The sixth “World Baseball Classic” is just around the corner. In a few weeks, 20 ball clubs from around the world will play for their country to take home the trophy. Which nation will win it all this edition of the tournament? Read more and find out.
To elaborate, the World Baseball Classic is a triennial tournament that made its debut in 2006 and takes place before the start of every MLB season. This year, the Classic will last from March 15, 2026, through March 17. The participating nations include: the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Canada, Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Korea, Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua, and finally the defending champions, Japan or “Samurai Japan”.
The 20 clubs are divided into four groups or “pools” consisting of five clubs each. Each pool will play at their own venue. This year, Pool A will be held at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Pool B will be held at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas—home to the Houston Astros. Pool C will be held at the Tokyo Dome in Bunkyō, Japan. Finally, Pool D will be held at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida—home to the Miami Marlins.
Our Los Angeles Dodgers, who have recently become back-to-back World Series champions, have a history of participating in the Classic. Notable players such as Austin Barnes, Adrian González, Alex Verdugo, Rob Segedin, and Kenley Jansen have played in previous classics for their home countries when they were with the Dodgers.
This year is no different, although some players won’t be able to play for their country either from injury concerns or some other reason, a good chunk of the Dodgers roster is gearing up to play in the classic.
Starting with the two-way master himself, designated-hitter Shohei Ohtani is coming off of his third consecutive MVP-winner season. He previously won the award last year and the year before, when he was still playing for the Los Angeles Angels. He slashed .282/.392/.622 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging average) with 55 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He also had an ERA (Earned run average) of 2.87.
Ohtani will once again be playing for Japan in the Classic after participating in 2023, striking out Mike Trout to win the trophy in a memorable at bat. Despite both pitching and hitting in 2023, Ohtani will only be hitting this edition of the classic.
In an article written by MLB reporter Sonja Chen It was Ohtani’s choice to do so, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
“I wasn’t surprised. I can’t even say I was relieved,” Roberts said in an interview.
2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will also return to the Classic for Samurai Japan as part of the starting rotation. Yamamoto ended his regular season with a 2.49 ERA. Solid, but his 2025 postseason performances are when he really shines, boasting a 1.45 ERA as well as pitching two complete games, the first in game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers and game two in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Catcher Will Smith will be returning to the classic this year after participating in 2023. Smith ended his regular season .296/.404/.497 with 17 home runs. Smith also hit the deciding homer in a thrilling game seven victory in the World Series. MLB veteran Clayton Kershaw will be participating in the Classic, joining the Team USA bullpen. Retiring at the end of the 2025 postseason, he concluded with an 18-season career with a historic 2.53 ERA overall, as well as being an 11-time All-Star, 2014 National League MVP, and three-time CY Young award winner.
New Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz will once again play for Puerto Rico after playing in 2023. Diaz ended his regular season with the New York Mets with a 1.63 ERA and 98 total strikeouts.
Korean rookie secondbaseman, Hyeseong Kim, is representing Korea for the first time in the World Baseball Classic. Not getting plenty of playing time in his first year with the Dodgers, Kim slashed .280/.314/.385 with three home runs. He’s a good contact hitter. but not a lot of power. However, defensively, he is a powerhouse, carrying a .976 field percentage.
Although only a total of six players out of the 40-man Dodger roster are participating in the classic, it’ll be a thrill to see them play for their country and win it all. All before their journey to becoming threepeat champions officially begins with the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
