One of the best parts about the World Baseball Classic is seeing the great players from around the world who we don't see every day in MLB. Those could be international stars from leagues like Japan's NPB or Korea's KBO, or even prospects in MLB organizations who just don't have

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Yuki Matsui’s status for Team Japan at next month’s World Baseball Classic is in doubt after the lefty reliever sustained a groin injury during a live batting practice session at Padres camp on Thursday. Matsui ended that session early and is dealing with a bout of what

On Thursday night, in a crisp white jersey with a flourish of blue script reminiscent of his days with the Dodgers, Dusty Baker took the dugout for the first time as Nicaragua's manager. The national team was playing the first of a four-game exhibition series against international baseball rival Cuba

Echoes of Trea Turner’s grand slam still haunt Venezuelan fans. It was a moment that brought a screeching halt to the aspirations of a team that seemed destined for greatness. But instead of advancing to the semifinals, they bowed out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic with a bitter quarterfinal

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Team Israel’s need for a shortstop in the World Baseball Classic could have the domino effect of increasing the Major League appeal of Rockies No. 3 prospect Cole Carrigg. The switch-hitting Carrigg, an athletic second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of San Diego State, spent

The World Baseball Classic begins on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 p.m. ET in a game between Australia and Chinese Taipei. It will kick off a fortnight of absolute madness, with the best baseball players on the planet highly motivated by patriotism, pride and plain old competitiveness squaring off in

Cuba will come into the 2026 World Baseball Classic as one of the most successful nations in the event’s history, reaching the finals in the first edition of the tournament in 2006 and the semifinal round in 2023. Having advanced from group play in all five previous Classics, Cuba now

Samurai Japan is returning to the World Baseball Classic stage with many of the same players who powered its 2023 title run, including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. Fernando Tatis Jr. sees all that, but he isn’t blinking. “They’re nasty, but we’re gonna beat them,” Tatis

Stars lead the way as World Baseball Classic returns: "Expect everything." With just two weeks to go until the start of the tournament, when Australia takes on Chinese Taipei at 10 p.m. ET on March 4, it’s time to prepare for the biggest stars in the game to represent their

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There is no shortage of star shortstops from Puerto Rico, but the list of available players for that position quickly dwindled when their World Baseball Classic squad was putting together its roster. Then Reds prospect Edwin Arroyo, who was ranked No. 8 in the organization last season

Panama -- the country that's brought us inner-circle Hall of Famers like Mariano Rivera and Rod Carew -- has struggled on the international baseball stage. Especially in the early part of this century. It finished 14th in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and 15th in the 2009 version, not winning

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Ceddanne Rafaela (Curacao) was raised just an island away from Xander Bogaerts (Aruba). And for five years, they played in the same Red Sox organization, only Bogaerts was a star shortstop in Boston and Rafaela was working his way up through the Minor League system.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- There are nameplates hanging above every locker in the Rangers clubhouse at their Spring Training facility. That much is normal. But as a special touch this spring, each nameplate also includes the flag of a player's country, in honor of the World Baseball Classic, set to start

The battle to crown the world's greatest baseball team begins in just two weeks. Twenty teams from around the world will begin play on March 4 U.S. time -- Australia and Chinese Taipei get the honors starting at 10 p.m. ET -- all hoping to unseat three-time champion Japan and

PHOENIX -- Sal Frelick's omission from Italy’s roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic was not for a lack of interest. “I was fully committed,” the Brewers outfielder said. “But when I had my end of the year MRIs, I was pretty banged up. I talked with the team and

There's no denying that Colombia likely always will be a soccer nation. But there's also no denying that baseball has a huge footprint in the South American nation. The birthplace of the sport along the Caribbean coast goes all the way back to 1897. The first Latino baseball player to

World Baseball Classic Inc. announced today that Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will serve as a Global Ambassador for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. In this role, exclusive interviews and access featuring Griffey and significant participants of the global tournament will be featured across World Baseball Classic content platforms

World Baseball Classic Inc. announced today that Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will serve as a Global Ambassador for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. In this role, exclusive interviews and access featuring Griffey and significant participants of the global tournament will be featured across World Baseball Classic content platforms

As Paul Skenes gears up to pitch in his very first World Baseball Classic, the All-Star right-hander recently crossed paths with one of the best players in tournament history. On Sunday at Pirates camp in Bradenton, Fla., Skenes signed a Team USA cap for two-time WBC MVP Daisuke Matsuzaka. “This

When World Baseball Classic rosters were announced on Feb. 5, the headlines naturally gravitated towards the tournament’s biggest stars – rosters filled with MLB All-Stars, MVPs and Cy Young Award winners. But beneath those marquee names, a different kind of storyline emerged on Team Brazil. While Brazil’s roster does not

MESA, Ariz. -- Seiya Suzuki was excited to play a key role for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic three years ago, but an injury in late February that spring forced the Cubs' slugger to withdraw from the tournament. He then watched from afar as Japan won the Classic

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Roman Anthony, who has already had a meteoric rise from MLB’s top prospect to emerging star for the Red Sox, will now get a chance to perform on the international stage. The 21-year-old outfielder was named as an injury replacement for Team USA on Monday in

Below is a list of the players in every Major League organization who have been included on the rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Pitchers denoted with ^ are part of the Designated Pitcher Pool (DPP), a reserve of up to six pitchers per federation that can be called

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