LEAGUES News
2026 World Baseball Classic pools finalized
The pools and schedule for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were finalized Wednesday.
Pool A games will take place at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico from March 6-11. They include No. 8-ranked Panama and No. 9-ranked Puerto Rico as the group's top teams.
| Pool A |
|---|
| Puerto Rico |
| Cuba |
| Canada |
| Panama |
| Colombia |
Pool B contests will be played from March 6-11 at Daikin Park in Houston. The always formidable United States will be joined by Mexico, which finished ahead of the Americans in pool play at the 2023 event before narrowly losing to Japan in the semifinals.
| Pool B |
|---|
| United States |
| Mexico |
| Italy |
| Great Britain |
| Brazil |
Pool C play goes from March 5-10 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The defending WBC champion Japanese will be joined by Chinese Taipei, which enters the event as the No. 2-ranked team by the WBSC.
| Pool C |
|---|
| Japan |
| Australia |
| Korea |
| Czechia |
| Chinese Taipei |
Pool D games will take place in Miami from March 6-11 and feature heavyweights in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, as well as a promising Netherlands squad.
| Pool D |
|---|
| Venezuela |
| Dominican Republic |
| Netherlands |
| Israel |
| Nicaragua |
The World Baseball Classic concludes March 17 with the final in Miami.
HEADLINES
- Berube: Pacioretty's 'played a pivotal role' in Maple Leafs' success
- Marchand credits Leafs' growth: 'They're continuing to get better'
- Knicks steal Game 2 as Celtics give up another 20-point lead
- Scheifele, Robertson return for Game 1 of Jets-Stars
- Reds' Greene leaves game after 3 innings with groin injury
