World Baseball Classic Power Rankings: Is Team USA No. 1?

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is coming this week, with seamheads getting ready to watch the best from around the planet play for a title.

This is the sixth edition of the tournament, with Japan winning the last one in 2023 and three of the five WBCs played overall. Will they win again this year with an absolutely stacked roster? Or can Team USA break through with their first win since 2017?

Let’s dive in with some power rankings of every team in the tournament, and maybe we’ll find some dark horses in the bunch who could pull off some upsets:

20. Brazil

It’s been 13 years since the team last appeared and hasn’t won in the WBC. It’s a long uphill climb.

19. Czechia

Maybe they get one win in group play, but this roster doesn’t seem like it can do much more than that.

18. Nicaragua

Shoutout to Dusty Baker, who is managing, so that might help. But there’s not a ton of star power here.

17. Australia

I’ll be watching to see how Travis Bazzana performs, but there are better teams.

16. Great Britain

Harry Ford, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trayce Thompson are some intriguing names on the roster. That’s not bad!

15. Cuba

This is one I could be whiffing on, but this doesn’t seem like the Cuban teams of old that had All-Stars and future stars all over it.

14. Panama

We’ve reached the “could pull an upset” tier, with a team that has Miguel Amaya, Jose Caballero and Edmundo Sosa.

13. Chinese Taipei

Another team that could surprise. By a lot of accounts, they’re being underrated heading into this tournament.

12. Israel

Spencer Horwitz, Harrison Bader, Matt Mervis Jake Gelof and Tommy Kahnle make up a roster that could make some noise.

11. Colombia

On paper, this looks like a team that could have a shot at advancing.

10. Italy

I feel like I’m underrating this team with Vinnie Pasquatino, Michael Lorenzen, Jakob Marsee, Aaron Nola and Jac Caglianone. Wouldn’t be shocked if they’re the dark horse team of 2026.

9. The Netherlands

A lot of recognizable names, plus the opportunity to watch Druw Jones — his dad Andruw is managing! — play against Major League talent.

8. Canada

I love this roster with the Naylor brothers, Tyler O’Neill, Owen Caissie, Otto Lopez and Jameson Taillon.

7. Puerto Rico

It’s such a bummer that names like Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa aren’t there. The good news: There’s A LOT of talent here still.

6. Korea

Hyun Jin Ryu and Jung Hoo Lee will be recognizable, and I think there’s a ton of upside for this squad.

5. Mexico

Not sure about about the pitching, but this seems like a team that can slug its way through the tournament with Jarren Duran, Randy Arozarena and Joey Meneses.

4. Venezuela

I had trouble ranking this squad and the next one on the list, but then I put their rosters side by side and realized that Venezuela is stacked… but not as much as the next three teams.

3. Dominican Republic

As expected, they’re an All-Star team: Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, Ketel Marte, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Junior Caminero… and I haven’t even gotten to the pitchers yet. Sheesh.

2. United States

It’ll be a shock if they don’t make it far, especially with Cy Young winners in the rotation and an all-World lineup.

1. Japan

Of course, Shohei Ohtani is the best player in the world and maybe… GOAT? But this is a team with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Seiya Suzuki, Tomoyuki Sugano. Look out for Hiromi Itoh and Shota Morishita to become household names. I wouldn’t bet against them winning yet again.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: World Baseball Classic Power Rankings for WBC: Team USA No. 1?

World Baseball Classic Power Rankings: Is Team USA No. 1?

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