TOKYO -- In 2023, Daddy Yankee -- along with producers Play-N-Skillz -- released the World Baseball Classic anthem, "Chispa." This year, the tournament couldn't be captured in one song, but three. It's the first time that the World Baseball Classic has released a full soundtrack album. Not only that, but

Welcome to ESL Ballpark, home of the Rochester Red Wings. The Red Wings are the oldest non-Major League team in the United States and a beloved city institution. Be ready for a passionate fanbase, load up on the iconic white hot dogs, chug a few beers and prepare to explore

Australia is riding high after a 3-0 victory against Chinese Taipei -- home runs from Robbie Perkins and 2024 No. 1 overall Draft pick Travis Bazzana were responsible for all the scoring -- has put them in excellent position to advance to Miami. It would be the second consecutive tournament

TOKYO -- Korea had one goal when entering the Tokyo Dome for the World Baseball Classic this week: Be on the flight to Miami for the quarterfinals when the week is over. It’s why it celebrated every home run by pantomiming airplane wings as it rounds the bases. On Thursday

TOKYO -- Some ballplayers opt out of the World Baseball Classic in hopes that their time in big league Spring Training may help them win a job. For the Astros' Shay Whitcomb, he may be making the best case while playing for the Korean national team in the World Baseball

When Tokyo's Pool C ends, two teams will head to Haneda Airport and fly to Miami for the quarterfinals. For Korea, which hasn't advanced out of the first round since reaching the championship in 2009, the mission begins there. So, during this past week's two exhibition games in Osaka, there

TOKYO – Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, had been dreaming of this moment for years. In college, he kept a note on his phone outlining his dream 2026 World Baseball Classic lineup, with his name penciled atop manager Dave Nilsson’s lineup. On Thursday, inside

Before the 2023 World Baseball Classic, we went to Prague to shoot a "Behind the Flag" feature on Czechia's national baseball team. There, in the cradle of Central Europe, we met this team of mostly amateur players who each have day jobs ranging from firefighter to electrical engineer to neurologist

The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book, “We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball,” which follows the story of how a team of amateur ballplayers from the Czech Republic reached the World Baseball Classic and proved themselves to the entire world (Shohei Ohtani included). The following excerpt takes place before

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of Michael Clair's International Beat Newsletter, bringing global baseball news to your inbox every month. Sign up for future installments HERE and check out the full newsletter HERE.

After three years of waiting, the World Baseball Classic is almost here. I mean, it starts this very week. Assuming that you may have a job, family, and -- gasp -- other commitments beyond watching baseball for nearly 24 hours a day (given that games in Japan have start times

After going winless in the country's first World Baseball Classic in 2023, Nicaragua surprised many as it swept its way through the Taipei Qualifier last March. But these weren't blowouts: Nicaragua pulled off back-to-back 2-1 victories in the 10th inning against South Africa and Spain before defeating the hosts, Chinese

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

Korea comes to the tournament at a turning point for its baseball program. The team dominated in the early-aughts, winning gold at the 2008 Olympics and going to extra innings before losing to Japan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic finals. Since then, however, the national team has struggled, failing

Korea's national baseball team was riding high in the early 2000s. In the years following Chan-Ho Park's debut as the first Korean-born player in the Major Leagues in 1994, the sport's popularity exploded, leading to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic games and a heartbreaking, extra-innings loss to Japan

The fan favorite Czechia -- a team consisting almost entirely of amateur players born and developed in the Czech Republic -- has a new Major Leaguer joining the team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Though second baseman Eric Sogard will have to miss the tournament due to injury (his

With a roster almost entirely homegrown and with players having day jobs ranging from firefighter to teacher to electrician (even the manager, Pavel Chadim, is a noted neurologist in Brno), Czechia became fan favorites at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Despite having just one Major Leaguer on its roster --

If you’re reading this, you don’t need me to tell you about Aaron Judge or Paul Skenes. You already know plenty about not just Shohei Ohtani, but his dog Decoy, too. You know that Julio Rodríguez is dedicated to philanthropy in his hometown of Loma de Cabrera, and that Puerto

MIYAZAKI, Japan -- When Shohei Ohtani is around, he is the main event. On Friday night in Nagoya, Samurai Japan -- Japan's national team -- had an exhibition game against NPB's Chunichi Dragons. This was before the start of the official World Baseball Classic camps, so Major League players weren't

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

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

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of Michael Clair's International Beat Newsletter, bringing global baseball news to your inbox every month. Sign up for future installments HERE and check out the full newsletter HERE.

After the official 30-man World Baseball Classic rosters were announced last week, there was just one question left ahead of the tournament’s opening on March 4: Who would be listed in the Designated Pitcher Pools (DPP)? The way the DPP works is that each federation can place up to six

Three years after one of the most memorable international tournaments in baseball history, the World Baseball Classic is back, with 20 rosters full of Major League stars, Minor League prospects and seemingly endless interesting and fascinating international stories. (Such as when Czechia starter Ondrej Satoria, moonlighting as a pitcher from

A version of this story first ran in February 2022.