The best matchups of the World Baseball Classic at the start of the tournament

Before the 2026 MLB season begins, the World Baseball Classic has returned to determine who is the best national team in the world.

There will be 20 teams competing for that title, and pool play begins this week with the finals set for March 17 at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, the home of the Miami Marlins.

The tournament will feature baseball powerhouses including Team USA, which will have players like Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Cal Raleigh, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and many more leading the way to what the USA hopes will be more wins in 2026, especially after how the Milan Cortina Games ended.

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But others, like Japan, the current WBC champions, and the Dominican Republic, want to show off for the next three years until the tournament returns. Only two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals, and there are already some incredible matchups in store for this year’s tournament.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five best pool matchups that are games every baseball lover can’t miss, starting in Tokyo.

Japan vs. Korea – March 7, 5 am ET

It’s time to set those alarm bells ringing, because Shohei Ohtani and the reigning WBC winners Japan are hosting Korea, and these two rivals have delivered some epic games in this tournament in the past.

In 2009, these two battled in an extra innings championship and have been playing against each other since 1954. However, while Japan has established itself as the team to beat in this tournament, Korea has been unable to capture that glory from previous years, failing to make it out of the group stage since the WBC in 2009.

Korea has some solid players on its roster, including a veteran of big-game scenes in Hyun-Jin Ryu, the former Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, who will take on the promotion at age 38. It also features big leaguers such as Hyeseong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, Shay Whitcomb and Jahmai Jones.

But Japan charged again, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yusei Kikuchi and Tomoyuki Sugano are recognizable names on the pitching staff, while Munetaka Murakami, Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida join Ohtani in the lineup.

Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands – March 8, 12 pm ET

You may not see this as a rivalry, but these teams certainly have a feud considering many players are from Curacao, a constituent island country within the kingdom. Think Kenley Jensen, Ozzie Albies, Xander Bogaerts (Aruba), Jurickson Profar and Ceddanne Rafaela. Even Didi Gregorius, who was actually born in Amsterdam, will be on the field to face a loaded Dominican team over the weekend.

Juan Soto of the Dominican Republic hits a home run in the third inning of the World Baseball Classic Group D game against Puerto Rico at LoanDepot Park on March 15, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Take a look at the Dominican Republic roster and you’ll find All-Star after All-Star, from Manny Machado to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., and the list goes on and on. It’s arguably the best lineup in the tournament considering the star power there is, and there’s no doubt everyone wants to get out of the group stage after failing to do so last time.

United States vs. Mexico – March 9, 8 pm ET

While Team USA has a fairly deep roster, it is Mexico who has emerged victorious in each of their last three matchups, and it wasn’t close in 2023 when El Tri defeated the Stars and Stripes, 11-5.

However, the United States won the championship, only to lose in the end to Japan. As a result, the team’s roster is literally the best it’s ever been, with a rotation that will include Tarik Skubal (who is only expected to pitch in a pool game against Great Britain), Skenes, Nolan McLean, Logan Webb and others.

In the bullpen, Mason Miller is ready to close out games, while Garrett Whitlock, Griffin Jax and others provide electric elements in high-leverage situations.

And on the field, while the aforementioned Judge will captain this Team USA team, players like Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Alex Bregman, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Byron Buxton make up a deep roster that coach Mark DeRosa can play with throughout the tournament.

WBC USA Team Captain Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Team USA Manager Mark DeRosa speak to the media during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, April 14, 2025 in New York, New York. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos)

But Mexico once again has a solid group, with Jonathan Aranda, Randy Arozarena, Jarren Durán and Luis Urías as notable bats in the lineup. On the mound, Taj Bradley, Taijuan Walker and electric closer Andrés Muñoz stand out in the pitching staff.

Puerto Rico vs. Canada – March 10, 7 pm ET

For the first time since 2013, Puerto Rico is hosting WBC pool play, and San Juan is sure to be raucous when its national team takes the field against a Canadian team that is also loaded with talent.

Jameson Taillon, Cal Quantrill and Mike Soroka are in the rotation, while the Naylor brothers, Josh and Bo, will play together for their country. Slugger Tyler O’Neill also returns to the team, and Abraham Toro, Otto Lopez and Edouard Julien are just a few of the team’s big leaguers.

But it’s hard not to expect Puerto Rico to handle business in its capital as it boasts a deep pitching staff, with closer Edwin Díaz awaiting redemption after his freak accident in 2023 that led to a season-ending injury while playing with the New York Mets. Seth Lugo, Fernando Cruz, Jorge López and José Espada provide terrifying depth, and the position players are recognizable names.

The greatest, however, is Nolan Arenado, who helped the United States win gold in 2017 and silver in 2023. Although he grew up in a large Cuban family, his maternal grandmother is Puerto Rican and noted that she wanted to play for Puerto Rico in the past. Now is his time to do it, as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ newest Platinum Glove third baseman will hope to add solid play there like he has for the USA in the past.

Edwin Díaz of Team Puerto Rico celebrates a strikeout during a 5-2 victory against Team Dominican Republic during their Group D game of the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park on March 15, 2023, in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela – March 11, 8 pm ET

This could be the best pool play in the entire first round of this WBC, as star power galore will be on display.

We have already mentioned what the DR contributes, but Venezuela is also loaded in all areas. Salvador Pérez will return behind the plate, but William Contreras is also there to catch alongside his brother at first base, Willson. Luis Arráez, Eugenio Suárez, Andrés Giménez and Gleyber Torres stand out in the box, while Ronald Acuña Jr., Wilyer Abreu and Jackson Chourio occupy the Venezuelan outfield.

There’s a chance these two teams could finish as the first- and second-place teams in Group D. And we might want them to, considering this pool play could have a championship vibe when they take the field in Miami.

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