The sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic begins Wednesday with Australia and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) squaring off at 10 p.m. ET at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo as part of Pool C. The other three brackets begin Friday, leading up to the championship game March 17 at loanDepot park in Miami. Japan is the defending champion and is among the favorites again this year.
Only the top two teams from each five-country pool will advance to the quarterfinals.
Here is a look at how the teams in Pool C shape up (previews for the others pools coming out each of the next three days):
Australia
WBC appearance: Sixth.
Best finish: Lost to Cuba 4-3 in 2023 quarterfinals.
What to expect: Coming off its first run to the WBC’s knockout round, Australia has has MLB-quality talent on its roster, which also includes 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana. Chicago White Sox first baseman Curtis Mead is probably the other noticeable name, which means Australia is banking on contributions from throughout the roster. Repeating a 3-1 pool-play record from 2023 might be difficult. It will likely come down to the Aussies’ last game of pool play, which is March 8 vs. South Korea.
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
WBC appearance: Sixth.
Best finish: Went 0-2 in second round of pool play in 2013.
What to expect: Chinese Taipei took advantage of some lesser rosters fielded by Japan and South Korea to win the Premier12 tournament in 2024. That won’t be the case for the WBC. Chinese Taipei went 2-2 in pool play in 2023, but finished third and didn’t advance. The team is led by captain Chieh-Hsien Chen, an outfielder who plays in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. There is some decent pitching here, with prospects Yu-Min Lin (Arizona Diamondbacks), left-hander Wei-En Lin (Athletics) and right-hander Po-Yu Chen (Pittsburgh Pirates) leading the way. Cleveland Guardians outfielder Stuart Fairchild looks to be the top hitter.
Czechia
WBC appearance: Second.
Best finish: Went 1-3 in pool play in its debut in 2023.
What to expect: This was the feel-good story of the last WBC in 2023, when the Czechs won their debut game 8-5 over China. That would be the only on-field triumph for a team of otherwise beer-league players who have everyday jobs such as neurologist, firefighter and electrical workers. The popularity of the 2023 team has helped grow the game in Czechia, which bodes well for this time around. The team won its historic first medal, a bronze, at the 2025 European Baseball Championship. I’m just here for more moments like this one, where Ondrej Satoria, an electrician, struck out Japan superstar Shohei Ohtani:
Japan
WBC appearance: Sixth.
Best finish: Won the championship in 2006, 2009 and 2023.
What to expect: Having won three of the five WBC titles, Japan is once again a favorite to be on top in 2026. Ohtani returns as a four-time MVP, the best player on the planet who won’t pitch in the WBC but will still hit. On the hitting side, Ohtani will be joined by Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida and two MLB newcomers, Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami and Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. While Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will anchor the pitching staff, this is an area where Japan feels a bit weaker than previously.
South Korea
WBC appearance: Sixth.
Best finish: Second place, losing to Japan 5-3 in the 2009 championship game.
What to expect: While players from the Korea Baseball Organization continue to trickle over to MLB, South Korea has slipped a bit in its international standing. After winning 12 games in the first two WBCs, making the semifinals and the championship game, the Koreans have won just five times in the last three tournaments. Granted, the format has changed over the year. Notable players include San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim, left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu and two Americans to South Korea ties in Seattle Mariners left-hander Dane Dunning and St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Riley O’Brien.
