The 2026 World Baseball Classic is underway in pool play, and the sport’s best player hasn’t needed long to make a statement. Shohei Ohtani and Japan secured a berth in the quarterfinals with a 4-3 victory over Australia on Sunday.
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.
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. entering the tournament as 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.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 7:38 PM PDTRyan YoungAnd that’ll do it for Mexico. Julian Ornelas just ended their game with Brazil with a two-run shot in the sixth inning. That lifted them to the 16-0 blowout win.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 7:04 PM PDTJason OwensIsrael handed Nicaragua a 5-0 defeat on Sunday, sending Nicaragua to 0-3 in pool play and eliminating it from the knockout round.With the win, Israel picks up its first win of the event to improve to 1-1.Zach Levenson helped blow the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning. The St. Louis Cardinals prospect took the plate with the bases loaded and one out. He delivered a line drive to right field to plate two runs and double Israel’s lead to 4-0.Israel’s pitching, meanwhile, limited Nicaragua to two hits.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 6:58 PM PDTRyan YoungMexico just had a no-hitter broken up, but it’s not going to have any issues getting past Brazil tonight. Mexico — after more than three hitless innings rom Taijuan Walker, is up 11-0 on Brazil now in the fifth inning in Houston.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 2:44 PM PDTJason OwensItaly faced pressure from Great Britain after entering the ninth inning with a 7-4 lead.Great Britain loaded the bases with a single and two walks, sending catcher Harry Ford to the plate as the go-ahead run with two outs. Ford made good contact on a Greg Weissert breaking ball with a line drive to left field.But Dante Nori was there to make the catch for the final out of the game to secure Italy’s 7-4 win.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 12:19 PM PDTIan CasselberryAfter taking a 4-1 lead in the first inning, Cuba added three runs in the seventh. Yiddi Cappe hit a 2-run triple aided by a misplay in left field by Harold Ramírez.Cuba improved to 2-0 in Pool A and will face Puerto Rico on Monday night.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 12:06 PM PDTIan CasselberryGreat Britain is on the verge of going 0-3 in pool play. Italy boosted its lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning with an RBI single from Andrew Fischer, a run-scoring double by Miles Mastrobuoni and Dante Nori driving in a run with a single.In the fifth, Sam Antonacci drove in another run with a triple. He then scored on a throwing error by Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 11:40 AM PDTIan CasselberryMercy! Juan Soto’s two-run homer gives the Dominican Republic a 12-1 walkoff win over the Netherlands in seven innings.Juan Carlos Sulbaran retired Erik González and Junior Lake to begin the bottom of the seventh. Then he walked Ketel Marte after getting ahead on him 0-2.Soto needed only one pitch to finish the game, as Sulbaran hung a slider in the middle of the strike zone. With that blast, the DR improves to 2-0 in Pool D play.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 11:08 AM PDTIan CasselberryLooking for its first win in Pool B play, Great Britain took a 2-0 lead with Nate Eaton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each scoring on wild pitches from Dylan DeLucia.But Italy tied the game in the third on back-to-back homers from Andrew Fischer and J.J. D'Orazio off pitcher Owen Wild.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 11:02 AM PDTIan CasselberryThe Dominican Republic added six runs to their lead in the sixth inning, beginning with a 3-run home run from Junior Caminero.The blast was Caminero’s second of the World Baseball Classic.Julio Rodriguez then drew a walk and Austin Wells followed up with a 2-run shot.Ketel Marte added one more run with a sacrifice fly to give the DR a 10-1 lead.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 10:12 AM PDTIan CasselberryIt’s been the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. show in Miami so far. After driving in the Dominican Republic’s first run, he followed up with a 2-run homer in the third for a 4-1 lead.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 9:49 AM PDTIan CasselberryCuba took a 4-1 lead over Colombia in the first inning with Ariel Martinez and Erisbel Arruebarrena hitting home runs.Martinez’s homer was a 3-run shot. coming after Colombia starter Luis Patiño walked Roel Santos and hit Yoan Moncada with a pitch to open the bottom of the first.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 9:43 AM PDTIan CasselberryAfter falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, the Netherlands got the response it needed with a home run from Didi Gregorius.The Dominican Republic leads 2-1 going into the second inning.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 9:29 AM PDTIan CasselberryThe Dominican Republic got off to a fast start against Netherlands starter Arij Franzen.Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte each drew walks to open the first inning. Franzen briefly recovered by striking out Juan Soto. He then worked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 3 balls, 2 strikes count before the slugger slapped a changeup into left field to drive in Tatis.The DR took a 2-0 lead when Xander Bogaerts committed a throwing error on Manny Machado’s grounder to shortstop.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 5:49 AM PDTIan CasselberryFollowing Rixon Wingrove’s home run that cut Japan’s lead to one run, Taisei Ota gets Robbie Perkins to ground out to third base and finish off a 4-3 win.Masataka Yoshida gave Japan the lead with a 2-run homer in the seventh, and two more runs came in the eighth on a Teruaki Sato pinch-hit RBI double and Seiya Suzuki bases-loaded walk.Chihiro Sumida gets the win for Japan with three scoreless innings of relief and Jon Kennedy takes the loss for Australia.Japan had already advanced out of Pool C to the knockout round. Australia wil need to beat Korea on Monday to move on.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 5:47 AM PDTIan CasselberryAustralia is making this ninth inning interesting. Rixon Wingrove hit an opposite-field home run to left field and Japan’s lead is now 4-3 with two outs.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 5:41 AM PDTIan CasselberryAustralia isn’t done yet. With one out in the ninth inning, Alex Hall blasted a home run to right field off Taisei Ota to trim Japan’s lead to 4-2.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 5:34 AM PDTIan CasselberryJapan adds to its lead in the eighth inning.Munetaka Murakami drew a leadoff walk against Australia reliever Ty Hampton. Ukyo Shuto pinch-ran for Murakami and stole second base. After getting Shugo Maki to ground out, Hampton walked Sosuke Genda.Teruaki Sato pinch-hit for Kenya Wakatsuki and sliced an opposite-field double into the left-field corner for Japan’s second run of the game.Australia then intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani to loaded the bases. But Hampton followed that up by walking Seiya Suzuki to bring in another run for Japan.Cooper Morgan is coming in to relieve Hampton with one out in the eighth.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 5:14 AM PDTIan CasselberryJapan is finally on the board in the seventh inning and has taken a 2-1 lead.Following a leadoff walk to Shohei Ohtani, Australia pitcher Jon Kennedy retired Seiya Suzuki and Kensuke Kondoh. Masataka Yoshida then reached low and inside for a slider and golfed it into the right-field seats for a 2-run homer.
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 5:09 AM PDTIan CasselberryShohei Ohtani still doesn’t have a hit versus Australia, but he drew a walk to lead off the seventh inning for Japan.Australia has issued eight walks, but none of those runners have come around to score. Will Ohtani finally break through?
- Sun, March 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM PDTIan CasselberryAfter Shugo Maki was ruled safe at first base on a replay review to negate a double play turned by Australia, Sosuke Genda hit an infield single to give Japan runners on first and second with two outs.But Jon Kennedy got Kenya Wakatsuki to ground out to shortstop and Japan still hasn’t scored after six innings. Australia leads 1-0 going to the seventh.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 7:38 PM PDT
And that’ll do it for Mexico. Julian Ornelas just ended their game with Brazil with a two-run shot in the sixth inning. That lifted them to the 16-0 blowout win.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 7:04 PM PDT
Israel handed Nicaragua a 5-0 defeat on Sunday, sending Nicaragua to 0-3 in pool play and eliminating it from the knockout round.
With the win, Israel picks up its first win of the event to improve to 1-1.
Zach Levenson helped blow the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning. The St. Louis Cardinals prospect took the plate with the bases loaded and one out. He delivered a line drive to right field to plate two runs and double Israel’s lead to 4-0.
Israel’s pitching, meanwhile, limited Nicaragua to two hits.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 6:58 PM PDT
Mexico just had a no-hitter broken up, but it’s not going to have any issues getting past Brazil tonight. Mexico — after more than three hitless innings rom Taijuan Walker, is up 11-0 on Brazil now in the fifth inning in Houston.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 2:44 PM PDT
Italy faced pressure from Great Britain after entering the ninth inning with a 7-4 lead.
Great Britain loaded the bases with a single and two walks, sending catcher Harry Ford to the plate as the go-ahead run with two outs. Ford made good contact on a Greg Weissert breaking ball with a line drive to left field.
But Dante Nori was there to make the catch for the final out of the game to secure Italy’s 7-4 win.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 12:19 PM PDT
After taking a 4-1 lead in the first inning, Cuba added three runs in the seventh. Yiddi Cappe hit a 2-run triple aided by a misplay in left field by Harold Ramírez.
Cuba improved to 2-0 in Pool A and will face Puerto Rico on Monday night.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 12:06 PM PDT
Great Britain is on the verge of going 0-3 in pool play. Italy boosted its lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning with an RBI single from Andrew Fischer, a run-scoring double by Miles Mastrobuoni and Dante Nori driving in a run with a single.
In the fifth, Sam Antonacci drove in another run with a triple. He then scored on a throwing error by Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 11:40 AM PDT
Mercy! Juan Soto’s two-run homer gives the Dominican Republic a 12-1 walkoff win over the Netherlands in seven innings.
Juan Carlos Sulbaran retired Erik González and Junior Lake to begin the bottom of the seventh. Then he walked Ketel Marte after getting ahead on him 0-2.
Soto needed only one pitch to finish the game, as Sulbaran hung a slider in the middle of the strike zone. With that blast, the DR improves to 2-0 in Pool D play.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 11:08 AM PDT
Looking for its first win in Pool B play, Great Britain took a 2-0 lead with Nate Eaton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each scoring on wild pitches from Dylan DeLucia.
But Italy tied the game in the third on back-to-back homers from Andrew Fischer and J.J. D'Orazio off pitcher Owen Wild.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 11:02 AM PDT
The Dominican Republic added six runs to their lead in the sixth inning, beginning with a 3-run home run from Junior Caminero.
The blast was Caminero’s second of the World Baseball Classic.
Julio Rodriguez then drew a walk and Austin Wells followed up with a 2-run shot.
Ketel Marte added one more run with a sacrifice fly to give the DR a 10-1 lead.
Sun, March 8, 2026 at 10:12 AM PDT
It’s been the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. show in Miami so far. After driving in the Dominican Republic’s first run, he followed up with a 2-run homer in the third for a 4-1 lead.
