It’s World Baseball Classic time, and if you’re approaching it with anything other than enthusiasm or curiosity, you’re doing it all wrong.
There’s some extremely high-quality baseball about to happen. It’s extra baseball, a little treat before the main course, if you want it to be. But it just might be the main course, the most enjoyable baseball you see this year. That’s how good the quality of play was in 2023, and it’s how good the rosters look for all participants in the 2026 WBC.
For the most part. It can get a little sloppy in the first rounds.
Here’s a guide to who’s in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, sorted into five tiers based on how likely they are to win the delightfully snazzy and elegant championship trophy.
Rosters subject to change.
Tier I. The Juggernauts
Here be the titans, the pillars of the sport, the countries with All-Stars, MVPs and Cy Young Award winners. Japan has one guy who’s all three, if you can believe it. Only three countries have won a WBC championship, and they’re all in this tier.
And while it’s hard to pick a best of the best out of this group, it’s only fair to give the top spot to the three-time champs, who will be defending their title.
Japan
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Champions
2009
Champions
2013
Semifinals
2017
Semifinals
2023
Champions
How they’re entering the WBC
With all the confidence in the world. Last year’s World Series was dominated by the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Team Japan’s biggest stars aren’t just coming into the tournament thinking they’re the favorites just because they won in 2023; they’re thinking they’re the favorites because they just helped a team win the World Series just a few months ago. Why not this team, too?
MLB players to know
Your normie baseball friends will talk about Ohtani, who both “hits” and “pitches,” although not at the same time, because that would be against the rules.
Here’s your chance to be much, much cooler than those friends, though. Instead of Ohtani, talk up Okamoto, a star in the making, who got a $60 million contract from the Blue Jays in the offseason. Or let them know that Munetaka Murakami has 265 career home runs in NPB, even though he just turned 26 this month. His high-strikeout ways scared teams off over the winter, but if the White Sox can tap into even a fraction of his potential, he’ll become a perennial All-Star.
United States
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Quarterfinals
2009
Semifinals
2013
Quarterfinals
2017
Champions
2023
Finalists
How they’re entering the WBC
Clearly smarting from their second-place finish in the last tournament. If there were any doubt, compare the rotation from the last WBC to this one:
Team USA rotation, 2023 vs. 2026
2023
2026
Clayton Kershaw
Paul Skenes
Nestor Cortes
Tarik Skubal
Merrill Kelly
Joe Ryan
Lance Lynn
Logan Webb
Miles Mikolas
Nolan McLean
The five best options for Team USA in 2023 were all solid pitchers at the time, a quality group of arms. The five best options for Team USA in 2026 are the best the sport has to offer. It’s an absolutely nasty rotation, and you know it had to take some serious cajoling and/or firm words for these pitchers to convince their teams to let them have a high-effort spring like this. These colors might not run, but these pitches aren’t free, either. They might be at the expense of a deep October run.
That’s weenie talk, of course. And there are limits: Tarik Skubal will pitch just one game, against Great Britain on Saturday, in the WBC, with Skenes and Webb pitching just two, not that they were at risk of throwing a half-dozen high-leverage outings. Still, that’s a lot of breathtaking talent in this rotation. And bullpen. And lineup. I think they want to win.
MLB players to know
There isn’t room for a single prospect on a roster this loaded, and there’s definitely not a Christian Laettner-type bone to throw toward a college star. That’s a team that would probably win 120 games this season. Heck, that could even be enough to win the NL West.
Dominican Republic
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Semifinals
2009
Eliminated in pool play
2013
Champions (undefeated)
2017
Quarterfinals
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With something to prove. The last time they were here, they lost games to Venezuela and Puerto Rico and didn’t even make it out of the first round. Their pool won’t be nearly as brutal this time around, and you’d have to think it’s championship or bust.
MLB players to know
Like the two previous teams in this tier, this isn’t a place for young rascals without major-league experience. Except, while there aren’t any prospects in the bullpen, there also aren’t exactly a lot of veterans, either.
Hiraldo appeared in just 18 games for the Orioles in his rookie season, and Peguero appeared in just 17 with the Giants. Still, you have to get pretty far down the bullpen ladder to start worrying too much.
Also, why are you looking at the bullpen at all? Look at some of the other names! You can list off three of the best players on the roster without leaving the outfield, even though there’s a chance that everyone in the infield makes the Hall of Fame (or at least gets plenty of votes).
Again, you wouldn’t be surprised if any of the teams in this tier won it all. It’s hard not to be starstruck with any of these three rosters.
Tier II: Serious contenders
These are the teams just outside of the big three, where the rosters aren’t quite talented enough to draw comparisons to the 1927 Yankees, but all of them could win it all.
The differences between this tier and the one above it are a couple of players. A starter here, a reliever there … don’t overthink it. It’s just that the three teams above them are pretty spectacular.
Puerto Rico
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Quarterfinals
2009
Eliminated in pool play
2013
Finals
2017
Finals
2023
Quarterfinals
How they’re entering the WBC
With something to prove. They advanced to the final in 2013 and 2017, only to suffer an unsatisfying end in 2023, blowing an early lead in the knockout round of the last tournament. While Puerto Rican baseball, in general, has suffered lasting damage from being subject to the MLB Draft, you wouldn’t know it by their recent showings on the biggest international stage.
MLB players to know
There are All-Stars on the roster, but it’s hard to say it’s festooned like the other ones in this tier. Still, they sneak above the teams below them thanks to their relative success in the WBC. I’m not entirely sure what the results of the 2007 team (featuring Pudge Rodríguez and Bernie Williams) have to do with the 2026 WBC, but I’m a sucker for easy-to-spot patterns. They’re so pretty. And most of the time, Team Puerto Rico advances every time.
Minor-league players to know
Edwin Arroyo (CIN)
Luis Quiñones (TOR)
Eduardo Rivera (BOS)
Elmer Rodríguez (NYY)
Ricardo Velez (TEX)
Finally, some minor leaguers for the prospect hounds among us. Arroyo is a former top-100 prospect who’s still highly regarded, and Rivera is a power forward of a lefty (6-foot-7) who had an excellent stint in the Puerto Rican Winter League. It’s not a prospect collection that will keep Keith Law awake at night, but it’ll be fun to see them against elite competition.
Venezuela
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Quarterfinals
2009
Semifinals
2013
Eliminated in pool play
2017
Quarterfinals
2023
Quarterfinals
How they’re entering the WBC
Not feeling as good as they were when Pablo López was healthy. The Venezuelan team has the most lopsided ratio of “World Baseball Classic success” to “continuing impact on Major League Baseball,” and it isn’t particularly close. They’re facing an uphill battle logistically, too, with several of their players having difficulty with insurance, visas, or both.
MLB players to know
Minor-league players to know
Carlos Guzman (NYM)
Christian Suarez (LAD)
Really, the ratio of players in the majors vs. the ratio of players in the minors tells you just about everything you need to know about these teams. There’s just no room for prospects. Guzman is a reliever with more than 500 innings in the minors, and while Suarez is more of a traditional prospect, he’s still a reliever who isn’t expected to throw high-leverage innings.
Tier III: The hungry Cinderellas
If Mike Trout vs. Shohei Ohtani happened in the 2026 WBC, there would be a small but significant percentage of the population that would have believed the video was AI-generated and never actually happened. That’s how perfect a baseball moment it was.
Apologies, but it’s not going to happen again. For one thing, Mike Trout isn’t on the U.S. Roster, but the bigger complication is that it was too perfect. It wasn’t even just the best pitcher in the game vs. the best hitter; they were freaking teammates in the regular season.
However, don’t despair. In the place of a once-in-a-lifetime matchup, you can count on something a lot more reliable. All of these teams can make it out of pool play. It’s just going to take a little bit of magic.
Canada
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Eliminated in pool play
2009
Eliminated in pool play
2013
Eliminated in pool play
2017
Eliminated in pool play
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With a little more swagger than normal. This is one of the most talented Team Canada squads in a long time, even as they’re without two of their all-time biggest stars.
MLB players to know
They don’t have Freddie Freeman this time, and they’ve been without Joey Votto since 2013. They do have those charming Naylor fellas, however, and even without their biggest superstar, this might be one of the most talented rosters Team Canada has ever fielded. Both the lineup and rotation feature established major leaguers.
In a 162-game season against teams like the U.S. and Japan, this team would struggle to avoid 100 losses. That’s not being rude; that’s just comparing Baseball-Reference pages. In a short tournament like this, though, it’s enough major league talent to win any given game. Look at all those legitimate major leaguers.
Minor-league players to know
Micah Ashman (BAL)
Eric Cerantola (KC)
Indigo Diaz (ARI)
Antoine Jean (COL)
Adam Macko (TOR)
Matt Wilkinson (CLE)
The best story, though, might be Macko, who was born in Slovakia. He wasn’t born there while his family was temporarily living there, either; dude was a Slovakian first-grader obsessed with Justin Verlander, and he didn’t move to North America until he was a sophomore in high school. The whole point of the WBC is to get more stories like this.
Korea
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Semifinals
2009
Finals
2013
Eliminated in pool play
2017
Eliminated in pool play
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With more to prove than almost any other team. The popularity of the KBO and the success of players like Ha-Seong Kim, Merrill Kelly and Jung Hoo Lee has made Korea one of the major baseball powers, but they haven’t come close to an All-Star-level breakout for any homegrown players, and they haven’t made it out of the first round since President Barack Obama’s first term. That’s not great for a team representing a baseball-mad country, and they have to be feeling plenty of pressure.
MLB players to know
Lee is the biggest star for Team Korea right now, even if he’s just finding his footing in the majors, and Jones gives them a power threat in the outfield. If you’re looking for someone new to catch your eye, though, take a long look at Hyun Min Ahn, who just turned 22 and had a monster rookie season in the KBO. In a few years, you’ll be screaming for your team to sign him, and you might as well start right now.
Mexico
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Quarterfinals
2009
Quarterfinals
2013
Eliminated in pool play
2017
Eliminated in pool play
2023
Semifinals
How they’re entering the WBC
With a lot of confidence and a burgeoning talent pool. Mexico had its best WBC finish ever in the last tournament, and the team has an assortment of everyday players and pitchers. The sport is currently undergoing a popularity boom in Mexico, and you can already see the results trickling upward.
MLB players to know
Kirk is a two-time All-Star and one of the best offensive catchers in the game, but the real strength of the team might be with the even younger players, like Alejandro Osuna and Jonathan Aranda.
Muñoz might not be the runaway pick for the best closer of the tournament, but it’s hard to put anyone too far above him, even Edwin Díaz. That makes a difference when you remember that Mexico was a clean ninth inning away from advancing in 2023. They probably could have used him last time.
Minor-league players to know
Luis Gastelum (STL)
Samy Natera Jr. (LAA)
Jared Serna (MIA)
If you’re a changeup aficionado, make sure to catch as much of Gastelum’s outings as you can. The Cardinals prospect has one of the best ones in the minors, which, by extension, makes it one of the best ones in the WBC.
Netherlands
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Eliminated in pool play
2009
Quarterfinals
2013
Semifinals
2017
Semifinals
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With honkbal on their minds and honkbal in their hearts. And also a feeling that it’s time for the Dutch team to start making some of these teams nervous in the later rounds. Team Netherlands won its 25th European championship this year, but that trophy can only shine so bright. Making the semifinals again could even be considered a disappointment this time.
MLB players to know
That’s a proper middle-of-the-order, and once you have one of those, you’re a bloop and a blast away from taking down any of the teams in the tournament. And while Didi Gregorius isn’t on the above list because he’s still a free agent, he’s been powering the team in international competitions, winning MVP honors at the 2025 Euros.
Minor-league players to know
Jamdrick Cornelia (NYM)
Dayson Croes (SFG)
Jaydenn Estanista (PHI)
Druw Jones (ARI)
Antwone Kelly (PIT)
Jaitoine Kelly (ARI)
Ryjeteri Merite (CIN)
Shawndrick Oduber (LAD)
Dylan Wilson (SEA)
Druw Jones, son of Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, was one of the best prospects in baseball before injuries slowed him down. Youth and tools are still on his side, though, and he’ll be a fun player to follow if Team Netherlands gets out of the pool round.
Tier IV: They’ll scare some of the really good teams
This is the tier where a team can absolutely beat any of the favorites in any given game. If you think that sounds too generic or banal, consider how wide a gap in baseball talent can be. Given a million tries, the 1992 Burlingame Orioles (my Little League team) would not have been able to beat the 1992 Baltimore Orioles. Sure, I would have hit a couple homers off Mike Mussina, but my teammates had trouble throwing a single strike from even 40 feet.
At some point, though, the gap narrows enough to give a team a chance on any given day. You’re pretty sure you know who’s going to win, but baseball has a way of surprising you.
Chinese Taipei
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Eliminated in pool play
2009
Eliminated in pool play
2013
Quarterfinals
2017
Eliminated in pool play
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With a ton of momentum. The World Baseball Softball Confederation has the team from Taiwan ranked second overall — sandwiched between Japan and the United States — and they’re coming off a second-place finish in the 2025 Asian Baseball Championships. And the fans? Why, they’re simply goofy for baseball.
If they can make it to the quarterfinals, here’s the best bandwagon you could ever hope to hop on.
MLB players to know
There will be more players on this list in 2029. For now, enjoy a hype video for Stuart Fairchild.
Minor-league players to know
Po-Yu Chen (PIT)
Hao Yu Lee (DET)
Wei-En Lin (ATH)
Yu-Min Lin (ARI)
Tzu-Chen Sha (ATH)
Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang (ATH)
The Athletics will show up a lot with the teams in these lower tiers, which speaks to a broader international team philosophy, and it’s something to watch over the coming seasons. Lin had an absurd breakout season as a 19-year-old, walking just six batters and striking out 69 in 50 California League innings, and it put him on most top-100 prospect lists.
Australia
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Eliminated in pool play
2009
Eliminated in pool play
2013
Eliminated in pool play
2017
Eliminated in pool play
2023
Quarterfinals
How they’re entering the WBC
With plenty of anxiety, considering there are no guarantees that they’ll be back. Still, they have one of the best prospects in the country’s history, if not the best, so there’s room for optimism.
MLB players to know
A young utility infielder on the White Sox is the only Aussie from the majors on the roster, which says a lot. Graeme Lloyd is the bullpen coach for Team Australia and Dave Nilsson is the manager, so you get to Remember Some Guys while watching. But this is also a good reminder that Australia seemed like it was on the verge of being a major talent pipeline. It doesn’t feel like that anymore, although if there’s one player who could make a difference …
Minor-league players to know
Travis Bazzana (CLE)
Max Durrington (ATH)
Kailen Hamson (BAL)
Mitch Neunborn (PHI)
Blake Townsend (TEX)
Bazzana was the first-overall pick in the 2024 Draft, and he reached Triple A in his first full professional season, holding his own. If he becomes the star that most teams hope for from a first-overall pick, that can’t help but put a few extra Guardians jerseys in downtown Sydney. From there, you can do the domino meme all the way to a 2039 Australian WBC championship.
(He should probably take a major-league at-bat before we go that far, but he’s pretty good.)
Cuba
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Finals
2009
Quarterfinals
2013
Quarterfinals
2017
Quarterfinals
2023
Semifinals
How they’re entering the WBC
In danger of having to requalify for the next WBC, which would be a horrible fate for a country with an incredible baseball tradition. This is not the Cuban powerhouse team that almost won it all in 2006, and it’s not even close, but they also have the misfortune of playing in Pool A, with Canada, Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico. The shallow talent pool and the brutal draw could lead to a 2029 WBC without Cuba, which would have been nearly impossible to imagine just a few years ago.
MLB players to know
If you’re looking for an explanation as to why Cuban baseball has hit a rough patch, here you go. The major-league talent just isn’t there, and it hasn’t been since international bonus caps were implemented. Moncada was once one of the very best prospects in baseball, but he’s settled into more of a part-time role, and he’s likely to stay there for most of his 30s. If that’s the star hitter, look out.
Of course, the star hitter just might be 44-year-old Ramirez, who last played in the majors in 2016 and returned to Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2024, six years after his last pro appearances in the Mexican League. Before you start smirking, he just hit .339/.475/.607 with 15 home runs there last season. He’ll be one of the players to watch, even if only because of rank curiosity.
Minor-league players to know
Yiddi Cappe (MIA)
Emmanuel Chapman (PIT)
Omar Hernández (KC)
Alexander Vargas (CIN)
However, it’s easy to get caught up in the “MLB talent” designation and forget that Cuba has a lot of professional baseball players who aren’t appearing on these lists. They can’t simply submit an application to play in Major League Baseball, but they’re pro players all the same. There are good prospects up there, but we may be underrating the Cuban roster, if only because we’re not getting as many everyday looks at these players.
Mostly, though, I’m just excited that I have another chance to include this GIF of Cuban slugger Alfredo Despaigne, who hit 451 home runs in his career, and is returning to the WBC a couple months before his 40th birthday.
Bless him.
Colombia
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Did not qualify
2009
Did not qualify
2013
Did not qualify
2017
Eliminated in pool play
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With their best team yet, and more momentum than you might think from their previous appearance. Yes, they were knocked out in the first round, but that round also included an upset win over Mexico and a nail-biting loss to the United States that came down to the very last pitch.
MLB players to know
The history of Colombian baseball in the majors was sorted into “Édgar Rentería” and “others” for a long time, but Quintana has built a career that’s been so sneaky good that it feels insulting to use adjectives like “solid” or “reliable.” It’s the youth movement coming up that’s going to keep Colombia in the WBC, though, provided they escape pool play.
Minor-league players to know
Michael Arroyo (SEA)
Austin Bergner (DET)
Brayan Buelvas (OAK)
Dayan Frias (CLE)
David Lorduy (CIN)
Arroyo is the fourth-best prospect in the Mariners system, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, and he’s likely to hit leadoff*, so make sure you’re on time with your screen of choice.
* Arroyo, not Law
Panama
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Eliminated in pool play
2009
Eliminated in pool play
2013
Did not qualify
2017
Did not qualify
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
Just looking to get out of the first round, please. Panama is a legitimate baseball country that’s produced multiple Hall of Famers and over 100 big leaguers, but it hasn’t even made it out of pool play. It’s not like it’s going to be easier for them in the dreaded Pool A, with Canada, Colombia, Cuba and Puerto Rico. If they repeat past WBC performances, they might get relegated.
MLB players to know
Minor-league players to know
Leo Bernal (STL)
James Gonzalez (ATH)
Abdiel Mendoza (SEA)
Jose Ramos (LAD)
Erian Rodriguez (CHC)
Italy
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Eliminated in pool play
2009
Eliminated in pool play
2013
Quarterfinals
2017
Eliminated in pool play
2023
Quarterfinals
How they’re entering the WBC
With the best rotation they’ve ever had, led by Aaron Nola and Angels starter Samuel Aldegheri.
MLB players to know
There’s some beef and thump in that lineup, alright. And then you get to the players who aren’t Pasquantino. While Caglianone struggled in his major-league debut, he’s still a first-round talent who laid waste to the minors last year.
Minor-league players to know
Sam Antonacci (CHW)
Dylan DeLucia (CLE)
Andrew Fischer (MIL)
Nick Morabito (NYM)
Dante Nori (PHI)
The quality of Italian-born talent in the minor leagues is improving. We’ve come a long way since the talent was diluted enough to allow for the existence of a team like Novara United, which went 4-80 in the Italian Baseball League over a two-year span.
Tier V: Sowing the seeds of baseball internationally, fighting for their 2029 WBC lives
Look, they’re not going to win. You know how it’s a big deal for a small school to make a basketball Final Four and become a media darling? If any of these teams advance to the semifinals, they’ll push their country’s baseball program ahead by a decade. Mostly, though, they’re looking to finish Not Fifth during pool play. If they can do that, they’ve already won the WBC in a very abstract and specific way.
Great Britain
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Did not qualify
2009
Did not qualify
2013
Did not qualify
2017
Did not qualify
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
As much more than a team looking for a participation ribbon. There’s talent on this roster, more than in 2023, when they beat Colombia, scored eight runs against Canada and took a tie game against Mexico into the ninth.
MLB players to know
Ford will get a lot of attention, and rightfully so, as a British-American national and one of the Nationals’ best prospects. Chisholm is the most established player on the roster, but this is a team stacked with players we haven’t seen in the majors yet.
Minor-league players to know
Jack Anderson (BOS)
Brendan Beck (NYY)
Will Cresswell (TOR)
Gary Gill Hill (TB)
Ivan Johnson (CIN)
Miles Langhorne (MIL)
Ian Lewis Jr. (MIA)
Ryan Long (BAL)
BJ Murray (CHC)
Kristian Robinson (ARI)
Jack Seppings (MIL)
Najer Victor (LAA)
Owen Wild (TB)
Gary Gill Hill is an 80-grade baseball name. You put that name in any decade, and it works. That’s a name that would have worked alongside Oyster Burns on the 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps, and it could have been the name of a pitcher in the 2008 World Series. Gary Gill Hill will be pitching for the British team, and they should feel good about that, just because it sounds so cool. (He’s a pretty good prospect, too.)
Czechia
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Did not qualify
2009
Did not qualify
2013
Did not qualify
2017
Did not qualify
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With a stack of house money. The reason Team Czechia is here in the first place is that they avoided relegation in the last WBC by beating China in pool play. There are no expectations, and the relative international success of the team has increased baseball’s popularity there. They’re already winning.
MLB players to know
None.
Minor-league players to know
Not a single one. If you’re interested in reading more about how something like this could possibly happen, you’re in luck. There’s a whole book about it. The trailblazer of Czech baseball, Martin Červenka, will be on the team, so there’s at least one person with past professional experience. But this is a team of underdogs’ underdogs, and in a year where Brazil can win a gold medal for alpine skiing, it’s easy to dream.
Israel
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Did not qualify
2009
Did not qualify
2013
Did not qualify
2017
Quarterfinals
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
With expectations. They probably aren’t thinking about the finals yet, but they aren’t just satisfied with getting here and leaving after one round.
MLB players to know
The most notable hitter of the bunch is Bader, who has spent February smashing baseballs and menacing food trucks. Kremer is the staff ace, and while he should be the Platonic ideal of a fourth starter, don’t forget he’s a legitimate major-league pitcher. You say “fourth starter,” and I say “guy who could shut out one of the best lineups in baseball on his best day.”
Minor-league players to know
Charlie Beilenson (SEA)
Cole Carrigg (COL)
Harrison Cohen (NYY)
Jordan Geber (NYM)
Jake Gelof (LAD)
Carlos Lequerica (DET)
Zach Levenson (STL)
Josh Mallitz (SD)
Noah Mendlinger (STL)
Ryan Prager (CLE)
RJ Schreck (TOR)
Ben Simon (NYM)
Nicaragua
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Did not qualify
2009
Did not qualify
2013
Did not qualify
2017
Did not qualify
2023
Eliminated in pool play
How they’re entering the WBC
Still looking for their first WBC win, though they have plenty of momentum after an undefeated run in the 2025 Taipei Qualifier got them back here. Team Nicaragua can call this WBC a success with even a single win that keeps them away from another relegation. They can’t keep counting on the qualifiers.
MLB players to know
Vientos is the highest-profile Nicaraguan position player since Everth Cabrera, who was the highest-profile player since Marvin Benard. Which is to say that it’s not a rich hitting tradition, at least not yet.
The most high-profile name in the dugout, though, will be manager Dusty Baker, who will chomp on toothpicks and pull strings. He’s pretty good at both.
Minor-league players to know
Stiven Cruz (MIL)
Duque Hebbert (DET)
Ismael Munguia (TOR)
Oscar Rayo (KCR)
Freddy Zamora (MIL)
Munguia is one of my favorite minor leaguers to watch, even if he’s on his third organization and isn’t exactly a prospect anymore. He’s a short king and a contact specialist, and he plays like the most excited guy in a fantasy camp, someone who’s just giddy about playing baseball.
Brazil
Previous WBC results
YearFinish
2006
Did not qualify
2009
Did not qualify
2013
Eliminated in pool play
2017
Did not qualify
2023
Did not qualify
How they’re entering the WBC
With no expectations and a lot of momentum after a huge win over Germany to get here.
MLB players to know
Nobody at the moment.
Minor-league players to know
Gabriel Barbosa (PHI)
Daniel Missaki (TEX)
Lucas Ramirez (LAA)
A big name that’s missing from both categories is Joseph Contreras, son of José Contreras, the Cuban legend and 11-year veteran. He’s a high school right-hander in Georgia who might be a first- or second-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, and he’s pitching for Brazil on behalf of his Brazilian-born mother.
