Playball!
Get ready baseball fans as many of the top MLB players, including 16 major and minor leaguers from the Philadelphia Phillies, will compete in the World Baseball Classic starting this week.
The United States will look to avenge its loss to Japan in the 2023 finals. The US team, along with Japan, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are favorites to win the international tournament.
This year’s competition has an added twist, with the top two finishers automatically qualified for the 2028 Olympics.
When and Where to Catch the Action
The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins Thursday, March 5 and lasts through Tuesday, March 17. The opening game on Wednesday, March 4 features Taiwan versus Australia in Tokyo at 10 p.m. ET. Fans in the United States can tune in to FOX, FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports App, FOX One and Tubi to follow all the games.
Format and Pool Play
The tournament format involves a pool play round-robin, where each of the five teams in each pool will compete. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, followed by a knockout round culminating in the WBC final on March 17 in Miami.
Pool Breakdown
- Pool A: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico
- Pool B: Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, USA
- Pool C: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan, Korea
- Pool D: Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Venezuela
Phillies Players to Watch
A significant contingent of Phillies players will be representing their countries in the tournament. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber will suit up for Team USA, while Taijuan Walker and Alan Rangel will play for Mexico. Aaron Nola and Dante Nori will represent Italy, and Cristopher Sánchez and Johan Rojas will play for the Dominican Republic. Jesús Luzardo will compete for Venezuela, and Edmundo Sosa for Panama, Garrett Stubbs and Max Lazar for Israel, and Gabriel Barbosa for Brazil. Mitch Neunborn will play for Australia and Jaydenn Estanista for the Netherlands. Brad Keller is similarly on Team USA.
USA Roster Highlights
Team USA boasts a strong roster including Alex Bregman, Ernie Clement, Paul Goldschmidt, Bryce Harper, Gunnar Henderson, Brice Turang, Bobby Witt Jr., David Bednar, Matthew Boyd, Garrett Cleavinger, Clay Holmes, Griffin Jax, Brad Keller, Clayton Kershaw, Nolan McLean, Mason Miller, Joe Ryan, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Gabe Speier, Michael Wacha, Logan Webb, and Garrett Whitlock.
Olympic Qualification on the Line
Adding extra stakes to the competition, the top two finishers in the 2026 World Baseball Classic will automatically qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Key Dates
March 4
- 10 PM ET: Taiwan vs. Australia (Tokyo)
March 5
- 5 AM: Czechia vs. South Korea (Tokyo)
- 10 PM: Australia vs. Czechia (Tokyo)
March 6
- 5 AM: Japan vs. Taiwan (Tokyo)
- 11 AM: Cuba vs. Panama (San Juan)
- Noon PM: Netherlands vs. Venezuela (Miami)
- 1 PM: Mexico vs. Great Britain (Houston)
- 6 PM: Puerto Rico vs. Colombia (San Juan)
- 7 PM: Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic (Miami)
- 8 PM: USA vs. Brazil (Houston)
- 10 PM: Taiwan vs. Czechia (Tokyo)
FAQ
When does the World Baseball Classic start? The tournament begins on March 5, 2026.
Where is the World Baseball Classic final? The final will be held in Miami on March 17, 2026.
How many Phillies players are participating? 16 Phillies players are on WBC rosters.
What’s at stake in the 2026 WBC? The top two teams will qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games.