The WBC is no longer a sideshow orbiting Major League Baseball. The tournament has shifted to spotlighting what a sport can look like when national pride, global stars and meaningful stakes collide. That shift says as much about baseball’s future as it does about one unforgettable at-bat.

Baseball's premier international tournament is back. Twenty teams from all over the globe are set to vie for supremacy at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, starting Wednesday night ET. In the end, only one will stand tall.

Michael Phelps had a clear message, U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said.

Pool A features several familiar faces on Team Puerto Rico and Team Canada. Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic Pool A kicks off play in San Juan, Puerto Rico with Cuba vs. Panama and Puerto Rico vs.

Team USA Baseball takes on the San Francisco Giants in a World Baseball Classic tune-up game on Tuesday, March 3, at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Get ready to dive into World Baseball Classic pool play. The 2026 tournament, which gets underway this week, features four pools: A, B, C and D. Each of those pools consists of five teams battling it out in a round-robin format.

The World Baseball Classic begins tomorrow. Where does the USA sit on the oddsboard ahead of the tournament? Here's the latest.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will feature several global contenders hoping to take home the biggest international honor in the sport, but Team USA’s squad is just a bit different than the rest. The Americans haven’t won the WBC

Here is more on Chinese Taipei, including its location and why the name Taiwan isn't used in international competition.