The rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were announced on Friday with loads of loads of major league talent spread out across 20 national teams. Defending champion Team Japan looks like it will face a serious challenge from loaded Team USA and Dominican Republic rosters. The World Baseball Classic will get underway on March 5 with the final set for March 17.
After looking over the rosters, Team USA is my favorite. They were finalists at the last WBC, and the roster looks much stronger this time around. The biggest difference comes in the pitching staff. A lot of America’s top arms elected not to pitch at the event last time. However, the big guns will be at the WBC this time around.
Last time around, America’s starting rotation included the likes of Miles Mikolas, Nick Martinez and a 41 year old Adam Wainwright. This time, Team USA will have both of the 2025 CY Young winners, with Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes pitching in the event.
The lineup will also be stacked with Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr. and more teaming up. You can make an argument that the Dominican Republic has a lineup as good, or maybe even a little bit better. However, no team is as complete as Team USA.
The Contenders: Dominican Republic, Japan, Venezuela
On paper, the second most talented team at the competition is either the Dominican Republic or Japan. The Dominicans stacked lineup gives them a slight edge in my books. You can make a case that the Dominicans have the best lineup in the competition. It features the likes of Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., and Manny Machado.
A big x-factor for the Dominicans is catcher Austin Wells, who they recruited to join the team. For whatever reason, the Dominican Republic has not been able to produce catching talent the way America or Venezuela have. In 2023, the Dominican catchers were Gary Sanchez and Francisco Mejia. Wells will be an upgrade on that.
On the mound, the DR has a two headed monster of Sandy Alcantara and Cristopher Sanchez at the top of their rotation. They also have strong bullpen options in Abner Uribe, Camilo Doval and Carlos Estevez. As usual, the Dominicans should be a big threat in this competition.
Now, let’s talk about the defending champions, Team Japan. They will be led by the best player in the world, Shohei Ohtani. However, Ohtani will not be pitching this time. Famously, he got the save in the WBC final last time around. Roki Sasaki is also not pitching at the event.
However, Japan still has plenty of firepower on the mound. World Series legend Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be the ace of the staff. He will be joined by Yusei Yikuchi and some of the top arms from the NPB.
Japan’s lineup is stacked with MLB talent. Ohtani is the star, but recent MLB free agent signings Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto will join him. Cubs star Seiya Suzuki was not at the last WBC, but is on the team this time. Samurai Japan also tend to rise to the occasion in these competitions, so do not count out the defending champions.
The last of the top contenders is Venezuela. Led by Ronald Acuna Jr., and Salvador Perez, the Venezuelans have a stacked lineup. As usual, the Venezuelans have a ton of catching talent. Both of the Contreras brothers are on the team, as well as Perez.
Their outfield of Acuna, Jackson Chourio and Wilyer Abreu is among the best in the competition. They also have a lineup full of diverse skillsets. Luis Arraez and Eugenio Suarez are total opposites as hitters, but both are very effective.
On the mound, Venezuela’s aces will be Pablo Lopez and Ranger Suarez. There is not as much depth on the mound as some of the other top teams, but their pitching staff is still full of big leaguers.
The Dark Horses: Italy, Israel, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Korea, Canada, Netherlands
None of these teams are very likely to make the finals, but all of them have the talent to be party crashers. They all have plenty of big league talent, but are in a different tier than the top four teams on paper.
Puerto Rico could have been in the second tier if not for the unfortunate insurance situation. A few teams were harmed by the insurance controversy, but none more than Puerto Rico. Most of their stars will be unable to play in the competition. Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez are all absent from the roster because they could not get insured.
The Puerto Ricans still have MLB talent. They also added Nolan Arenado to the fold, which will help offset the losses of some of their stars. Notable big leaguers like Heliot Ramos and Edwin Diaz will still be there. However, this Puerto Rico team will not be as strong as usual.
One team that really interests me is Italy. The Italians are filled with US born MLB players of Italian heritage. Some of the biggest names are Aaron Nola, Vinny Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone. They also have big league talent up and down the roster. The most notable Italian born player is Sam Aldegheri, a top prospect in the Angels system who has made his MLB debut. This is a really underrated roster with a lot of young talent. Do not be surprised to see them play spoiler.
Israel is in a similar spot to Italy, but I do not think they are as talented. They have a lot of Jewish big leaguers. Their best player is Harrison Bader, who had an outstanding season last year. Other familiar faces like Spencer Horowitz and Garrett Stubbs are in the lineup.
On the mound, Israel’s rotation is headlined by Dean Kramer of the O’s. One problem for Israel is that they are in the group of death. Israel, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and the Netherlands are all in the same group.
Speaking of the Netherlands, they have a strong roster as usual. The island of Curacao produces a lot of MLB talent. Xander Bogaerts, Jurickson Profar, Ozzie Albies, and Kenley Jansen give them plenty of major league experience. They also have some youngsters and former MLB players. Druw Jones, the son of Hall of Famer and Dutch manager Andruw Jones is on the team. As are former big leaguers like Didi Gregorious.
Korea will also feature a strong group of players. They are led by Jung Hoo Lee. Other notable names include Hyun Jin Ryu and Hyseong Kim. There are also American players of Korean heritage like Jahmai Jones, Dane Dunning and Riley O’Brien on the team.
Canada is another team without some of their stars. Most notably, Freddie Freeman will not be competing at the WBC this year. However, they still have plenty of talent. Josh Naylor and Tyler O’Neill are a potent duo in the middle of the lineup. Denzel Clarke is one of the best center field defenders you will ever see. On the mound, they feature the likes of Jameson Taillon and Michael Soroka.
The last team in this tier is Mexico. They are one of the better teams in this group, led by Jarren Duran, Alejandro Kirk, Jonathan Aranda and Randy Arozerena. On the mound, the Mexicans strength is in the bullpen. They have an elite closer in Andres Munoz, as well as quality set up men in Robert Garcia and Victor Vodnik. The rotation features Taj Bradley and Javier Assad.
The Scrappy Bunch: Taipei, Colombia, Great Britain, Cuba, Panama
These teams are not littered with big leaguers like the squads above them, but still have the talent to give them a scare. If you come out flat, these teams can clip you. They are scrappy and hungry.
Most of the best Cuban players are not on this roster. Given these players have to defect the country to pursue their MLB dreams, this is understandable. However, there is still some MLB talent. The most notable name on this team is Yoan Moncada. A funny tid bit is that 44 year old Alexei Ramirez is on the roster. He last played in the MLB in 2016.
Colombia is the best team in this tier, and has a case to be in the dark horse tier. I just did not think they had quite as much firepower. Elias Diaz and Gio Urshela are MLB vets who will be in their lineup. Young Mariners prospect Michael Arroyo is a name to watch as well. On the mound, they have the likes of Jose Quintana and former top prospect Luis Patino.
Jazz Chisholm gives Great Britain the best player in this tier of teams. Britain also has big leaguers like Harry Ford and Nate Eaton in their lineup. Hard throwing reliever Michael Peterson pitched in the big leagues some last year and will feature for Britain. Some interesting prospects like Gary Gill Hill and Brendan Beck are also on the team.
Panama has some sneaky solid talent. Their strength is at catcher, where they feature Ivan Herrera and Miguel Amaya. They also have big leaguers in their infield like Edmundo Sosa and Jose Caballero. On the mound, their best arm is US born Logan Allen.
The final team in this tier is Taipei. They have solid talent, but also have a history of punching above their weight. For Asian countries in particular, this event is a big deal. Some notable hitters include prospect Hao-Yo Lee, Tsung-Che Cheng and American recruits Stuart Fairchild and Jonathan Long. On the mound, their most notable name is D-Backs prospect Yu-Min Lin.
Happy to be here: Brazil, Australia, Czechia, Nicaragua
The teams in this tier do not have many, if any MLB players. They are very unlikely to make it out of the group phases. However, this is still a very cool experience for the players on these teams.
Nicaragua is the most well-rounded of these teams, with a decent amount of MLB talent. Their star is Mark Vientos of the Mets, who will provide big time power for them. They also feature former big leaguers Jeter Downs and Cheslor Cuthbert. On the mound, they have prospect Carlos Rodriguez and long time big leaguer Erasmo Ramirez.
Australia also has some notable names, especially at the plate. Their stars are Curtis Mead of the White Sox and former first overall pick Travis Bazzana. They do not have many notable names on the mound, but those two could provide an offensive spark for the Aussies.
Brazil does not have any current MLB players, but they do have some former big leaguers and top prospects. Their most interesting story is Joseph Contreras, the son of big leaguer Jose Contreras. The 17 year old has a chance to be a first round pick in the 2026 draft and is a senior in high school right now. Talk about a way to raise your draft stock.
Lastly, Czechia is the least talented group here. They do not have much big league talent at all, but it was so cool to see how much fun they had at the last event. This time around, they actually do have a player with MLB experience in Terrin Vavra. The Czechs are here for a good time, not a long time.
