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

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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When the World Baseball Classic returns next month, we'll get to see players from all over the world put on a show for the sixth time. But a lot has changed between the first Classic in 2006 and the 2026 Classic two decades later. For one thing, we now have

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Jahmai Jones’ role on the Tigers is to hit left-handed pitching. It’s how he transitioned from a non-roster invite last Spring Training to a fixture on the roster down the stretch last year and into the postseason. It’s a role that earned him a spot on Team

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- High-leverage reliever Edwin Uceta will not pitch for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to a sore throwing shoulder, but the Rays still expect the right-hander to be ready for Opening Day. Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday that Uceta has been

MESA – Last year’s adversity is already in Javier Assad’s rearview mirror. The last thing he needed in 2026 was more.

The World Baseball Classic is right around the corner, with the sixth iteration of this thrilling tournament set to begin the first week of March. Some of baseball's biggest stars will compete under the bright lights, including Shohei Ohtani (Japan), Aaron Judge (USA), and Juan Soto (Dominican Republic). These three

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The upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic will be the sixth since the inaugural tournament in 2006. Curious who's hit the most home runs or struck out the most batters in Classic play? Look no further. Here are the World Baseball Classic's all-time individual stats leaders.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox ace setup man Garrett Whitlock was winding down one night this winter and ready to go to bed when he thought a spam call was coming through on his cellphone. As most people do in that situation, Whitlock quickly declined the call. But when