What better way to follow an epic Winter Olympics than the World Baseball Classic? The WBC does a great job promoting the game on a global scale and the tournament always comes with a few surprises along the way.
The Foul Territory crew previews the 2026 tournament and lays out how pool play will shake out.
Pool A
Puerto Rico (1)
Manager: Yadier Molina
2023 Result: Lost in quarterfinals to Mexico
No country is missing more impact players (due to the insurance policy rejections) than Puerto Rico, who will have to play without Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa. That said, manager Yadier Molina has plenty of Major League talent at his disposal and they should have no issue advancing to the knockout round.
Canada (2)
Manager: Ernie Whitt
2023 Result: 2-2 in pool play (missed knockout round)
Canada has a real chance to get to the knockout stage for the first time in WBC history due to a favorable draw. Combine that with a steady pitching staff and their potential to outslug opponents, and this club might finally make noise in this tournament.
Colombia (3)
Manager: Jose Mosquera
2023 Result: 1-3 in pool play (missed knockout round)
The veterans on this team will need to steady the ship for Colombia. There is plenty of Major League experience on this roster and a couple of top prospects, but it will be tough to make it out of pool play this year.
Cuba (4)
Manager: German Mesa
2023 Result: Lost in semifinals to USA
This is far from the strongest team that Cuba could put together. Imagine what it could look like with MLB talent like Yordan Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr., and Yandy Diaz among many others. They might be in line for their worst showing in tournament history.
Panama (5)
Manager: Jose Mayorga
2023 Result: 2-2 in pool play (missed knockout round)
While there are exciting young players like Baltimore prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr., this squad is missing a true star player to elevate them on a stage like the WBC. It could be tough sledding for this Panama squad.
Pool B
United States (1)
Manager: Mark DeRosa
2023 Result: Lost in finals to Japan
Even with an ace like Tarik Skubal limited to one start and injuries to Corbin Carroll and Joe Ryan, this is still the flashiest WBC roster the US has ever assembled. Anything short of a return to the championship game will feel like a disappointment.
Mexico (2)
Manager: Benji Gil
2023 Result: Lost to Japan in semifinals
If Mexico goes deep into the tournament, it will be because their lineup carried them. The overall pitching depth isn’t great, but if they have a lead late in games, expect Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz to shut the door.
Italy (3)
Manager: Francisco Cervelli
2023 Result: Lost in quarterfinals to Japan
They landed a tough draw, being in the same group as the US and Mexico, but if everything goes right, Italy has a shot at surviving pool play. This is a chance for their young position player core to show the world what they’re capable of, and they’ll roll out veteran starters Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen in the starting rotation.
Great Britain (4)
Manager: Brad Marcelino
2023 Result: 1-3 in pool play (missed knockout round)
Even with exciting players like Jazz Chisholm and Harry Ford, fans should expect very similar results to the 2023 WBC.
Brazil (5)
Manager: Yuichi Matsumoto
2023 Result: Did not qualify
For the casual fan, there won’t be much name recognition with this team. This will be a tough pool for Brazil to compete in, but their fans should be proud of this team qualifying for the first time since 2013.
Pool C
Japan (1)
Manager: Hirokazu Ibata
2023 Result: Beat USA in the championship game
The 2023 WBC champions are still loaded with talent and have their minds set on another epic tournament. This time around, Shohei Ohtani will only be a designated hitter–unless he suddenly decides to close out an elimination game 😉
South Korea (2)
Manager: Ji-Hyun Ryu
2023 Result: 2-2 in pool play (missed knockout round)
It’s shocking that Korea has not advanced to the knockout round since being tournament runners-up in 2009. KBO stars Hyun Min Ahn and Si Hwan Roh will look to lead this team out of pool play and increase their stardom.
Chinese Taipei (3)
Manager: Hao-Jiu Tseng
2023 Result: 2-2 in pool play (missed knockout round)
Even though Chinese Taipei is ranked as the second-best country in the world by the WBSC World Rankings, they have not fared well in WBC play in the past. It will be tough for them to make it to the knockout stage after drawing Japan and Korea.
Australia (4)
Manager: David Nilsson
2023 Result: Lost to Cuba in the quarterfinals
It was a bit of a surprise that Australia reached the knockout stage during the 2023 WBC. Cleveland’s top prospect, Travis Bazzana, will be the player to watch in 2026.
Czechia (5)
Manager: Pavel Chadim
2023 Result: 1-3 in pool play (missed knockout round)
Despite going 1-3 in pool play in 2023, Czechia was everyone’s favorite underdog from the last tournament. We’ll see how they follow up in their second-ever WBC.
Pool D
Dominican Republic (1)
Manager: Albert Pujols
2023 Result: 2-2 in pool play (missed knockout round)
After a shocking early exit from the 2023 WBC, a star-studded 2026 roster will look to carry this team much farther in 2026. With a pitching staff led by Cristopher Sanchez and position player stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Juan Soto, the Dominican Republic has a real shot to win the whole thing.
Venezuela (2)
Manager: Omar Lopez
2023 Result: Lost to USA in the quarterfinals
Even without José Altuve, it’s hard to find a roster in this WBC more talented than Venezuela. If the pitching can come close to matching their offense, look out.
Netherlands (3)
Manager: Andruw Jones
2023 Result: 2-2 in pool play (missed knockout round)
With the roster looking a bit top-heavy, their best players need to be stars for this to team to be competitive. Andruw Jones managing his son, Druw, will be a fun dynamic to follow during pool play.
Israel (4)
Manager: Brad Ausmus
2023 Result: 1-3 in pool play (missed knockout round)
There are a lot of players with big league experience on this roster. It’s possible they could be competitive during pool play, but don’t expect them to move on to the knockout round.
Nicaragua (5)
Manager: Dusty Baker
2023 Result: 0-4 in pool play (missed knockout round)
After going winless and scoring just one run per game in 2023, Nicaragua will look to be more competitive in this WBC. If anyone can get the best out of a roster, it’s Dusty Baker.
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