Baseball fans, rejoice! The 2026 World Baseball Classic officially began Wednesday with the start of pool play. Colombia and Brazil secured the final two spots in this year’s tournament in qualifiers, rounding out the field of 20 nations set to compete.
This year marks the sixth iteration of the international baseball tournament, with Japan the reigning champion after defeating Team USA 3-2 in the 2023 final. After a few games in Tokyo to get things going, the full schedule began Friday.
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The Americans have taken home one WBC title, back in 2017, and they’re looking for a second with a loaded roster that includes 22 MLB All-Stars — the most of any roster in the tournament. Among those who will represent Team USA are Paul Skenes, Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge, just to name a few of the stars, with the U.S. currently the favorite (-105) over Japan (+350) at BetMGM.
During pool play, games will be played in Tokyo, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Miami and Houston. The pool stage runs through March 11, followed by the quarterfinals (March 13 and 14) and semifinals (March 15 and 16). It all culminates with the WBC final on March 17, which will be played at loanDepot Park in Miami.
Games will air across Fox, FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes, with streaming for all games available with a Fox One subscription.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest news and updates from the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Live87 updates
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 9:15 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Chinese Taipei poured it on in the sixth inning. Stuart Fairchild led off with a walk, then stole second base, He came around to score on a single to right field from Yu Chang.
After An-Ko Lin struck out, both Kungkuan Giljegiljaw and Lyle Lin were hit by pitches. Boris Vecerka then walked Cheng-Yu Chang to load the bases. Chen-Wei Chen followed with a double to score two runs.
Filip Capka relieved Vecerka, but gave up another run on a groundout from Tsung-Che Cheng. Chinese Taipei ended the inning with five runs, increasing its lead to 14-0.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:58 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Yu Chang’s 2-run single with two outs in the fourth inning boosted Chinese Taipei’s lead over Czechia to 8-0. In the fifth, the lead increased to 9-0 on Chen-Wei Chen’s sacrifice fly.
Chang made it a 10-0 game in the sixth with an RBI single off Martin Schneider.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:49 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Brazil trimmed the U.S. lead to 8-5 in the eighth inning on Lucas Ramirez’s second home run of the game. But the Brazilian pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone in the ninth, walking five batters to help the U.S. build a 10-run lead. Overall, Brazil walked 17 U.S. batters in Team USA’s 15-5 win.
Mason Miller finished the game, striking out his final three batters after walking Dante Bichette Jr. to lead off the inning.
Brice Turang drove in four runs., with Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony each getting two RBI to lead the U.S. lineup. Logan Webb allowed one run over four innings to get the win.
Brazil will try to shake off this loss against Italy at 1 p.m. ET Saturday. And Team USA will look to move to 2-0 in Pool B play against Great Britain at 8 p.m. ET Saturday. Tarik Skubal is scheduled to start for the U.S.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:32 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
And another one! Brazil issues its 17th walk of the game, as Pete Crow-Armstrong draws a bases-loaded pass off Vitor Takahashi. That gave the U.S. a 13-5 lead.
Takahashi then committed a balk while facing Brice Turang, which brought Cal Raleigh in to score for a 14-5 USA lead.
The U.S. then put the ball in play with Turang grounding out to shortstop, That drove in Roman Anthony to give Team USA a 15-5 lead.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:26 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Roman Anthony has two RBI for Team USA, driving in Kyle Schwarber with a bases-loaded single to make it 12-5.
Anthony is 2-for-4 tonight.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:25 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Make that 16 walks for Brazil. And another USA run.
Vitor Takahashi came on in relief for Tomas Lopez, who walked three consecutive batters. Then Takahashi walked Cal Raleigh on four pitches (technically three, as the first ball was a pitch clock violation).
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:20 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Following Bryce Harper’s RBI single, Brazil pitcher Tomas Lopez walked Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber and Alex Bregman in succession. That brought in Harper to score and increased Team USA’s lead to 10-5.
Brazil has walked 15 U.S. batters tonight. The bases are still loaded as Vitor Takahashi takes over for Lopez.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:12 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Team USA’s lead is back up to four runs in the top of the ninth.
Brice Turang led off the frame with a single up the middle. Following a Bobby Witt Jr. strikeout, Bryce Harper drove a curveball into right field to drive in Turang and give the U.S. a 9-5 lead.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:06 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 8:01 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Brazil isn’t going down quietly. Lucas Ramirez has his second home run of the game, hitting a high, 94-mph fastball from Gabe Speier into the seats.
Speier avoided further damage, striking out Osvaldo Carvalho and getting Leonardo Reginnato to line out to shortstop to finish the inning.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 7:58 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Stuart Fairchild’s grand slam has given Chinese Taipei a 6-0 lead over Czechia in the second inning.
The bases were loaded for Chinese Taipei on a two-out single from Chen-Wei Chen and walks to Tsung-Che Cheng and Cheng-Hui Sung. Czechia’s Jan Novak then hung a changeup in the middle of the strike zone to Fairchild.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 7:52 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Team USA boosted its lead to four runs on a Roman Anthony RBI single in the top of the eighth. He drove in Aaron Judge, who drew a leadoff walk.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 7:48 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Junior Caminero, Julio Rodriguez and Oneil Cruz each hit home runs while leading the Dominican Republic to a 12-3 win over Nicaragua in its WBC opener.
Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each drove in three runs, and Seranthony DomÃnguez earned the win with a scoreless sixth inning.
Nicaragua will next face the Netherlands on Satuday at 12 p.m. ET. Then the DR will play the Netherlands on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 7:39 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Brazil has made it a three-run game versus Team USA in the seventh inning.
Facing Michael Wacha, Leonardo Reginatto led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Lucas Rojo drove in Reginatto with a single. Then Wacha grooved a 93-mph fastball down the lower-middle of the strike zone, and Victor Mascai launched it out for a two-run homer.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 7:29 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s RBI double and a run-scoring single from Julio Rodriguez boosted the Dominican Republic’s lead over Nicaragua to 12-3 in the eighth inning.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 7:08 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
The Dominican Republic added to its lead in the eighth inning on a solo home run by Julio Rodriguez off Osman Gutierrez. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a walk, and Fernando Tatis Jr. reached base with a single.
DR manager Albert Pujols then pinch-hit Oneil Cruz for Ketel Marte, and the move paid off with a gigantic, upper-deck shot for a three-run homer.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Michael Wacha takes over for Logan Webb on the mound for the U.S. On the field, Pete Crow-Armstrong goes to center field for Byron Buxton.
Webb pitched four innings, allowing one run on one hit. He struck out six Brazil batters with no walks. Buxton hit 0-for-2 with an RBI and run scored.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 6:55 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Brice Turang hit his second double of the game, clearing the bases and scoring three runs for the U.S. Cal Raleigh, Roman Anthony and Byron Buxton all came around to score on the opposite-field drive off Daikin Park’s left-field wall.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 6:51 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
With the bases loaded, Brazil pitcher Gabriel Barbosa couldn’t make a mistake. However, he hit Byron Buxton on a fastball that sailed too far inside, bringing in a run and giving the U.S. a 4-1 lead.
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 6:48 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Brazil is having difficulty adapting to the pitch clock, it appears. After Lucas Ramirez was called out for not returning to the batter’s box in time in the third inning, pitcher Gabriel Barbosa is called for a pitch clock violation that results in a walk to USA’s Roman Anthony.
That loads the bases for Team USA with Alex Bregman and Cal Raleigh drawing walks before Anthony. One out in the fifth inning.