World Baseball Classic Articles - Page 2

Catcher Iván Herrera of the St. Louis Cardinals is unlikely to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic due to an insurance issue stemming from his offseason surgery. “News from (Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim) Bloom — Iván Herrera has to date not been able to receive insurance to compete in the WBC due […]

Spring training is getting closer and closer to starting, and the 2026 World Baseball Classic is not far behind. Team USA is ready to compete with a very talented team led by Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Bobby Witt Jr. Corbin Carroll is a huge name as well; however, due to his surgery […]

The Arizona Diamondbacks received an unfortunate update on Wednesday, as it was revealed that outfielder Corbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate bone in his hand. The outfielder is expected to have surgery on Wednesday and his status for Opening Day is in question, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. In addition to the Diamondbacks, Team USA […]

Because MLB is not providing insurance for World Baseball Classic participants who are over 37 years old, the Arizona Diamondbacks could be taking a risk by allowing new first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana to represent his native Dominican Republic in the global tournament. They do not see it that way, however, and are giving the […]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is a month away and approaching fast. However, Puerto Rico may not be competing. Nevertheless, they and other nations are making some important moves. On Tuesday, it was announced that Luis Castillo (Dominican Republic), Jose Berrios (Puerto Rico), and Jesus Luzardo (Venezuela) were added to the Designated Pitcher Pool (DPP). […]

In 2026, the World Baseball Classic will formally implement a faster pace of play, marking a major change in tournament operations. The introduction of the pitch clock aligns the WBC with modern professional baseball standards and reshapes competitive dynamics across participating nations. Under the finalized 2026 World Baseball Classic rules, pitchers will operate under a […]

Team USA has its Dream Team. The 2026 Team USA World Baseball Classic roster — which was officially announced on Thursday night — is unquestionably the best ever constructed. Yes, the 2026 roster — which featured Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, Roger Clemens, Jake Peavy and many others stars — was extremely talented. However, […]

The World Baseball Classic is just a month away, and the rosters are set for Team USA. However, there is a glaring omission: Mike Trout is not on the final roster. The reason could be related to his injury history, as one of the best hitters in MLB will likely not participate in the World […]

As Team Puerto Rico gears up for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, if they still opt to play, they were hoping to have Detroit Tigers slugger Javier Baez on their roster. However, due to suspension, that will no longer be possible. Baez has been suspended for the 2026 WBC due to marijuana use, via Evan […]

Closer Edwin Diaz is gearing up to begin his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But before Opening Day, Diaz still has some unfinished business to take care of. The closer has committed to play for Team Puerto in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today. This is in despite of […]

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be a designated hitter for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. However, there has been speculation about the two-way phenom pitching in the WBC. On Saturday, Ohtani and the club set the record straight on his pitching status for the highly coveted event. Reports indicate that the […]

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is already setting expectations ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, offering strong public support for teammate Maikel Garcia as he prepares for his international debut. Perez, who will serve as the captain of Team Venezuela, spoke confidently about Garcia’s readiness for the global stage. The endorsement marks a […]

Though Clayton Kershaw has retired after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series last season, capping off a legendary career, his baseball days are not totally over. With the Dodgers’ great in Kershaw playing in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for Team USA, there could be some speculation about him unretiring, though former teammate […]

With the Arizona Diamondbacks preparing for the 2026 season, the team has been surrounded by rumors involving star second baseman Ketel Marte. While it seems like the Diamondbacks won’t trade Marte anymore, the 32-year-old’s plans outside of the majors have been revealed regarding the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The MLB’s official social media account announced […]

Team Puerto Rico is reportedly considering not participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic due to a struggle to receive medical insurance for multiple star players, per MLB insider Hector Gomez. While nothing is official yet, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor are among the players who are not participating because they were unable to acquire […]

The New York Mets received clarity Friday regarding Francisco Lindor’s international status, ending weeks of speculation surrounding his availability for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The Mets confirmed Lindor will miss the upcoming tournament after he failed to secure the mandatory insurance required for international competition. Although he cleared all medical benchmarks for Major League […]

Over a month after he made the choice to join the Detroit Tigers, pitcher Kenley Jansen is making another move. On Friday, Jansen officially announced he will pitch for the Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, per Foul Territory. He explained the importance of representing his home country again. In 2009, Jansen pitched in […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres will enter a pivotal 2026 MLB campaign after an early playoff exit and lackluster offseason (to this point), but before the pressure cooker turns up, the focus will be on promoting national pride. The All-Star outfielder will represent Dominican Republic in March’s World Baseball Classic. He expressed […]

Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez has established himself as a star outfielder in MLB. Now, he will receive the opportunity to find success in the World Baseball Classic, as MLB announced on Friday that Rodriguez will play for Team Dominican Republic in the 2026 WBC. Rodriguez helped the Mariners reach the ALCS in 2025. While […]

Cleveland Guardians fans received clarity Thursday regarding Jose Ramirez’s availability for the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic. While the Guardians franchise cornerstone remains a key figure for Team Dominican Republic, his participation will not begin in the first round with pool play. Ramirez is expected to miss the opening round of the World Baseball Classic, […]

The World Baseball Classic continues to take shape as Team Dominican Republic adds proven experience to its roster ahead of the upcoming March tournament. With just over a month remaining before opening pitch, the Dominican Republic has strengthened its lineup further with another veteran bat and glove as preparations accelerate. Team Dominican Republic officially added […]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled for March 5 to March 17. Certainly, Team USA will be a top contender given its roster. Essentially, the Americans have a power-laden roster that includes Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Alex Bregman, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Kyle Schwarber. On the pitching staff, there are Paul Skenes, Clayton Kershaw, Logan […]

Team Venezuela continued shaping its roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic with two major outfield commitments that signal a clear competitive push. Rising Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio and Boston Red Sox Gold Glove defender Wilyer Abreu have both committed to represent Venezuela, giving the national team a blend of elite athleticism, defensive reliability, […]

Manager Mark DeRosa is finalizing Team USA’s roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. One name he knows won’t be competing with the squad is New York Yankees star Cody Bellinger. After re-signing with the Yankees late in the free agency process, Bellinger opted out of competing in the WBC. Now, DeRosa must find someone […]

Former player and current analyst Mark DeRosa is set to manage Team USA in the World Baseball Classic once again. While Team USA’s roster features no shortage of talent, DeRosa recently admitted that he wishes two Philadelphia Phillies could have been on the ball club as well. “J.T. Realmuto certainly comes to mind,” DeRosa said, […]

Cody Bellinger made his stance clear this week as conversations around the 2026 World Baseball Classic begin to take shape. The New York Yankees slugger does not expect to suit up for Team USA, opting instead to prioritize his preparation for the upcoming season in the Bronx. Bellinger said his focus is firmly on the […]

The San Francisco Giants found themselves navigating crossroads this offseason as ace Logan Webb finalized plans to pitch on the international stage ahead of spring training. The Giants’ ace publicly confirmed his commitment to Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic in December. While the decision generated excitement among fans, it did not fully […]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic can’t come any faster. There are going to be a handful of teams with stacked rosters capable of winning the entire thing. The Dominican Republic is expected to compete with the United States and Japan for a battle of the best three teams in the world. Team USA will have […]

The top slugger for the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, will lead Team USA into battle during the World Baseball Classic in March. Already, he is pulling out all the stops to hype up the tournament. On Wednesday, MLB released a hype video featuring Judge that got everyone pumped, per MLB. It features Judge transitioning […]

With the question if Houston Astros star Carlos Correa will play in the World Baseball Classic, the answer has finally been revealed, which will disappoint fans of Team Puerto Rico. As there have been reports of another Astros star in Jose Altuve not playing in the World Baseball Classic for Team Venezuela, the reason for […]

Philadelphia Phillies star pitcher Jesus Luzardo will not participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. During a recent appearance on MLB Network, Luzardo explained the reasoning behind his decision. “For me, it was obviously a tough decision,” Luzardo said. “For me, it’s super important to represent Venezuela, my family is from there. But, it was […]

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado will compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but he will not represent Team USA. Instead, Arenado has committed to playing for Team Puerto Rico, marking a notable shift after previously suiting up for the United States in past tournaments. The decision comes less than two weeks after the […]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins March 5. There are going to be a ton of great teams representing and Venezuela is hoping to make a deep run in a difficult group. They are in Group D with the Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, and Nicaragua. The DR and Venezuela will meet for their highly […]

The Houston Astros are still determining whether shortstop Carlos Correa will receive approval to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, as final organizational clearances remain unresolved. With the tournament scheduled to begin March 5, the timeline has tightened as the Astros continue internal evaluations. Correa, entering his 12th Major League season, has expressed strong […]

The Philadelphia Phillies are spending their offseason analyzing any ways they can bolster their playoff push in 2026. For one of their star pitchers, he’ll be spending his time trying to add more hardware to his trophy case. Aaron Nola will pitch for Team Italy in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the Phillies announced. This […]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is less than two months away. Team USA will aim for revenge over Japan after they beat them in the final during the last WBC games. Team USA will be in Group B, taking on Mexico, Great Britain, Italy, and Brazil. Mexico will be the only real challenge in this […]

Clayton Kershaw, while he may be retired from MLB, is making one last run during the upcoming World Baseball Classic. But Team USA apparently shouldn’t rely on him striking out former Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani anytime soon. Kershaw, who announced his retirement in September and finished his MLB career with the third World […]

On Thursday, the baseball world was thrown for a loop when Clayton Kershaw said he would pitch in the World Baseball Classic. This comes after he announced his retirement after 17 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of those who was surprised was Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres. He said as much […]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic continues to take shape, and the field has added a proven veteran arm. Team Italy received a notable boost this week by adding reliever Adam Ottavino, strengthening its bullpen ahead of a demanding tournament schedule. Ottavino, a longtime Major League reliever with experience across several contending clubs, including the New […]