How To Watch The 2026 World Baseball Classic: Schedule, Tv, Format And More

It has been 3 years since Shohei Ohtani struck retired Mike Trout for nan last retired to unafraid Japan’s title successful nan 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The world tourney returns Wednesday, pinch 20 teams competing successful a format akin to nan FIFA World Cup, pinch a group shape starting successful Asia, followed by knockout rounds and nan title crippled astatine LoanDepot Park successful Miami.

Japan has won it 3 times (2006, 2009, and 2023), while nan United States was crowned champion successful 2017 and nan Dominican Republic successful 2013. The tourney is officially scheduled to beryllium held each 4 years, but it has played astatine different intervals to accommodate world events: 2006, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023, and 2026. The 2021 version was suspended because of COVID-19.

Ohtani, nan astir valuable subordinate successful 2023, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Aaron Judge apical nan database of stars who will participate successful nan competition.

Japan’s Shohei Ohtani reacts aft taking a plaything during an accumulation crippled against nan Orix Buffaloes connected Monday successful Osaka, Japan.

(Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press)

The United States is successful Group B alongside Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico and Italy. On paper, nan United States and Mexico are nan favorites to advance, though erstwhile editions person shown that nan tourney often produces unexpected results.

Mexico was 1 of nan surprises successful nan erstwhile edition, led by Randy Arozarena. The squad defeated nan United States 11-5 successful nan group shape and hit Puerto Rico 5-4 successful nan quarterfinals, earlier falling 6-5 to Japan successful nan semifinals, successful what was nan first clip it had reached this stage.

The last rounds successful nan United States are scheduled pinch nan quarterfinals connected March 13 and 14, nan semifinals connected March 15 and 16 and nan title crippled connected March 17.

The games will beryllium broadcast successful nan United States connected Fox, FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes.

Here are immoderate cardinal specifications astir nan WBC:

Notable rules:

• The World Baseball Classic will characteristic a transportation timepiece for nan first time. Pitchers will person 15 seconds to present a transportation pinch nan bases quiet and 18 seconds erstwhile a runner is connected base. Batters must beryllium successful nan container and fresh to deed pinch astatine slightest 8 seconds remaining nan clock.
  
• While nan transportation timepiece is in, WBC will not beryllium utilizing nan Automatic Ball-Strike System (ABS).
  
• Pitchers cannot propulsion much than 65 pitches successful a azygous crippled successful nan first information of nan tournament, 80 pitches successful nan quarterfinals and 95 pitches successful nan title round. Pitchers tin walk nan limit to complete a batter’s sheet appearance. Pitchers who propulsion 50 aliases much pitches during a crippled must person a minimum of 4 days’ remainder earlier they tin beryllium utilized again. Those throwing astatine slightest 30 pitches will require 1 time of remainder and pitchers who propulsion connected consecutive days will besides beryllium required to remainder for a time earlier pitching again.
  
• Each squad gets a Designated Pitcher Pool, a reserve of up to six pitchers that tin beryllium called up aft nan first information of nan WBC. Teams tin switch up to 4 pitchers pursuing nan first information and up to 2 pitchers aft nan quarterfinal.
  
• During nan first information and quarterfinals, games will extremity erstwhile a squad leads by 10 aliases much runs aft nan completion of nan seventh inning aliases 15 aliases much runs aft completion of nan 5th inning.

Dodgers connected WBC rosters

Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz throws against nan Arizona Diamondbacks connected Feb. 25 successful Scottsdale, Ariz.

(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

Edwin Díaz (Puerto Rico)
Jake Gelof (Israel)
Hyeseong Kim (Korea)
Antonio Knowles (Great Britain)
Shawndrick Oduber (Netherlands)
Shohei Ohtani (Japan)
Will Smith (United States)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Japan)

Designated Pitcher Pool: Christian Suarez (Venezuela)

Angels connected WBC rosters

Japan’s Yusei Kikuchi throws a transportation during an accumulation crippled against nan Orix Buffaloes Monday successful Osaka, Japan.

(Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press)

Sam Aldegheri (Italy)
Gustavo Campero (Colombia)
Yusei Kikuchi (Japan)
Matthew Lugo (Puerto Rico)
Yoán Moncada (Cuba)
Samy Natera Jr. (Mexico)
Lucas Ramirez (Brazil)
Najer Victor (Great Britain)

Designated Pitcher Pool: Camden Minacci (Italy) and Francis Texido (Cuba)

The groups

The United States’ Aaron Judge talks pinch a coach anterior to an accumulation crippled against nan Colorado Rockies connected Wednesday successful Scottsdale, Ariz. Judge is 1 of nan biggest stars playing successful nan World Baseball Classic.

(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

Group A (Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico)

• Puerto Rico (host)
• Canada
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Panama

Group B (Daikin Park, Houston)

• United States (host)
• Brazil
• Great Britain
• Italy
• Mexico

Group C (Tokyo Dome, Tokyo)

• Japan (host)
• Australia
• Chinese Taipei
• Czechia
• South Korea

Group D (LoanDepot Park, Miami)

• Dominican Republic
• Israel
• Netherlands
• Nicaragua
• Venezuela

The schedule

All games are listed successful Pacific time.

Wednesday, March 4

Chinese Taipei vs. Australia – 7 p.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes

Thursday, March 5

Czechia vs. South Korea – 2 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Australia vs. Czech Republic – 7 p.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes

Friday, March 6

Japan vs. Chinese Taipei – 2 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Cuba vs. Panama – 8 a.m. – FS2/Fox Deportes
Netherlands vs. Venezuela – 9 a.m. – Tubi
Mexico vs. Great Britain – 10 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Puerto Rico vs. Colombia – 3 p.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic – 4 p.m. – FS2
United States vs. Brazil – 5 p.m. – Fox/Fox Deportes
Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia – 7 p.m. – FS2

Saturday, March 7

South Korea vs. Japan – 2 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Colombia vs. Canada – 8 a.m. – FS2/Fox Deportes
Nicaragua vs. Netherlands – 9 a.m. – Tubi
Brazil vs. Italy – 10 a.m. – Fox Sports app
Panama vs. Puerto Rico – 3 p.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Israel vs. Venezuela – 4 p.m. – FS2
Great Britain vs. United States – 5 p.m. – Fox
Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea – 7 p.m. – FS2

Sunday, March 8

Australia vs. Japan – 3 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Colombia vs. Cuba – 9 a.m. – FS2
Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic – 9 a.m. – Fox/Fox Deportes
Great Britain vs. Italy – 10 a.m. – Tubi
Panama vs. Canada – 4 p.m. – FS2
Nicaragua vs. Israel – 4 p.m. – Tubi
Brazil vs. Mexico – 5 p.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes

Monday, March 9

South Korea vs. Australia – 3 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Colombia vs. Panama – 9 a.m. – FS2
Dominican Republic vs. Israel – 9 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Brazil vs. Great Britain – 10 a.m. – Tubi
Cuba vs. Puerto Rico – 4 p.m. – FS1
Venezuela vs. Nicaragua – 4 p.m. – FS2
Mexico vs. United States – 5 p.m. – Fox/Fox Deportes

Tuesday, March 10

Czechia vs. Japan – 3 a.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes
Canada vs. Puerto Rico – 4 p.m. – Tubi
Israel vs. Netherlands – 4 p.m. – Fox Sports app/Fox Deportes
Italy vs. United States – 6 p.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes

Wednesday, March 11

Canada vs. Cuba – 12 p.m. – FS2/Fox Deportes
Italy vs. Mexico – 4 p.m. – Tubi
Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela – 5 p.m. – FS1/Fox Deportes

Quarterfinals

• Second spot successful Group C vs. victor of Group D (March 13 successful Miami)
• Second spot successful Group B vs. victor of Group A (March 13 successful Houston)
• Second spot successful Group A vs. victor of Group B (March 14 successful Houston)
• Second spot successful Group D vs. victor of Group C (March 14 successful Miami)

Semifinals

• Semifinal 1 (March 15 successful Miami)
• Semifinal 2 (March 16 successful Miami)

Final

• March 17 successful Miami, 5 p.m., Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox Sports app/Tubi