Poll: Who will win the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC)?

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The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) starts tonight, technically Thursday in Japan, but for those watching in the Western Hemisphere, it will start later on Wednesday night due to the time difference. Australia will face Chinese Taipei in the opening match.

The 2023 version had some memorable moments that were both exciting and heartbreaking. The Dominican Republic national team suffered a shock defeat to Puerto Rico in the group stage, but the latter club’s celebrations quickly turned sour. Edwin Diaz He suffered a knee injury that ultimately ruined his major league season. Puerto Rico won 5-4 in the quarterfinals after Mexico gave up 3 runs in the 7th inning. At that time, Mexico was on the verge of defeating Japan in the semifinals. Murakami Munetaka I walked out by hitting a 2-RBI double.

The finals came to an exciting and memorable climax, with Japan leading the United States 3-2 heading into the ninth inning. Japan sent Shohei OtaniThe designated hitter went on the mound and got the final three outs. Otani walked Jeff McNeil But then Mookie Betts You end up in a double play. Ohtani’s then-Angels teammate Mike Trout I stepped up to the plate with the title written on it. Trout made a full count, but was eventually punched by Ohtani, giving Japan the win.

Japan was the most successful club in WBC history, with this being their third title. They also won in 2006 and 2009. The Dominican Republic won in 2013, followed by the United States in 2017. The gap at the time was larger than usual due to the pandemic, so the 2021 version was pushed back to 2023.

This year’s edition once again features many celebrities. In Japan, Otani, Murakami, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Kazuma Okamoto, suzuki seiya And more. Americans are full of stars like these: Aaron Judge, Paul Skennes, Tarik Skubal, bryce harper And more. The Dominicans Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. Venezuela has a brother Wilson Contreras and William Contreras. Canadians have brothers. Josh Naylor and bo nailer. Puerto Rico Nolan ArenadoThe British team Jazz Chisholm Jr.Mexico is jaren duranItaly Vinny Pasquantino And so on. The full roster can be viewed here.