A look at the MLB players lined up to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will begin in less than three months as Team USA looks to avenge its 2023 runner-up finish at the hands of Shohei Ohtani and Japan.

Manager Mark DeRosa leads the American team, a team led by several big stars. Let’s take a quick look at the MLB players participating in the upcoming event, starting with Team USA. Please note: the schedules have not yet been finalized, which means that there will certainly be additions to this list in the coming weeks. I will try to keep this updated over time.

Team USA has no shortage of big names, as the team is led by reigning AL MVP (and three-time winner) Aaron Judge and runner-up Cal Raleigh, who broke the MLB record for home runs by a catcher in a season. Both AL Cy Young (Tarik Skubal) and NL Cy Young (Paul Skenes) are also on the roster.

Players returning from the 2023 WBC USA roster include designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, catcher Will Smith and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

The Brewers’ lone representative in the 2026 WBC, as it stands, is infielder Brice Turang, who is coming off the best season of his young career. Turang, 26, amassed 5.6 bWAR in 2025, hitting .288/.359/.435 with 18 home runs, 81 RBIs, 97 runs and 24 steals while finishing as a finalist at second base for both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

Australia’s roster includes veteran reliever Liam Hendriks, who is currently a free agent after an injury-shortened 2025 season with the Red Sox, where he struggled with a 6.59 ERA and 12 strikeouts in just 13 2/3 innings. Travis Bazzana is perhaps a bigger name than Hendriks, despite not having reached the majors with Cleveland yet. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick and MLB’s No. 17 prospect split time across three levels in 2025, hitting .245/.389/.424 with nine home runs, 39 RBIs, 71 runs and 12 steals in 84 games.

Bonus: Former Brewer Dave Nilsson, who played for Milwaukee from 1992 to 1999 and earned an All-Star appearance in his final MLB season, is Australia’s manager.

As of now, Junior Caminero is the only MLB player on the DR roster. The 22-year-old third baseman had a breakout 2025 season, amassing 4.4 bWAR as he hit .264/.311/.535 with 45 home runs, 110 RBIs and 93 runs, earning him an All-Star spot and a ninth AL MVP finish.

Team Israel is led by free agent outfielder Harrison Bader, who had a stellar season between the Twins and Phillies in 2025, totaling 3.9 bWAR as he hit .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs, 54 RBIs, 61 runs and 11 steals to go with a strong defense. Dean Kremer of the Orioles and Garrett Stubbs of the Phillies both return from the 2023 team.

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, or “Pasquatch” as he is affectionately known, will represent Team Italy for the second consecutive WBC in 2026. He has had a solid four-year career with KC, hitting .266/.330/.456 with 70 career home runs in 424 games.

I don’t think I need to say much more about Shohei Ohtani at this point. Everyone knows he’s the best player in the world right now, and no other player (with the possible exception of Aaron Judge) is even close to that conversation. Ohtani helped Japan to the title in 2023 and will look to do so again in 2026. Rumor has it that Dodger teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also in line to join the roster.

Randy Arozarena and Jarren Duran both return to the Team Mexico roster after competing in the 2023 WBC. Arozarena was a star in that edition, hitting .450/.607/.900 with a homer, six doubles, nine RBIs, eight runs and six walks in four games. Duran in particular is a name that has come up a lot in trade rumors this season as Boston appears to be trading from their outfield depth.

Mets third baseman Mark Vientos is the only MLB player on Nicaragua’s roster, though he is coming off a disappointing season after a breakout campaign in 2024.

Bonus: Carlos Rodriguez, a pitcher from Milwaukee, was on Nicaragua’s 2023 WBC roster and pitched four innings of one-run ball (2.25 ERA). We’ll see if he’s back in the team in 2026.

The Mets train continues to move, as short stop Francisco Lindor is on the roster of Puerto Rico. Lindor had a solid WBC in 2023 with the team, hitting .450/.500/.550 with a triple, five RBIs, six runs and a steal over five games.

14-year veteran catcher Salvador Perez will compete in his fourth WBC with Venezuela, this time as team captain. In eight career WBC games, he hit .346/.393/.808 with two home runs and eight RBIs.