In 2023, we watched as Shohei Ohtani and Team Japan bested Team USA in the final of what turned out to be a very exciting tournament.
There have been efforts to help increase the popularity of professional baseball within the U.S. This tournament proved to be a great playground for that premise, as every game was not only packed — but also loaded with emotion and fun.
In 2026, the next iteration of the WBC is slated to kick off. As such, the four groupings for pool play have been established:
Group A: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, Colombia
Group B: USA, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil
Group C: Japan, Australia, Korea, Czechia, Chinese Taipei
Group D: Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua
Group A’s pool play action will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from March 6-11. Pool B will take place in Houston from March 6-11. Pool C will be held in Tokyo from March 5-10. Lastly, Pool D is going to be played in Miami from March 6-11. The quarterfinals will occur in Miami and Houston, with the final taking place in Miami.
The 2023 tournament was absolutely electric. Japan furthered the premise that it is a major baseball power from a global standpoint. For the casual fan stateside, it gives them a chance to see some of these players who’ve yet to play in the Major Leagues. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki were two examples of that in ’23.
We’re also seeing the sport grow as it pertains to European countries. These teams do have heavy numbers of American players representing them, but at the same time, baseball as a sport does seem to be making strides across the pond.
If we were to try and peg the two favorites a year out for all of the groups, here’s what we’d think:
Group A favorites: Puerto Rico, Cuba
Group.B favorites: USA, Mexico
Group C favorites: Japan, Korea
Group D favorites: Dominican Republic, Venezuela
