, before your beloved major-league team returns to action in late March, high-stakes best-on-best international competition will captivate the baseball world once again.

Below is a guide to everything fans will need to know ahead of the first pitch on Wednesday.

Pools, teams and locations

Must-see games

The tournament officially begins March 4 at 10 p.m. ET when Chinese Taipei faces off with Australia in Tokyo before the North American slate begins March 6. Here are four games shaping up to be can’t-miss contests.

USA vs. Brazil: March 6, 8 p.m. ET
Team USA opens its tournament against Brazil in a prime-time matchup. Catch a first glimpse at this star-studded American squad seeking redemption for a tough 2023 loss.

Japan vs. Korea: March 7, 5 a.m. ET
Rise and shine! Japan’s second tilt of the event comes against rival Korea. Who will the loaded Samurai tab as starting pitcher for the club’s toughest matchup in pool play?

Mexico vs. USA: March 9, 8 p.m. ET
Mexico was on the brink of upsetting Japan during the semifinals in 2023 before Munetaka Murakami crushed a two-run double for a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth. Look for this squad to give Team USA all it can handle.

Canada vs. Puerto Rico: March 10, 7 p.m. ET
If the Canadians want to climb their way out of pool play for the first time, a win over a Puerto Rican squad missing key stars due to insurance concerns would be a massive boost to their efforts.

Canada’s full schedule
Colombia vs. Canada: March 7, 11 a.m. ET
Panama vs. Canada: March 8, 7 p.m. ET
Canada vs. Puerto Rico: March 10, 7 p.m. ET
Canada vs. Cuba: March 11, 3 p.m. ET
(All games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Playoff round schedule
March 13, 6:30 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal 1 (loanDepot park, Miami)
March 13, 8 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal 2 (Daikin Park, Houston)
March 14, 3 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal 3 (Daikin Park, Houston)
March 14, 9 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal 4 (loanDepot park, Miami)
March 15, 8 p.m. ET: Semifinal 1 (loanDepot park, Miami)
March 16, 8 p.m. ET: Semifinal 2 (loanDepot park, Miami)
March 17, 8 p.m. ET: Final (loanDepot park, Miami)

Full tournament schedule available here. 

You can catch all the action exclusively in Canada on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

Canada’s shot at redemption

Canadians across the country are still rolling up their wounds in droves of double-doubles after losing a pair of gold-medal games in men’s and women’s hockey to their neighbours south of the border at the Olympics. But they’ll have another shot at tasting a win soon.

On paper, Canada is stacked with more major-league talent throughout its roster than it has ever seen at this event, even despite not having all-star slugger Freddie Freeman along with top relievers Cade Smith and Matt Brash at their disposal.

With three more seasons of professional experience from Bo Naylor, Owen Caissie, Denzel Clarke and the other six position players returning from 2023, the Canucks look poised to emerge from pool play for the first time despite having qualified for every WBC.

As for another crack at those neighbours? It will have to wait until a potential quarterfinal matchup when Pool A and B cross over, as Canada and Team USA are in separate groups for the first time at this event. The Pool B winner hosts the Pool A runner-up during the March 13th quarterfinal in Houston — mark your calendars, it’s possible the two could meet again, this time on the dirt.

Here is how the full Canadian roster stacks up:

Catchers: Bo Naylor*, Liam Hicks
Infielders: Edouard Julien*, Otto Lopez*, Josh Naylor*, Abraham Toro*, Tyler Black, Matt Davidson, Adam Hall,
Outfielders: Owen Caissie*, Denzel Clarke*, Tyler O’Neill*, Jacob Robson*, Jared Young*
Pitchers: Logan Allen, Micah Ashman, Phillippe Aumont*, Jordan Balazovic, Eric Cerantola, Indigo Diaz*, Antoine Jean, Brock Dykxhoorn, Adam Macko, James Paxton, Cal Quantrill*, Noah Skirrow*, Michael Soroka, Jameson Taillon*, Matt Wilkinson, Rob Zastryzny*
Manager: Ernie Whitt*

*Competed for Canada previously at the WBC

Blue Jays abroad

The Toronto Blue Jays currently have 15 players committed to represent 12 different countries in all four pools, including their entire starting infield.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will take his historic 2025 post-season run (eight HR, 15 RBIs, 241 wRC+) to the heart of a stacked Dominican Republic lineup. Newly signed star Kazuma Okamoto will head back to Japan to help defend the title.

Pitching prospect Adam Macko will be thrust onto Canadian screens as he pauses his climb to the majors with the Blue Jays to represent Canada for the first time in international competition. The 25-year-old left-hander features a loopy breaking ball that will keep batters guessing out of the bullpen with a starter background to fall on if length is needed.

Full list of Blue Jays competing:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B/DH (Dominican Republic)
Kazuma Okamoto, 3B/1B (Japan)
Alejandro Kirk, C (Mexico)
Andrés Giménez, SS/2B (Venezuela)
Ernie Clement, UTIL (USA)
Adam Macko, RP (Canada)
Yariel Rodriguez, RP (Cuba)
Leo Jimenez, SS/2B (Panama)
RJ Schreck, OF (Israel)
Ismael Munguia, OF (Nicaragua)
C.J. Stubbs, C (Israel)
Will Cresswell, C (Great Britain)
Jose Berrios, SP (Puerto Rico)*
Tyler Rogers, RP (USA)*
Jeff Hoffman, RP (USA)*

*Part of the team’s Designated Pitching Pool

Tournament format and rules

Pool play
Four pools of five teams will contest a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. The top four teams from each pool will automatically qualify for the following WBC.

Pool play standings tiebreakers
1. If two or more teams are tied after pool play, the team with the best head-to-head record between the tied teams will advance to the quarterfinals.
2. If still tied, the team that has given up the fewest allowed runs, divided by the number of defensive outs recorded in the games between the tied teams, will advance.
3. If still tied, the team that has given up the fewest earned runs, divided by the number of defensive outs recorded in the games between the tied teams, will advance.
4. If still tied, the team with the highest batting average in games between the tied teams will advance.
5. If the teams are somehow still tied, the tiebreaker will be determined by a random draw conducted by WBC officials.

Extra innings
All games will continue until a winner is decided, with the ghost runner at second base coming into play at the start of the 10th inning.

Pitch clock
The WBC will feature the much-welcomed pitch clock for the first time in 2026. It will operate the same way it currently does in the MLB.

No ABS
Despite its rampant popularity as it hits the majors for the 2026 season, the Automated Ball-Strike System will not be used for any of the games during the WBC.

Pitching limitations
As is the case with every WBC, managers are battling with the added layer of pitch counts to protect the players’ arm health. Pitchers will be limited to just 65 pitches in a single appearance during pool play, 80 pitches in the quarterfinals and 95 pitches for the semifinals and final (if a pitcher begins the at-bat before reaching the limit, he is permitted to continue until the at-bat has been completed). If a pitcher surpasses 50 pitches, he must rest for four days before he can be used again. A 30-to-50 pitch outing or pitching on back-to-back days will only require one day of rest. Of course, the 30 major-league clubs also sent plans along for each and every major-league arm participating in the event.

Mercy rule
Another measure the WBC takes to ensure the safety of pitchers’ arms is by deploying a mercy rule. Any round-robin or quarterfinal game will end at the completion of the inning if a team is winning by 10 or more runs after the seventh or 15 after the fifth.

Designated Pitching Pool
Each country can choose six pitchers before the start of the tournament that it can use to replace up to four of its rostered pitchers following the completion of the pool play. 

Past WBC winners

This will be the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic, and Japan has already won three titles, capturing the first two in 2006 and 2009 before climbing back to the top in 2023, winning an all-time thriller over Team USA.

Shohei Ohtani sealed the victory with a monumental strikeout of then-teammate and Team USA star Mike Trout, setting the standard for the type of moment this event could produce.

Who will be the hero in 2026?

Past Champions
2023: Japan def. USA 3-2
2017: USA def. Puerto Rico 8-0
2013: Dominican Republic def. Puerto Rico 3-0
2009: Japan def. Korea 5-3
2006: Japan def. Cuba 10-6

Past Tournament MVPs
2023: Shohei Ohtani, SP/DH (Japan)
2017: Marcus Stroman, SP (USA)
2013: Robinson Cano, 2B (Dominican Republic)
2009: Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP (Japan)
2006: Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP (Japan)

Olympic qualifying

Baseball is returning to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and though it is yet to be determined whether MLB players will participate, the 2026 WBC will help decide which teams qualify for those Games.

The U.S. has earned a spot as the host nation, meaning only five spots remain for the six-team event set to be hosted at Dodger Stadium. 

The 2026 WBC is the sole opportunity teams from the Americas will have to qualify for baseball’s return to the Olympics. Only the top two finishers from Canada, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, Brazil and Venezuela will make the trip to Los Angeles, mightily increasing the stakes of this event.

The remaining three spots will be determined by two events featuring the Oceanic, Asian and European regions at later dates.

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