Jan. 29, 2026 – As the anticipation continues to build for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, MLB Network is set to exclusively reveal all 20 team rosters in a special MLB Tonight program on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. ET. Hosted by Siera Santos, with commentary from former MLB All-Star Chris Young and veteran reporter Jon Morosi, the 90-minute special will showcase the full 20-team field for the tournament, which will begin on Thursday, March 5 and culminate with the Championship Game on Tuesday, March 17 at LoanDepot Park, the home of the Miami Marlins. As part of the program, MLB stars Aaron Judge (three-time MVP Award winner), Paul Skenes (Cy Young Award winner) and Tarik Skubal (two-time Cy Young Award winner) will join MLB Network’s Lauren Shehadi for an exclusive interview on what it means to represent Team USA in the sixth installment of this global tournament. Team USA manager and MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa will also join the program, offering insight into a Team USA roster looking to win it all for the first time since 2017. The program will also stream live MLB.com, MLB.TV, worldbaseballclassic.com and in the MLB App.
Leading up to next Thursday’s show, MLB Network’s five-part docuseries on the history of the World Baseball Classic continues tonight at 7 p.m. ET with an installment on the 2017 tournament. The series will conclude tomorrow, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. ET with an episode on the 2023 edition. Narrated by MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger, the episodes will relive all the drama, intensity and glory that only international baseball and these global tournaments can deliver.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will feature four five-team pools during first-round round-robin play, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the quarterfinals, followed by the Championship Round. Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Daikin Park, Tokyo Dome and LoanDepot Park are the sites for the pool play. MLB Network will provide analysis throughout the 13-day tournament, including MLB Tonight before and after the semi-finals and Championship Game live from LoanDepot Park. In addition to its studio coverage, MLB Network will also produce the world broadcast feed for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
1.31 million people attended the 2023 World Baseball Classic, making it the most-attended tournament to date. The 2023 Championship Game was the most-watched World Baseball Classic game ever in the United States, peaking at 6.5 million viewers when Shohei Ohtani struck out Team USA’s Mike Trout to win it for Team Japan. Three of the four most-watched World Baseball Classic games in the United States were seen in 2023. Launched in 2024, MLB Network is now available direct-to-consumer, which fans can sign up for here.