Ryan Bautista | Head Editor & Layout Manager
March 6, 2026
Spring training has begun, and MLB teams are currently gearing up for what could potentially be the last full season of baseball for a couple of years. Why, you ask? Everyone doesn’t like that the Los Angeles Dodgers spent money. But that’s another article. Regardless of all this, baseball fans are itching for quality baseball to watch. If only there was an international tournament, acting almost as a warm-up act to the actual season.
…Wait, there is?
The World Baseball Classic is a prestigious event, but, before you ask, it is nothing like the Olympics or the World Cup. The WBC is where players from around the globe compete for their home countries to see which country is the best at baseball. After pool play decides seeding, the tournament ultimately crowns the champion. It occurs every four years and is played in different cities that rotate with every iteration of the event…OK, it might be like the Olympics. And the World Cup.
No matter what you call it, there are sure to be powerhouses and favorites to win the gold medal–I mean trophy. In case you have been living under a rock and don’t follow international baseball, here’s a list of those top contenders.
Samurai Japan
First off, best team name ever, and it’s not even a close competition. Senior Liem Sidhu said that “the name Samurai Japan strikes fear in him,” and Sidhu directed all other teams to come up with “better names in the future.” Moving on, they are additionally the defending champs, so they automatically get placed in the top contender tier. Oh yeah, they also have Shohei Ohtani, the man who has taken over baseball and is a back-to-back World Series champion. In the last WBC, he came in out of the bullpen during the ninth inning and struck out Mike Trout, his MLB teammate at the time, in order to win the tournament for Samurai Japan. Joining him is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, and a lot more crazy Japanese players who are really good at baseball. I mean, just having Ohtani makes Japan the country to beat in the tournament.
Team USA
Where is the weakness on this team? I mean, where are its faults? Scary offense powered by team captain Aaron Judge and catcher Cal Raleigh, elite defense, a dominant bullpen, and a starting rotation consisting of the two reigning Cy Young award winners, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, and other aces. Sidhu described that he “has patriotic blood surging through his veins, and is absolutely rooting for Team USA.” The only thing stopping the team, ironically, is the MLB season. Many players don’t want to risk getting injured and hurting their team’s chances in the regular season, so that limits the USA roster a little bit. Plus, not everyone who plays in the MLB gets to be on Team USA. Still, this team is really good and is a favorite to take back its crown.
Team Dominican Republic
One thing can always be said about the Dominican Republic: they love baseball. The amount of star power this team has is insane, from the pitching staff to hitters like Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Even their manager is a former All-Star and probable Hall of Famer in Albert Pujols. Senior Cocean McAlister predicted that “the DR could win, but it will be tough for them to compete with the other powerhouses.” They are coming for blood after not making it out of pool play last time in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, and they are seeking to prove that Latin America is the best at baseball.
Of course, there is always a chance that other teams can rise to the challenge and win the WBC. Teams like Team Korea have a lot of talent to pull from, like Hyeseong Kim and Jung Hoo Lee. The runner-up for the coolest team name, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is using its island territories, like Aruba and Curacao, to get players like Kenley Jansen and Xander Bogaerts on their team. Just like the famous Jamaican Olympic bobsled team, underdogs are still in the fight to win the WBC.
Even though it may not be the flashiest or most popular international sports competition, the World Baseball Classic is a great way for players to represent their country and not have to wait for the Olympics to do so. The players enjoy it, broadcasting companies get more money, and baseball fans get something to tide them over the few weeks remaining until the MLB regular season starts. So, it’s a win for everyone!
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