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Ken Rosenthal previews the World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic returns to FOX this month. FOX's Breland Moore talked to Ken Rosenthal about Team USA, Shohei Ohtani, and what else fans can look forward to.
The World Baseball Classic is back as 20 nations battle for the championship, with the U.S. team attempting to win its first championship since 2017.
This year’s tournament kicked off with Australia defeating Chinese Taipei on Wednesday night in the opener and the action continues Thursday at the Tokyo Dome, then moves into games in Houston, Miami, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Japan is the defending champion heading into this year’s WCB and is attempting to win its fourth title.
A general view of the 2026 World Baseball Classic logo on display during the 2026 World Baseball Classic workout day at loanDepot park on Thursday, March 5, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
What they're saying:
"The atmosphere in these games is incredibly intense," FOX Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal offered. "It's different than a playoff game or a World Series game in Major League Baseball because you have the national element involved. The last tournament was one of the great things I've ever covered in my career. I've covered a lot of things, and this thing stood out to me. The games were so exciting."
How to watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic
What you can do:
Sports fans can catch the World Baseball Classic on FOX, with the network airing seven games, including three Pool B games featuring the United States team, two Quarterfinals games and the World Baseball Classic Championship Game on Tuesday, March 17 from Miami’s loanDepot Park. Viewers can watch the remaining games across FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports app, FOX One and Tubi.
How to stream the 2026 World Baseball Classic
Go online:
Viewers can stream all 47 games of the World Baseball Classic on the following streaming platforms:
- FOXSports.com and FOX Sports App
- FOX One
- Tubi
Additionally, FOX Deportes will also air 28 tournament games in Spanish, including all four quarterfinals games, two semifinals contests, and the World Baseball Classic Championship Game. FOX Sports noted that streaming services that carry FOX networks, like YouTube TV or Fubo, can be utilized to stream the baseball tournament.
File: Shohei Ohtani #16 of Team Japan hoists the Classic Trophy after defeating Team USA 3-2 to win the World Baseball Classic Championship at loanDepot park on March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
When is the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
Dig deeper:
The tournament kicked off on March 4 with Australia beating Chinese Taipei and will conclude on March 17 with the World Baseball Classic Championship Game in Miami.
Team USA starts pool play on Friday, March 6 against Brazil. You can view the full World Baseball Classic schedule here.
What teams are competing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
Big picture view:
The World Baseball Classic features 20 teams in this year's tournament. Here’s the list of the pool and where the teams are playing.
- Pool A: San Juan, Puerto Rico (Teams: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, Colombia)
- Pool B: Houston (Teams: United States, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil)
- Pool C: Tokyo, Japan (Teams: Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czechia, Chinese Taipei)
- Pool D: Miami (Teams: Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua)
Who is playing for Team USA baseball?
Local perspective:
Team USA has a star-studded roster of talent on this year’s team.
New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is the team’s captain, and the squad features other stars like Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners), Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals), and Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies).
Pitchers:
- David Bednar, Yankees
- Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs
- Garrett Cleavinger, Tampa Bay Rays
- Clay Holmes, New York Mets
- Griffin Jax, Tampa Bay Rays
- Brad Keller, Philadelphia Phillies
- Clayton Kershaw, who last played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, retired after the 2025 season
- Nolan McLean, Mets
- Mason Miller, San Diego Padres
- Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
- Gabe Speier, Seattle Mariners
- Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals
- Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
- Garrett Whitlock, Boston Red Sox
- Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees
Catchers:
- Cal Raleigh, Mariners
- Will Smith, Dodgers
Infielders:
- Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs
- Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays
- Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees
- Bryce Harper, Phillies
- Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers
- Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
Outfielders:
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
- Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
Designated Hitter:
- Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
The Associated Press reported that Webb is scheduled to start Team USA’s Friday opener against Brazil in Houston, followed by Skubal on Saturday against Britain, Skenes vs. Mexico on Monday and top Mets prospect Nolan McLean against Italy on March 10.
History of the World Baseball Classic
The backstory:
The World Baseball Classic, an international baseball event, was first held in 2006. Japan won three championships in World Baseball Classic history, the most by any country.
The Dominican Republic (2013) and the United States (2017) are the only other countries to win the World Baseball Classic.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by FOX Sports, FOX News, MLB.com, and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.