Best World Baseball Classic pool games as tournament begins

Before the 2026 MLB season begins, the World Baseball Classic returns to determine who is the best national team in the world.

There will be 20 teams vying for that title, and pool play begins this week with the final set on March 17 at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida – home of the Miami Marlins.

The tournament will feature baseball powerhouses including Team USA, which will feature Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Cal Raleigh, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and more, paving the way for what the U.S. hopes will be more victories in 2026, especially after the Milan Cortina Games conclude.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club

But others, like reigning WBC champions Japan and the Dominican Republic, want bragging rights for the next three years until the tournament returns. Only two teams from each of the four pools will advance to the quarterfinals, and some incredible matchups are already in store for this year’s tournament.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top five pool games that are must-see games for every baseball fan, starting with Tokyo.

Japan vs. Korea – March 7, 5 a.m. ET

It’s time to sound those alarms, because Shohei Ohtani and reigning WBC winners Japan host Korea, and these two rivals have delivered epic matches in this tournament in the past.

In 2009, these two faced off in an extra rounds championship, and they have been facing each other since 1954. However, while Japan established themselves as the team to beat in this tournament, Korea was unable to capture that glory from previous years, failing to advance out of the group stage since the WBC in 2009.

Korea has some solid players on its roster, including a big-game veteran like Hyun-Jin Ryu, the former pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, who will take over at 38 years old. It also features great players like Hyeseong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, Shay Whitcomb and Jahmai Jones.

But Japan charged in once again, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yusei Kikuchi and Tomoyuki Sugano are recognizable names on the pitching staff, while Munetaka Murakami, Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida join Ohtani in the lineup.

Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands – March 8, 12 p.m. ET

You might not think of it as a rivalry, but these teams certainly have a feud given that many players are from Curacao – a constituent island country of the kingdom. Think Kenley Jensen, Ozzie Albies, Xander Bogaerts (Aruba), Jurickson Profar and Ceddanne Rafaela. Even Didi Gregorius, who was actually born in Amsterdam, will be on the field to face a multi-player Dominican team this weekend.

Juan Soto of the Dominican Republic hits a home run during the third inning of the World Baseball Classic Pool D game against Puerto Rico at LoanDepot Park on March 15, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Take a look at the DR’s list and you’ll find All-Star after All-Star, from Manny Machado to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to Juan Soto, to Fernando Tatis Jr., and the list goes on and on. This is arguably the best lineup in the tournament considering the number of stars present, and there’s no doubt that every single one of them wants to get out of the group stage after failing to make it last time.

USA vs. Mexico – March 9, 8 p.m. ET

Although Team USA has a sizable roster, it’s Mexico that has won each of its last three matchups, and it wasn’t close in 2023 when El Tri beat the Stars and Stripes, 11-5.

Nonetheless, the United States won the championship, only to lose to Japan. As a result, the team’s roster is literally the best it’s ever been, with a rotation that will include Tarik Skubal (who is only expected to pitch in a pool game against Great Britain), Skenes, Nolan McLean, Logan Webb and others.

In the bullpen, Mason Miller is poised to close out games, while Garrett Whitlock, Griffin Jax and others bring power in high-leverage situations.

And on the field, while the aforementioned Judge will captain this Team USA team, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Alex Bregman, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Byron Buxton make up a complete roster for manager Mark DeRosa to play with throughout the tournament.

Captain Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees USA WBC Team and USA Team Manager Mark DeRosa speak to the media during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York, New York. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos)

But Mexico once again has a solid group, with Jonathan Aranda, Randy Arozarena, Jarren Duran and Luis Urias as notable bats in the lineup. On the mound, Taj Bradley, Taijuan Walker and electric closer Andrés Muñoz highlight the pitching staff.

Puerto Rico vs. Canada – March 10, 7 p.m. ET

For the first time since 2013, Puerto Rico is a host site for WBC pool play, and San Juan is sure to be loud when its national team takes the field against a Canadian team that’s also loaded with talent.

Jameson Taillon, Cal Quantrill and Mike Soroka are part of the rotation, while the Naylor brothers, Josh and Bo, will play together for their country. Slugger Tyler O’Neill also returns to the team, and Abraham Toro, Otto Lopez and Edouard Julien are just a few of the team’s big players.

But it’s hard not to expect Puerto Rico to handle business in its capital, as it boasts a deep pitching staff, with closer Edwin Diaz hoping for redemption after his 2023 freak accident that led to a season-ending injury while with the New York Mets. Seth Lugo, Fernando Cruz, Jorge Lopez and Jose Espada create scary depth, and the position players are recognizable names.

The biggest, however, is Nolan Arenado, who helped the United States win gold in 2017 and silver in 2023. Although he grew up in a large Cuban family, his maternal grandmother is Puerto Rican and he has said he wanted to play for Puerto Rico in the past. Now is the time for him to do so, as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ new Platinum Glove third baseman hopes to add some solid play, as he has with the United States in the past.

Edwin Diaz of Team Puerto Rico celebrates a strike during a 5-2 victory against Team Dominican Republic during their World Baseball Classic Pool D game at LoanDepot Park on March 15, 2023, in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela – March 11, 8 p.m. ET

This could be the best pool game of the entire first round of this WBC, as star power galore will be on full display.

We’ve already mentioned what the Dominican Republic brings, but Venezuela is also loaded across the board. Salvador Perez will return behind the plate, but William Contreras is also there to catch alongside his first base brother, Willson. Luis Arraez, Eugenio Suarez, Andres Gimenez and Gleyber Torres highlight the infield, while Ronald Acuña Jr., Wiyer Abreu and Jackson Chourio hold down the outfield for Venezuela.

There’s a chance these two teams finish in first and second place in Pool D. And we might want them to, considering this pool game could have a championship feel when they take the field in Miami.

Related article