The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins March 5 and runs through March 17, with pool play in San Juan, Houston, Tokyo, and Miami before single-elimination rounds crown a champion at loanDepot Park. All 30 MLB organizations are sending players to the tournament — 304 total across 19 countries, including 78 former All-Stars. Japan enters as the defending champion after Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to seal the 2023 final.
Use the interactive roster explorer below to search every player in the 2026 World Baseball Classic by team, country, or name.
2026 WBC Pools
Pool A (San Juan): Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Panama, Colombia
Pool B (Houston): United States, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil
Pool C (Tokyo): Japan, Korea, Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia
Pool D (Miami): Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Israel
Pool D is loaded. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela combine for 55 MLB players between them, and Israel adds another 24 -- making Miami's group the deepest concentration of major league talent in the tournament.
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Which MLB Teams Are Losing the Most Players?
The 
Mets lead all organizations with 17 players heading to the World Baseball Classic across 11 different countries, highlighted by Juan Soto suiting up for the Dominican Republic. The Mariners are close behind at 16 players representing a tournament-high 12 countries, with Julio Rodriguez (Dominican Republic), Cal Raleigh (United States), and Randy Arozarena (Mexico) among the headliners.
The 
Phillies are sending 15 players, including three key arms: Cristopher Sanchez to the Dominican Republic, Aaron Nola to Italy, and Ranger Suarez to Venezuela. Four more teams — the Brewers, Pirates, Red Sox, and Royals — are each sending 14 players.
On the other end, the Nationals and Astros are sending just three players apiece, giving them the quietest spring training camps in baseball.
Most Internationally Diverse MLB Rosters
Raw player count only tells part of the story. The Mariners are sending players to 12 different countries — the most of any MLB organization — spanning everything from Julio Rodriguez with the Dominican Republic to Dane Dunning with Korea to Pedro Da Costa Lemos with Brazil.
The Blue Jays and Mets each have players representing 11 countries. The Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, and Royals are all at 10 countries apiece.
Even the 
Angels, who are only sending eight players total, have them spread across eight different nations. It is a reflection of how globally sourced modern MLB rosters have become — and how the World Baseball Classic uniquely fractures a single clubhouse across a dozen competing national teams.
Which Countries Have the Most MLB Talent?
The Dominican Republic and United States are tied with 28 MLB players each. The DR's roster is arguably the deepest in the tournament, headlined by Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., and Julio Rodriguez. Team USA counters with Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Bryce Harper, and Bobby Witt Jr.
Venezuela (27 MLB players) rounds out the top tier behind Ronald Acuna Jr., Luis Arraez, and Jackson Chourio.
The surprise is Italy. Heritage eligibility rules allow Italian-American players to represent the country, giving Italy 25 MLB players — more than Japan's eight. Aaron Nola, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Jac Caglianone make Italy a legitimate dark horse in Pool B. Israel (24 players) and Great Britain (19, led by Jazz Chisholm Jr.) are similarly deep relative to their baseball histories.
Japan compensates for its smaller MLB contingent with NPB stars. Ohtani will hit but has confirmed he will not pitch in the tournament.
What This Means for Fantasy Baseball and Betting
Teams losing significant pitching to the World Baseball Classic could start the 2026 MLB season slowly. The Phillies, Red Sox, and Brewers each have rotation arms in the tournament whose spring training routines will be disrupted. Bettors should monitor April workloads for WBC starters like Skenes, Bello, and Sanchez.
On the flip side, historical data shows WBC hitters tend to perform well in April and May. Competitive at-bats against elite pitching during March appear to sharpen timing entering the regular season. Players like Judge, Ohtani, Soto, and Guerrero Jr. could benefit from the early ramp-up.
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For WBC futures, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela offer value given their MLB depth. Pool D's Miami location gives both teams a home-crowd edge throughout the group stage.
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