Global Stage Set: World Baseball Classic 2026 Brings Baseball’s Best Together

Ryan Campos ‘26

camposr@lakeforest.edu

Section Editor

On March 4, the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) was underway as 20 teams from around the world competed to determine the world champion. The WBC was first founded in 2005 and debuted in 2006, and it has grown larger and more talented with each edition as more stars chose to represent their countries. The tournament takes place every three years and allows players to compete for their nations on a global stage.

Current Mets and Team Mexico pitcher Alex Carrillo said, “It has been a big dream of mine since I was young to do it [play] for my family and my country… I was playing for Cancun during the last WBC, watching it there, and now I’m honored to be playing in it this time.” Instead of watching from afar, Carrillo took the mound, experienced the tournament firsthand, and represented Mexico in 2026.

As anticipation built for the tournament, attention turned to the opening round matchups and the teams battling for a spot in the knockout stage. Group A took place at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan and was seen as the most balanced group in the WBC, featuring Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and Colombia. Puerto Rico was the host and favorite of the group but was not at full strength, as insurance issues left stars such as Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Javier Báez off the roster. Because of these issues, Puerto Rico did not end up winning the group on home soil but still qualified for the knockout rounds with a 3-1 record. 

Team Cuba looked to spark success in the group after reaching the semifinals in the 2023 WBC. Cuba was led by Captain Alfredo Despaigne, the tournament’s all-time home run leader with seven. Cuba began 2-0 in pool play but fell to group runner-ups Puerto Rico and group winners Canada in the final two games.

Canada had their best WBC showing ever as they topped their group, defeating Puerto Rico and Cuba along the way, even after a loss to Panama. Canada was led by young prospect Owen Caissie and the ever-energetic Josh Naylor on their run.

Panama played everyone close as they lost 3 games by a combined 4 runs, going 1-3 in pool play, while Colombia also went 1-3 with a win over Panama. 

Group B was played at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros, and featured the United States, Mexico, Great Britain, Italy, and Brazil, which returned to the Classic for its second appearance. The United States entered as the favorite in both the group and the tournament, led by back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. The roster also included three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge as captain, along with 2025 MVP runner-ups Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber. 

The USA emerged with a hot start as they scored a combined 29 runs in their wins against Brazil, Great Britain, and Mexico

Despite their talents, a gaffe by manager Mark DeRosa saw the USA having to rely on the results of the Mexico-Italy game to see if they would qualify out of pool play. In their game vs Italy, the USA fielded a weaker lineup, thinking they had already qualified, Italy capitalized on this and jumped out to an 8-0 lead midway through the 6th inning. 

A solo home run from Gunnar Henderson and two home runs from Pete Crow-Armstrong cut the Italy lead to 8-6, and that is how the game would finish. Because of this, the USA needed either a Mexico win with them scoring at least five runs or an Italy win over Mexico, in order to qualify. The latter was the outcome, and Italy won the group while the USA placed second.

Team Mexico had high expectations coming into the WBC, having defeated the United States 11–5 in the 2023 edition, won its group, and reached the semifinals before falling 6–5 to eventual champions Japan. Mexico featured five MLB All-Stars, including Alejandro Kirk and standout performer Randy Arozarena, who hit .450 in the previous WBC. The team also included fan favorites Rowdy Tellez and pitcher Javier Assad. 

Mexico started strong with a 8-2 win vs Great Britain and a 16-0 run rule victory in six innings over Brazil. Though they could not get the final victory to qualify as losses to the USA and Italy led to Mexico’s elimination during pool play.

Team Italy went on a surprising run as they won the group led by Aaron Nola, Vinnie Pasquantino, and White Sox prospects Sam Antonacci and Kyle Teel. Using the momentum from their 2-0 start and their big win vs the United States, Italy made their way to the semifinals, shocking baseball fans around the world.

Great Britain and Brazil both made their second WBC appearances and continue to grow the game in their respective countries.

Competition in Group C was fierce as Japan, Korea, Australia, Chinese Taipei, and Czechia played at the Tokyo Dome, known for its electric atmosphere. Three-time WBC champion Japan aimed to defend its title with a lineup featuring four-time MLB MVP Shohei Ohtani and Cubs star Seiya Suzuki. The pitching rotation was once again anchored by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Japan used this lineup to their advantage and sailed through the group stage with a 4-0 record.

A well-loved Czechia squad made its second appearance at the World Baseball Classic, featuring a roster of mostly amateur players with day jobs such as firefighters and teachers, but the team fell short of securing automatic qualification for the next tournament.

Korea continued to provide Japan with a strong challenge, while Australia’s roster had grown more competitive, headlined by Cleveland’s 2024 first overall pick, Travis Bazzana. Chinese Taipei had a strong team as well and was led by their hero Yu Chang, who came back to play once again after batting .438 last tournament and .400 this tournament. 

A chaos scenario unfolded in this group, as there was a 3-way tie for the final qualification spot between Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei. And the tiebreaker is the lowest quotient of runs allowed divided by defensive outs recorded, and in the final pool play game between Australia and Korea, all three teams had a chance to qualify. Let’s break down this scenario.

In order for Australia to qualify, they need to win outright or lose by four runs or fewer. For Korea to advance, they needed to win by at least five but not give up more than two runs to Australia. And for Chinese Taipei to qualify, they need a Korea win with them scoring at least eight and Australia scoring at least three.

Korea held the lead throughout the entire game, but in the 9th, they were only up 6 to 2, meaning Australia would qualify. Korea, on the brink of elimination, needed a run to qualify. And Korea got that run with two outs in the top of the 9th. 

There was also a possibility of a tie in the standings if Australia scored a run in the bottom of the 9th. This would have left Korea eliminated and Australia and Chinese Taipei having to go through another tiebreaker, which would have been batting average and would have seen the Aussies qualify. The game would end 7 to 2 and Korea would advance to the knockout stages with everyone on the edge of their seats to see who would advance.

Group D was held at loanDepot Park, where the Dominican Republic (DR), Netherlands, Venezuela, Israel, and Nicaragua competed. The pool featured elite talent across every roster, with each team boasting at least one player who had appeared in a World Series. Nicaragua was the exception, but the team was managed by World Series–winning skipper Dusty Baker, providing valuable experience in the dugout.

Sixteen players on the Dominican Republic roster had previously been named MLB All-Stars and aimed to rebound from a disappointing early exit in 2023. Big bats headlined the squad as Juan Soto, Junior Caminero, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were poised to do damage. Team DR, managed by future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols,  brought loads of energy, and both the players and fans made each game lively and a spectacle to watch. This energy and talent brought Team DR to the top of the group with a 4-0 record.

Venezuela also fielded a star-studded lineup filled with talent and experience. All-Star talent such as Ronald Acuña Jr., Salvador Perez, and Eugenio Suarez led their campaign as they came second in the group.

The Netherlands had former all-stars such as Xander Bogaerts, Kenley Jansen and Ozzie Albies, but it wasn’t enough as they had a 1-3 record. Israel tried to capture the same success as they did in 2017, but ultimately finished 2-2 and were outmatched by Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Nicaragua came last in the group and will have to go through the qualifiers in order to compete in the next WBC.

Qualifying from each group was Canada and Puerto Rico from Group A. Group B had Italy and the United States, while Group C had Japan and Korea. And the Dominican Republic and Venezuela qualified from Group D

The quarterfinals saw the Dominican Republic come out with hot bats with a 10-0 run-rule victory over Korea. Italy overcame a leadoff home run by Willi Castro and a late Puerto Rico rally to advance to the semifinals with an 8–6 victory, as they were powered by two four-run innings. 

The USA knocked off Canada 5-3 as they took the lead in the 1st and never looked back. Venezuela stunned defending champions Japan in a fantastic game. Former MVPs Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani hit leadoff home runs to start the game off for their countries. And Japan got out to a 5-2 lead. But home runs from Maikel Garcia and a go-ahead blast from Wilyer Abreu saw Venezuela defeat Japan 8-5.

Now for the semifinals, in a game filled with future Hall of Famers, superstars, and arguably the most talent on a baseball field in a meaningful game, the United States defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1. This game ended with some controversy, though, as Juan Soto and Geraldo Perdomo were both called out on strikes on questionable calls in the 8th and to end the game in the 9th, which overshadowed an otherwise high-level contest. 

The scoring came via solo home runs from young stars Junior Caminero, Gunnar Henderson, and Roman Anthony. This game saw the United States place itself in the finals for the third time in as many tournaments.

Venezuela overcame an early 2-0 deficit to end Italy’s surprising run, using a three-run seventh inning to secure a 4-2 victory and advance to its first World Baseball Classic final. They were powered by key contributions from Eugenio Suárez, Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel García, and three-time batting champion Luis Arraez.

The stage was set in Miami for the final. United States vs Venezuela. The USA was looking for the second WBC title and to avenge their 3-2 loss to Japan in 2023. Venezuela is looking for its nation’s first WBC title in what would be a historic accomplishment.

Eventual tournament MVP Maikel Garcia opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the 3rd. Wilyer Abreu tacked on another run for Venezuela with a solo home run in the 5th. 

Down to their final 4 outs, Bryce Harper hit a clutch home run to tie up the ball game for the United States and gave the players and their fans much-needed energy. And this put the United States in a position to seize control late.

But in the ninth, Luis Arraez, who had a 5% walk rate in 2025, worked a rare walk to lead off the inning and was pinch-run for by Javier Sanoja. Sanoja then stole second base on a close play, narrowly beating the tag from Brice Turang. Eugenio Suarez doubled, Sanoja scored, and Venezuela took the 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Flamethrowing closer Daniel Palencia came in to face the USA in the bottom of the ninth. Palencia got the powerful Kyle Schwarber to strike out and Gunnar Henderson to harmlessly pop out. As tears of joy crept down his face with each pitch, a raucous Miami crowd looked on as Daniel Palencia fired a 99 mph fastball past Roman Anthony, sealing the final out as Venezuela was crowned champions of the baseball world in 2026.

With the final out recorded, the celebration erupted across Miami and throughout Venezuela, as players embraced, fans cheered, and the nation rejoiced in a historic moment for the country. Venezuela etched its name into baseball history with a dramatic and emotional victory that captivated fans around the globe.

 The 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic once again showcased the sport’s global reach, passion, and drama, leaving fans already eager for the next chapter in 2029.