Pool C kicks off play in Tokyo with Chinese Taipei vs. Australia on March 4 (March 5 local time).

Japan

Meet the kings of this tournament, the winners in 2006, 2009 and 2023. Samurai Japan reached its apex in the last edition of the WBC, when Shohei Ohtani came out of the bullpen to strike out Team USA captain Mike Trout to close out the championship game. Ohtani will not be pitching in this year’s tournament, but his bat will still pace the Japanese lineup. The rotation is well-stocked behind him, in the form of Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Los Angeles Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi.

Manager: Hirokazu Ibata

Ibata, a longtime shortstop for the Chunichi Dragons and later the Yomiuri Giants, is replacing Hideki Kuriyama, the decorated former Samurai Japan skipper. Kuriyama, who had won the Japan Series as Ohtani’s manager on the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2016, guided the club to the gold medal in 2023. Ibata managed the Japanese team that was upset by Chinese Taipei in the 2024 finals of the Premier12 tournament at the Tokyo Dome. Ibata has also spent time as manager of Japan’s U-15 team.

Players you know: DH Shohei Ohtani, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, IF Munetaka Murakami, IF Kazuma Okamoto

The first fellow requires no introduction. Ohtani is the brightest star in the baseball universe. Yamamoto displayed historic grit in closing out the World Series. As for Murakami and Okamoto, it is a chance for American fans to see just what the White Sox and Blue Jays can expect when the duo debuts in MLB later this year.

Players you should know: RHP Hiromi Itoh

Last season, Itoh, a 28-year-old pitching for the Nippon Ham Fighters, won the Sawamura Award, NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award, after putting together a 2.52 ERA in 196 2/3 innings. Itoh might be the most talented Japanese player available to big-league clubs this coming winter, although his performance this season and the impending lockout could affect his arrival. Scouts will be sure to gauge if Itoh’s 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame will limit his ceiling in MLB.

Notably absent: RHP Yu Darvish, RHP Roki Sasaki

Darvish, the 39-year-old Japanese icon, is pondering retirement as he recovers from an elbow surgery that will cost him the 2026 season, but he will be with the team as an advisor. Sasaki announced himself to MLB fans with his performance in the 2023 WBC, but he won’t be playing an encore in 2026. After an inconsistent rookie season with the Dodgers — one that ended with him saving three postseason games during the World Series run — the organization blocked Sasaki from participating, the player said earlier this year, stating they wanted to prioritize his health following shoulder issues last season.

Pool schedule

March 6: at Chinese Taipei
March 7: vs. Korea
March 8: vs. Australia
March 10: vs. Czechia

Australia

The Aussies made it to the quarterfinals of the WBC for the first time in 2023 before losing to Cuba. Barring a major upset, they will be jockeying with South Korea to see who can accompany Japan out of pool play into the knockout rounds.

Manager: Dave Nilsson

In 1999, while playing catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, Nilsson became the first Aussie to make the MLB All-Star team, a distinction later earned by countrymen Grant Balfour and Liam Hendriks. But the prospect of playing for his country in the 2000 Sydney Olympics appealed so much to Nilsson that he opted to spend that season with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. Nilsson has managed the national team since 2018.

Players you know: RHP Liam Hendriks, INF Travis Bazzana

Hendriks, a three-time All-Star closer, will be available out of the designated pitcher pool if Australia advances to the quarterfinals. Bazzana attended high school in Sydney before matriculating at Oregon State in 2022. He was chosen first overall in the 2024 draft by Cleveland, but his prospect status has dimmed, as he struggled with injuries in 2025. Even so, Bazzana entered this season at No. 50 on Keith Law’s prospect rankings and No. 2 in Cleveland’s system.

Player you should know: LHP Blake Townsend

Townsend signed a minor-league deal with Texas after decent numbers in three different levels of the Pirates’ system last year. He is a lefty, so he’s never that far from the majors.

Pool schedule

March 4: vs. Chinese Taipei
March 5: at Czechia
March 8: at Japan
March 9: vs. South Korea

Jung Hoo Lee was a star to watch in the 2023 WBC. Now he makes his return to the national team after two seasons in MLB. (Daniel Shirey / WBCI / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Korea

After losing the championship game to Japan in 2009, the Koreans have yet to advance past the quarterfinals in subsequent tournaments. This year will feature challenges wrought by injury. The team will be without top pitchers Moon Dong-Ju and Won Tae-In because of recent arm troubles.

Manager: Ji-Hyun Ryu

Ryu spent a decade as an infielder for the LG Giants in the KBO. He had previously been an assistant coach for South Korea in the 2006 and 2013 iterations of the WBC.

Players you know: OF Jung Hoo Lee, INF Hyeseong Kim, RHP Dane Dunning

Lee, the Grandson of the Wind, is still trying to live up to the expectations brought on by his decorated career in the KBO and the $113 million deal he signed with San Francisco heading into 2024. A shoulder injury wrecked his rookie season. He put together a solid sophomore campaign for the Giants with a 110 OPS+. Dodgers utility man Kim joins the team following a hot start in spring training. MLB vet Dunning, whose mother is from South Korea, is on the squad after missing out on the 2023 national roster due to injury.

Player you should know: 3B Do-Yeong Kim

At only 20 years old, Kim won the MVP award for the KBO in 2024 after hitting 38 homers with 109 RBIs and a 1.067 OPS. He also stole 40 bases and hit 29 doubles. A series of hamstring injuries limited him to 30 games this past season, but Kim has the skills to make it in MLB when the Kia Tigers post him in the future.

Notably absent: IF Ha-Seong Kim, INF Sung-Mun Song

After re-signing with Atlanta on a one-year, $20 million deal, Kim is going to be out for about 4-5 months after finger surgery. He missed most of last year while recovering from shoulder surgery. Song, who just signed a four-year, $15 million deal with San Diego, pulled out after injuring his oblique in January.

Pool schedule

March 5: vs. Czechia
March 7: at Japan
March 7: vs. Chinese Taipei
March 9: at Australia

Czechia

Unlike other European national teams who are populated with Americans digging into their heritage — we’re looking at you, Team Italy — the Czechs are the real deal. The team is composed mostly of fellows from Prague who draw paychecks as electricians and firefighters. It’s a charming group. This will be Czechia’s second appearance in the WBC.

Manager: Pavel Chadim

Like many of his players, Chadim does not make his living in baseball. He happens to be a neurologist based in Brno. After a lengthy playing career in Czech baseball, he has been a prominent figure in coaching the country’s various national teams, including the first Czech team to reach the Little League World Series. He led the club during its first run to the WBC in 2023.

Players you know: C Martin Červenka, INF Terrin Vavra

Červenka made it to Triple A with Baltimore in 2019 and again with the Mets in 2021. Vavra has appeared in 68 games since debuting for the Orioles in 2022.

Player you should know: Whoever strikes out Ohtani this time

One of the highlights of the 2023 WBC was Ondrej Satoria, a technician for an electrical company whose fastball sat at 79 mph, fanning the great Ohtani in pool play at the Tokyo Dome. Satoria is back for more in 2026. But so are Tomas Duffek, Lukas Ercoli and Jan Novak. The candidates for immortality are endless.

Notably absent: INF Eric Sogard

Sogard, a veteran of 11 big-league seasons who last played in the majors in 2021, joined the Czechs during games in 2023. But an injury will keep him off this roster this time around.

Pool schedule

March 5: at Korea
March 5: vs. Australia
March 6: vs. Chinese Taipei
March 10: at Japan

Chinese Taipei

All five teams in Chinese Taipei’s pool last go-round went 2-2, but with the way tiebreakers worked out, not only did the team from Taiwan not advance into the quarterfinals, the group needed to re-qualify for the 2026 tourney, too. Well, here they are. Chien-Ming Wang, the greatest Taiwanese player in MLB history, will serve as the squad’s bullpen coach.

Manager: Hao-Jiu Tseng

Tseng remains in his role after leading his team to victory at Premier12 and also at the 2023 WBC. He has plenty of experience managing in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, including taking the Rakuten Monkeys to the 2022 Taiwan Series.

Players you know: INF Yu Chang, INF Tsung-Che Cheng

Chang played for the Guardians, Pirates, Rays and Red Sox before opting to return to the Fubon Guardians in 2024. Cheng appeared in three games for Pittsburgh last year and took seven at-bats. He is still in the market for his first big-league hit.

Player you should know: LHP Yu-Min Lin

Lin is a former top prospect who has struggled since taking a liner to the face early in 2024. He will need to shore up his walk rate to crack the majors with Arizona. But he won’t turn 23 until this summer, and the WBC could be an excellent showcase.

Notably absent: RHP Kai-Wei Teng

After making seven starts for the Giants last year, Teng was traded to Houston. He has opted to skip the tournament as he adjusts to a new organization, where he is hoping to garner a spot on the big-league roster.

Pool schedule

March 4: vs. Australia
March 6: vs. Japan
March 6: at Czechia
March 7: at Korea