World Baseball Classic 2026: MLB Players on Every Roster, Key Storylines, and Players to Watch

The 2026 World Baseball Classic runs March 5–17 across four cities — San Juan, Houston, Tokyo, and Miami — with the championship game at loanDepot Park on March 17. Here’s everything you need to know about the rosters, the stakes, and the players who will define the tournament.

The Setup

Twenty nations. 304 MLB-affiliated players. Seventy-eight former All-Stars. All 30 MLB organizations are represented.

Pool play runs March 5–11, with each five-team pool playing a round-robin in one city. The top two teams from each pool advance to single-elimination quarterfinals (March 13–14), then semifinals (March 15–16), and the final (March 17) — all in Miami.

The pools break down as follows:

• Pool A (San Juan): Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Panama, Colombia
• Pool B (Houston): United States, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil
• Pool C (Tokyo): Japan, South Korea, Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia
• Pool D (Miami): Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Israel

Most games air on FOX, FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports App, and Tubi.

Key Storylines to Follow

1. Can Team USA finish the job?
   The U.S. has one WBC title (2017). This is its most talented roster ever — and the pressure reflects it.
2. Pool D is brutal.
   Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Israel share one group. At least one powerhouse is out before the quarterfinals.
3. Ohtani, hitter only.
   After defining 2023 on the mound, Ohtani won’t pitch in 2026. Japan’s rotation must carry more of the load.
4. The insurance problem.
   Coverage rules sidelined multiple stars and reshaped rosters. The tournament will reignite debate about the system.
5. Kershaw’s farewell.
   Retired at 38, he finally gets his WBC moment and the magnitude will be impossible to ignore.

WBC 2026: MLB Players By Team

🇺🇸 Team USA — The Dream Team

MLB Players: 30 | Pool B (Houston) | Odds: +105 favorite

This is the best roster the United States has ever sent to the World Baseball Classic. It isn’t particularly close.

Lineup: Aaron Judge (NYY), Bryce Harper (PHI), Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), Gunnar Henderson (BAL), Cal Raleigh (SEA), Corbin Carroll (AZ), Byron Buxton (MIN), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Kyle Schwarber (PHI), Alex Bregman (CHC), Paul Goldschmidt (FA), Brice Turang (MIL), Will Smith (LAD), Ernie Clement (TOR)

Rotation/Bullpen: Paul Skenes (PIT), Tarik Skubal (DET), Logan Webb (SF), Joe Ryan (MIN), Nolan McLean (NYM), Clayton Kershaw (Retired/LAD), Brad Keller (PHI), Michael Wacha (KC), Garrett Whitlock (BOS), Mason Miller (SD), David Bednar (NYY), Griffin Jax (TB), Gabe Speier (SEA)

Key Players to Watch:

Cal Raleigh, C (SEA) — After setting a new single-season home run record for a catcher with 60 in 2025 and finishing as AL MVP runner-up to Judge, “Big Dumper” is making his WBC debut. His presence behind the plate and in the middle of this lineup gives USA a dimension no previous team has had.

Paul Skenes, RHP (PIT) — The 2025 NL Cy Young winner is 23 years old and already looks like a generational pitcher. His pairing with Skubal gives Team USA the best 1-2 starting rotation in tournament history.

Bobby Witt Jr., SS (KC) — Returned to the WBC after serving mostly as a pinch-runner in 2023 as a sophomore. Now a fully formed superstar: .295/.351/.501 with 23 homers, 38 steals, and a league-leading 47 doubles in 2025. He’s the engine of this offense.

Clayton Kershaw (Retired) — One of the greatest left-handers ever, Kershaw retired after the 2025 season but signed on for a farewell WBC appearance. “Why not?” he told The Athletic. “I am throwing just enough to make it for 10 days.” He won’t be a starter in meaningful games, but this is a chance to watch a Hall-of-Famer take the mound one last time. A potential matchup at the plate with former Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani would be one of the highlights of the tournament.

🇯🇵 Japan — The Defending Champions

MLB Players: 8 (a record for Japan) | Pool C (Tokyo) | Odds: +320

Japan has won three of the five World Baseball Classics and enters 2026 looking for a fourth. Ohtani won’t pitch — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed he’ll be DH-only — but the lineup around him is formidable, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto headlines a rotation that remains elite even without the full arsenal from 2023.

Roster Highlights: Shohei Ohtani (LAD – DH only), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD), Yusei Kikuchi (LAA), Seiya Suzuki (CHC), Yuki Matsui (SD), Munetaka Murakami (CHW), Kazuma Okamoto (TOR), Tomoyuki Sugano (FA), Masataka Yoshida (BOS)

Notable absences: Roki Sasaki (recovering from 2025 injury), Lars Nootbaar (double heel surgery)

Key Player to Watch:

Munetaka Murakami, 1B (CHW) — The most fascinating storyline on this roster. Japan’s all-time home run record holder among Japanese-born players made his MLB debut with the White Sox after legendary production in NPB. The WBC will be his first major international showcase against elite MLB pitching. If his power translates, he becomes one of the most discussed players of the tournament.

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic — The Redeem Team

MLB Players: 28 | Pool D (Miami) | Odds: +380

The Dominican Republic won the WBC in 2013 but suffered an early exit in 2023 — a result that still stings. This roster is built for redemption, combining the most star-studded collection of Latin American talent ever assembled with a genuine chip on its shoulder.

Lineup: Juan Soto (NYM), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD), Julio Rodríguez (SEA), Manny Machado (SD), Ketel Marte (AZ), Jeremy Peña (HOU), Oneil Cruz (PIT), Junior Caminero (TB), Geraldo Perdomo (AZ), Amed Rosario (NYY)

Rotation/Bullpen: Cristopher Sánchez (PHI), Sandy Alcántara (MIA), Brayan Bello (BOS), Camilo Doval (NYY), Carlos Estévez (KC), Huascar Brazobán (NYM), Luis Severino (OAK)

Key Players to Watch:

Juan Soto, OF (NYM) — The best hitter in the world who doesn’t have a WBC trophy. This is Soto’s moment. Playing in front of large crowds in Miami alongside Tatis, Guerrero, and Machado, this is the lineup that could finally deliver the championship the Dominican Republic craves.

Junior Caminero, IF (TB) — At 21, the youngest marquee name on this roster and the one scouts can’t stop talking about. Raw power, elite bat speed, and a tournament that could serve as a global coming-out party before what figures to be a breakout MLB season.

🇻🇪 Venezuela — The Deepest Sleeper

MLB Players: 24 | Pool D (Miami)

Venezuela doesn’t have Japan’s pedigree or USA’s pitching, but the lineup depth is extraordinary. Their path to the final runs directly through a Pool D bracket that includes the Dominican Republic — meaning one of the tournament’s elite rosters goes home after four games.

Lineup: Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Jackson Chourio (MIL), William Contreras (MIL), Salvador Perez (KC), Luis Arraez (SD), Andrés Giménez (CLE), Maikel Garcia (KC), Gleyber Torres (DET), Wilyer Abreu (BOS)

Rotation/Bullpen: Pablo López (MIN), Ranger Suárez (PHI), Eduardo Rodríguez (AZ), José Alvarado (PHI), José Buttó (NYM)

Key Player to Watch:

Jackson Chourio, OF (MIL) — Twenty-two years old, coming off back-to-back 20+ homer seasons with Milwaukee. His combination of speed, power, and instincts makes him the most explosive outfielder in this tournament outside of Judge. He’s the kind of player who can take over a game at a moment’s notice.

🇲🇽 Mexico — The Clutch Crew

MLB Players: 18 | Pool B (Houston)

Mexico has been knocking on the door. They reached the quarterfinals in 2023 before losing to the United States. Their 2026 roster is built around controllable, high-upside talent with a closer who might be the best single reliever in the tournament.

Roster Highlights: Randy Arozarena (SEA), Jarren Duran (BOS), Alejandro Kirk (TOR), Jonathan Aranda (TB), Joey Meneses (OAK), Andrés Muñoz (SEA), Taj Bradley (MIN), Javier Assad (CHC)

Key Player to Watch:

Andrés Muñoz, RHP (SEA) — When Muñoz is on, he’s virtually unhittable: mid-to-high 90s with late life and one of the better sliders in the game. If Mexico holds a lead entering the ninth inning, the game is effectively over.

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico — The Wounded Contender

Pool A (San Juan)

Puerto Rico is hosting Pool A games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, which should have created the most electric home-field advantage in the tournament. Instead, insurance complications gutted their roster. Francisco Lindor (post-surgery), Carlos Correa, José Berríos, Victor Caratini, and Alexis Díaz all couldn’t secure coverage through MLB teams.

What remains is still competitive: Nolan Arenado (AZ — switching from his previous USA affiliation), Seth Lugo (KC), Edwin Díaz (NYM), Heliot Ramos (SF), and top Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez. Puerto Rico has the talent to be dangerous in a short series, but this is a shadow of the roster they should have fielded.

🇨🇦 Canada — Quietly Dangerous

Pool A (San Juan)

Team Canada won’t be an easy out in the WBC but a few stars have already opted out or withdrawn from the competition.

Without Freddie Freeman and Jordan Romano, Canada will lean on Josh Naylor, Owen Caissie, Tyler O’Neill, Cal Quantrill, Jameson Taillon, and Adam Macko. 

It’s a roster without a true star but with legitimate depth and a bullpen that’s historically been the team’s undoing. 

If that holds up, Canada could make the quarterfinals for the first time.

🇰🇷 South Korea — Bounce-Back Bid

Pool C (Tokyo)

South Korea failed to advance out of pool play in 2023, posting a 7.55 ERA as a staff. 

For 2026, Jung Hoo Lee (SF) returns as the offensive centerpiece, Hyeseong Kim adds another MLB bat, and the rotation adds Dane Dunning and Riley O’Brien for added depth. They also lost Tommy Edman to offseason ankle surgery.

Korea’s history in the WBC, which includes a runner-up finish in 2009 and being a consistent contender before 2023, suggests they’re too talented to struggle again. 

Pool C in Tokyo sets up a rematch with Japan that could define whether Korean baseball has fully reclaimed its footing.

The Surprise Packages

🇮🇹 Italy — The Heritage Wildcard (Pool B)

This is the Italy storyline almost no one on the outside has fully grasped. Through heritage eligibility rules, Italy has 25 MLB-affiliated players — more than Japan. 

Aaron Nola (PHI) fronts a rotation that also includes Samuel Aldegheri (LAA). Meanwhile, MLB teammates Jac Caglianone (KC) and Vinnie Pasquantino (KC) anchor the lineup. 

Italy reached the quarterfinals in 2023. With this roster in Pool B alongside the USA, Mexico, Great Britain, and Brazil, advancing again would require beating one of the tournament favorites. 

That’s exactly the kind of upset the WBC was built for.

🇬🇧 Great Britain — The Cult Favorites (Pool B)

Great Britain won its first-ever WBC game in 2023, upsetting Colombia, and has become a fan favorite for their enthusiasm and Bahamas-fueled swagger. 

Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY), who is coming off a 30-30 season, is the best player this program has ever had. Nationals prospect Harry Ford is a co-captain while the Beck brothers Tristan (SF) and Brendan (NYY) reunite as Stanford teammates turned international teammates. 

Great Britain will not win the WBC. But they will be among the most entertaining teams to watch.

🇦🇺 Australia — The Rising Program (Pool C)

Australia made the quarterfinals for the first time in 2023. 

Their headliner in 2026 is Travis Bazzana (CLE), the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft and the first true elite prospect Australia has ever fielded at the WBC. 

Curtis Mead (CHW) adds another legitimate MLB bat. How far Bazzana goes in this tournament will be watched closely by every front office in baseball.

Notable Absences

The WBC’s insurance system — which requires teams to hold policies compensating MLB clubs if a player gets injured during the tournament — created significant roster disruptions heading into 2026.

• Francisco Lindor (Puerto Rico): Had cleanup surgery on his hand, which required a procedure that insurance underwriters flagged. He’ll be watching from home while Puerto Rico plays in his home country.
• Carlos Correa (Puerto Rico): Same insurance structure issue. Two of Puerto Rico’s most important players won’t be in San Juan.
• Roki Sasaki (Japan): Recovering from a 2025 injury-plagued season, though he was a postseason standout for the Dodgers in their title defense.
• Lars Nootbaar (Japan): Double heel surgery. The fan favorite from the 2023 championship run won’t get a chance to defend.
• Freddie Freeman (Canada): Opted out after helping the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series. Canada moves forward without its biggest star.

Non-MLB Wildcards Worth Watching

• Do Yeong Kim (South Korea — KBO): The reigning KBO MVP posted a 30 HR / 40 SB season and is the No. 1 MLB free agent target entering next winter. The WBC is his audition in front of every scout in the sport.
• Alexei Ramirez (Cuba): The former White Sox shortstop played in the very first WBC in 2006. At 44 years old, he’s playing first base for Cuba in 2026. He posted a 1.041 OPS in the Cuban National Series this past year. This is baseball at its most beautifully absurd.
• Livan Moinelo (Cuba): The reigning MVP Award winner in Japan’s Pacific League. Cuba’s ace and one of the most dominant left-handers currently playing outside North America.