The Winter Olympics are over, but the World Baseball Classic is set to give baseball fans another taste of patriotism before the MLB season gets underway.

20 teams from around the world will compete for a championship in a 13-day tournament, with more than 200 MLB players taking the field and, in some cases, facing off with their own teammates.

Every country in the World Baseball Classic starts with the same blank slate, but not all teams are equal. 

The Sporting News ranks all 20 teams in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, from the United States to Czechia.

MORE: Every World Baseball Classic roster for 2026

Ranking 2026 World Baseball Classic teams1. United States

After narrowly losing the championship game to Japan in 2023, the United States is coming back with a vengeance.

The Americans have built a loaded roster, with all the power you could imagine between Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber and Cal Raleigh plus some of the game’s best all-around infielders in Bobby Witt Jr. and Ernie Clement. The lineup is so deep that even All-Star caliber players like Byron Buxton and Brice Turang might simply be afterthoughts.

On the mound, the U.S. has the two reigning Cy Young Award winners in Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. While Skubal will only make one start, the starting pitching options are still an embarrassment of riches between Logan Webb, Joe Ryan and young Nolan McLean. If and when the USA gets into a close game, the best relief weapon in the tournament is on their roster in Padres reliever Mason Miller, leaving no major weakness here.

MORE: How to buy USA World Baseball Classic tickets

2. Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has also built a roster fit for revenge after a disappointing showing in 2023. The 2013 champions have the only lineup that can match the United States, with Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Julio Rodriguez in the outfield plus Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Ketel Marte, Jeremy Pena and Junior Caminero as options in the infield.

Pitching was less stable for the D.R. in 2023 and certainly isn’t as intimidating as the lineup, but the emergence of Cristopher Sanchez gives this team an ace. After Sanchez, the Dominicans will rely on Sandy Alcantara, Luis Severino and Brayan Bello, but expect the bullpen to be used early and often. Carlos Estevez, Dennis Santana, Camilo Doval and Abner Uribe are all battle-tested and might give the Dominican Republic the most lethal ‘pen in the tournament.

Shohei Ohtani WBC Japan 032123 大谷翔平3. Japan

Japan enters as the team everyone is chasing after winning in 2023, but it’s worth wondering whether the firepower will be there to go the distance again. The pitching staff is not quite as deep. Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Yu Darvish are three notable names from 2023 now not on the roster, and Shohei Ohtani isn’t expected to pitch much, if at all, as he saves up for the MLB season.

Despite Japanese baseball being known for dominant pitching, the offense could power this team to a championship. Ohtani is still Ohtani and could be the best overall hitter in the tournament. Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto have matured at the plate since 2023, while reigning NPB Central League MVP Teruaki Soto is in the lineup along with Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki.

Japan consistently punches above its weight because of how connected its players are. There is no doubt Japan is a contender again, but the talent level to go back-to-back might not be there.

4. Venezuela

Venezuela suffered a disappointing exit in the quarterfinals after an undefeated run in the group stage three years ago, but the expectation this time should be a deep run.

The pitching staff took a hit when Pablo Lopez learned he needed Tommy John Surgery, leaving the group of starters thin behind Ranger Suarez, but a bullpen featuring Jose Alvarado, Eduard Bazardo and Daniel Palencia should help mitigate those concerns.

The offense is where Venezuela is going to thrive. This team has an MLB lineup from top to bottom, with power from Eugenio Suarez and Salvador Perez, contact hitting from Luis Arraez, Maikel Garcia and William Contreras and a bit of everything from Ronald Acuna Jr. and Jackson Chourio. Every position player on Venezuela’s roster is a major leaguer, which will make this team a very difficult challenge for any pitching staff.

5. Italy

Italy reached the quarterfinals in 2023 and would be disappointed not to do so again in 2023 with a roster that is majority major-leaguers.

Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen anchor the pitching staff, which features Greg Weissert, Ron Marinaccio and Matt Festa out of the bullpen, while youth reigns supreme on the offensive side. Vinnie Pasquantino is the face of Italy’s lineup, but young Jakob Marsee, Jac Caglianone and Kyle Teel could set the stage for Italy to remain a contender in this tournament the next two or three times. 

The depth might not be here for Italy to compete for a championship, but the experience on the mound and youth at the plate makes for a fun dynamic.

6. Canada

Don’t sleep on Canada, which has a nearly full MLB rotation between Jameson Taillon, James Paxton, Michael Soroka and Cal Quantrill. While that rotation might have been better a few years ago, it can keep the Canadians in any game on this stage.

The lineup is missing Freddie Freeman, who opted to sit out of the World Baseball Classic, but it boasts one of the best defensive outfielders in the sport in Denzel Clarke, while Josh Naylor and Tyler O’Neill provide the power. One name to keep an eye on is OF Owen Caissie, a former Cubs top prospect who could break out with the Marlins this season.

Canada is the highest-ranked team on this list in Pool A, so a trip to the quarterfinals should be the expectation for this group.

Joey Meneses7. Mexico

Mexico reached the quarterfinals in 2023 and should compete with Italy to advance out of a group headlined by the United States this year.

The starting pitching isn’t as strong as Mexico would like, with Taijuan Walker, Jose Urquidy and Taj Bradley among the options, but the bullpen does boast some major-leaguers and has one of baseball’s best closers in Seattle’s Andres Munoz. 

Randy Arozarena, Jarren Duran, Jonathan Aranda and Alejandro Kirk anchor the lineup, with Kirk re-establishing himself as one of MLB’s top catchers in 2025 and Aranda emerging as a terrific contact hitter in Tampa Bay. Look for Rowdy Tellez, whose power has never been a question, to be a high-impact pinch-hitter at the very least.

8. Puerto Rico

At full strength, Puerto Rico could have entered the World Baseball Classic with title hopes. Instead, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa are among leaders missing due to insurance issues. 

There should still be a path for the Puerto Ricans to make a run. Seth Lugo gives the team a quality MLB starter, while Edwin Diaz, who suffered a season-ending injury on this stage three years ago, anchors a bullpen that includes veteran Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz.

The absences of Lindor and Correa will be felt, as Puerto Rico has to turn to far less experienced infielders outside of Nolan Arenado, who is hoping to turn back the clock. Heliot Ramos and Eddie Rosario are among the outfield options, with Ramos likely near the heart of the order.

Puerto Rico and Canada headline their group, so the path to the quarterfinals isn’t particularly difficult for this squad.

9. Netherlands

The Netherlands tends to punch above its weight in the World Baseball Classic and should again have a well-connected group in this tournament.

A pitching staff thin on MLB experience is headlined by closer Kenley Jansen, but the lineup will be fun to watch. Veterans Xander Bogaerts and Ozzie Albies will man the middle infield, while Jurickson Profar and defensive wizard Ceddanne Rafaela are in the outfield. Former No. 2 pick Druw Jones is also on the roster as he tries to make 2026 a breakout season in the Diamondbacks’ system.

10. South Korea

South Korea won two games in 2023 despite a lack of MLB talent, and the connectivity of this group should be a positive this time around as well.

Giants OF Jung Hoo Lee is looking to build on a healthier 2025 as an anchor of this lineup, while Dane Dunning and Riley O’Brien inject some MLB experience into the pitching staff. South Korea’s success level isn’t where it once was, but there is a wide-open path to advancing behind Japan in Pool C.

11. Panama

Panama comes into the World Baseball Classic with interesting mix of new and old talent but it’s unclear whether the talent is there to make a run unless Mariano Rivera wants to put the uniform back on (and turn back the clock at least 15 years).

Panama’s pitching staff includes Guardians starter Logan Allen, whose mother has Panamanian heritage, and it has some MLB experience between Paolo Espino, Humberto Mejia and Jaime Barria. The offense is more promising, with two MLB catchers and an infield featuring Edmundo Sosa and Jose Caballero. Ivan Herrera was set to be Panama’s top bat, but he will miss the tournament due to insurance issues.

Blue Jays OF prospect Leo Jimenez, who has struggled in brief MLB stints, is someone to watch as a potential breakout candidate, along with former Orioles first-round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr.

Jorge Alfaro12. Colombia

Colombia brings one of the oldest cores to the World Baseball Classic, with Jose Quintana and Julio Teheran among the top starters and older former major-leaguers Luis Patino and Tayron Guerrero also on the pitching staff.

The offense likely doesn’t offer enough power for Colombia to seriously contend, but veterans Gio Urshela, Donovan Solano and Elias Diaz should bring helpful experience to the table. This team should be near the middle of the pack, and that could be enough in a wide-open group.

13. Chinese Taipei

Chinese Taipei doesn’t bring much MLB talent to the table, but this is another team that is well-connected as a result of frequently playing together or against one another.

Captain Chieh-Hsien Chen is a career .337 in the Chinese professional league, and the offense also features an interesting prospect in Cubs OF Jonathon Long, who tore up the minor leagues in 2025. There likely won’t be enough high-level talent for a deep run, but that spot to qualify behind Japan in Pool C is up for grabs.

14. Israel

Israel won a game in 2023, defeating Nicaragua, but the path to an improvement on that mark might be difficult in a group that features the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and the Netherlands.

Still, this is a formidable group with some MLB talent on the staff and in the lineup. Dean Kremer again settles in as the ace of the staff, while veteran Tommy Kahnle and former Guardians reliever Eli Morgan are in the bullpen.

Harrison Bader and Spencer Horwitz give the lineup some flair, especially if Horwitz can pick up where he left off after an impressive finish to 2025 in Pittsburgh, but the offense isn’t likely to have enough depth to compete with the Dominican Republic or Venezuela even on a good day.

Yoan Moncada15. Cuba

Cuban baseball has fallen on hard times, and that is reflected in this year’s roster. Yoan Moncada and Yariel Rodriguez are the only two active major-leaguers on the team, despite so much Cuban talent that surfaced in the majors over the last two decades.

While a wide-open Pool A should help give Cuba some hope, a last-place finish isn’t out of the question.

16. Great Britain

The good news: Great Britain’s jerseys are no longer as sad as they were in 2023. The bad news: the path to any kind of contention is highly unlikely for this group.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. will make Great Britain more fun as he anchors the lineup, while Red Sox OF Nate Eaton and young Nationals C Harry Ford are intriguing pieces even with limited MLB experience. 

Great Britain won a game against Colombia in 2023, but pitching is likely to be a problem once again in a group that features the United States, Mexico and Italy.

17. Australia

Australia deserves credit for a 3-1 effort in group play and quarterfinal appearance in 2023, but two of those wins came against Czechia and China, two of the last teams into the field. Australia gets to face Czechia again this year, but the path to more than one win could be difficult.

White Sox INF Curtis Mead is the only active MLB player on the roster, though former No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana could be fun to watch as he looks to break out in the Guardians’ system in 2026. Australia does boast some players with prior MLB experience, including former Tigers reliever Warwick Saupold, but it’s going to take a major effort for this team to advance out of group play.

18. Nicaragua

Nicaragua was overmatched in the World Baseball Classic three years ago, but this group made it back and landed a major commitment from Mets slugger Mark Vientos to anchor the lineup.

With that being said, Nicaragua still owns a roster without enough talent to make a run. Their best hope might be a win over Israel, though Israel won that matchup in 2023, and Vientos can’t be expected to do it all on his own after this team failed to score more than one run in each of its four games three years ago.

19. Brazil

Baseball is starting to grow in Brazil, and the national team is back in the World Baseball Classic for the first time since 2013. Just being on this stage is a nice step, but success on this stage is unlikely right now.

Bo Bichette won’t take the field for Brazil this year. While his younger brother will, this run should be all about growth for the team’s younger players, including Jose Contreras’ 17-year-old son Joseph and Manny Ramirez’s son Lucas. 

20. Czechia

Czechia went 1-3 in the 2023 tournament with only a win over China, which didn’t qualify this time around. The path to a win in 2026 won’t be easy.

Czechia doesn’t boast an active MLB player, and former Orioles INF Terrin Vavra, with 68 games under his belt, is about as close to major-league experience as this roster gets. After being overpowered by Japan, South Korea and Australia in 2023, the same exact trio plus Chinese Taipei is unlikely to yield different results.Â