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MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 20: Randy Arozarena #56 of Team Mexico high fives teammates after the fifth inning during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

World Baseball Classic: Pool B Preview

Originally posted on Just Baseball | By Leo Morgenstern | Last updated Feb 25, 2026 2:47 PM ET

When I started writing this preview, I was prepared to call Pool B the most exciting of the four groupings in the pool play stage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Then I thought about it some more, and I started having doubts.

There are good reasons to be excited about every pool. There are good reasons to be excited about every team in every pool. I guess, really, I just love the World Baseball Classic. I just love baseball.

So then I thought about it some more, and I realized I was right all along. All four pools in this tournament are going to be worth watching, but Pool B leads the way.

The USA. Mexico. Italy. Great Britain. Brazil.

Team USA is the clear favorite of this group. You could argue that having one clear favorite makes for a less exciting pool. But you’d be overlooking the fact that this American squad might just have the greatest roster any country has ever sent to the WBC – at least on paper.

Four of the top five finishers in last year’s AL MVP race are joining forces for Team USA: Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr., and Tarik Skubal (even if he’s only making one start). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With names like Paul Skenes, Logan Webb, Gunnar Henderson, Kyle Schwarber, Byron Buxton, Will Smith, and Mason Miller, this is an All-Star team of talent.

Moreover, this pool isn’t as top-heavy as you might first think. It’s the only pool in this year’s tournament to feature two teams that made the semifinals in 2023: the USA and Mexico. It’s the only pool to feature three teams that made the quarterfinals in 2023: the USA, Mexico, and Italy.

Leading the charge for Team Mexico includes Alejandro Kirk, Jarren Duran, Randy Arozarena, and Andrés Muñoz. This might not be an All-Star team, but it’s a roster loaded with MLB talent.

Meanwhile, Team Italy is probably stronger than you realize. With a pitching staff featuring Aaron Nola, Michael Lorenzen, Greg Weissert, and Adam Ottavino, and a lineup led by Vinnie Pasquantino, Kyle Teel, Jac Caglianone, Dominic Canzone, and Jakob Marsee, this team isn’t to be taken lightly. This roster could absolutely steal a game from Mexico or even the USA.

Indeed, Pool B has two very real rivals for the Americans. I’m not saying it’s likely, but there is absolutely a world in which Mexico and Italy upset the United States, sending the Americans packing after round one for the first time in WBC history.

I’m picturing a situation in which Team Mexico beats Team USA, Team USA beats Team Italy, and Team Italy beats Team Mexico, while all three beat up on Great Britain and Brazil. That would result in a three-way tie at the top, which would need to be settled with a tiebreaker. All it would take is a slightly higher number of runs allowed, and the USA could be on the outside looking in.

As for the other two teams in Pool B, Great Britain and Brazil, advancing to the quarterfinals wouldn’t just represent an upset, but a sign of the apocalypse.

Okay, maybe that’s rude. I don’t mean it that way. All I mean to say is that success for these two teams doesn’t mean finishing top two in Pool B and moving on to the next round. Success means making progress, and they’re both in a position to do so.

Great Britain is back for a second WBC with a legitimate major league star in the lineup this time: Jazz Chisholm Jr. He’ll captain the squad alongside Harry Ford, who is hoping to break out as a big league mainstay himself in 2026. This is a better roster than the one that beat Colombia to give Great Britain its first (and so far only) win in World Baseball Classic history.

Then there’s Brazil, back in the tournament for the first time since 2013 and looking for WBC win number one. The Brazilians will be facing a tougher battle now that Bo Bichette has backed out of the tournament, but just the fact that they’re participating is a big deal for this country.

Back in 2013, Brazil was in a pool with China, Cuba, and Japan, so this will mark the first time they face any of the USA, Mexico, Italy, or Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic.

Pool B WBC Power Rankings

Pool B Power Rankings: USA, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil

Prediction: USA and Mexico advance to quarterfinals.

Pool B Team Previews

Team USA
By Leo Morgenstern

The World Baseball Classic is right around the corner. On February 5, the rosters for all 20 participating countries were announced, and the tournament itself kicks off in just over a week.

Reports and rumors about Team USA’s roster started trickling out last year, dating back to April, when manager Mark DeRosa announced that Aaron Judge would captain the squad. Once the World Series ended, commitments started coming fast and furious in the offseason, especially during the Winter Meetings.

Now, barring any last-minute drop-outs, we know the 30 players who will represent the USA. It’s a dangerous starting lineup and an equally imposing pitching staff.

The article below features every detail you need to know about Team USA ahead of the sixth World Baseball Classic.

Read Just Baseball’s complete Team USA roster preview

Team Mexico
By Matt Carroll

Spring training isn’t the only thing baseball fans have to look forward to in the coming weeks. In March, the World Baseball Classic returns with 20 teams vying for international glory.

It will be a chance for Team Mexico to build upon their most successful tournament finish ever. The squad has played in all five previous iterations of the event but made it no farther than the quarterfinals in their first four attempts.

2023, however, brought the team’s strongest finish yet. After advancing from pool play, they beat a strong Puerto Rico squad to move to the semifinals and were less than an inning away from a date in the finals before eventual champion Japan came back to break their hearts in the bottom of the ninth.

Team Mexico has its work cut out for it in making another strong run in the tournament.

Their pool includes a tough Team Italy as well as arguably the favorites to win it in Team USA, though Mexico is currently riding a three-game winning streak against their neighbors to the north.

Let’s take a look at who will be suiting up for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.

Read Just Baseball’s complete Team Mexico roster preview

Team Italy
By Kevin Henry

While the eyes of the world may be on Italy for the Winter Olympics over the next few days, a solid Team Italy roster is hoping to raise some eyebrows in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Italy has a history of surprising in the World Baseball Classic, shocking Canada with a 6-2 opening-round win in the 2009 WBC and keeping the Canadians from advancing in the process.

In 2013, Italy defeated Canada and Mexico in pool play to reach the second round before dropping out with consecutive losses to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

In 2023, Italy advanced again to the quarterfinals but was eliminated by eventual champion Japan.

This year, Italy faces another challenge in its early draw, being a part of Pool B centered in Houston that includes Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico, and the United States.

It can be argued that Italy will be an underdog when facing Mexico and the United States, while being a favorite against Brazil and Great Britain.

With the top two teams from each pool advancing to the quarterfinals, Team Italy will have to not only win the games it’s supposed to win, but also see if it can bring back some WBC magic from previous years to grab an upset over a pair of teams that should have a decided home-field advantage inside Daikin Park.

So how does the Italian roster shape up? Let’s dive into the details.

Read Just Baseball’s complete Team Italy roster preview

Team Great Britain
By Leo Morgenstern

Great Britain qualified for the World Baseball Classic for the first time in 2023.

With victories over France, Germany, and Spain, the British team swept its way to victory in the Qualifying Tournament (Pool A) held in Regensburg, Germany. Team Great Britain was one of three newcomers in the 2023 tournament, along with Czechia and Nicaragua.

While the Brits didn’t advance past the group stage, that doesn’t mean their first WBC was a failure. It wouldn’t have been fair to expect them to beat the USA, Mexico, or even Canada, all of whom have competed in every World Baseball Classic since the event’s inception. It was no surprise when Team USA and Team Mexico advanced to the quarterfinals, and Great Britain did not.

What was surprising was when Great Britain beat Colombia 7-5, securing a spot in the 2026 WBC in the process. By taking down a Colombian squad that included players like Gio Urshela, Jorge Alfaro, Harold Ramírez, and Gustavo Campero, Team Great Britain finished fourth out of five in Pool C and automatically qualified for this year’s tournament.

Here’s a look at the roster Great Britain will be taking to the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Read Just Baseball’s complete Team Great Britain roster preview

Team Brazil
By Leo Morgenstern

Team Brazil debuted in the World Baseball Classic in 2013. They were the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, so it wasn’t exactly surprising when they were swept in pool play, losing to Japan, Cuba, and China. Still, it was a disappointing result for the squad.

Finishing last in their pool meant Brazil did not automatically qualify for the 2017 WBC. Even worse, they would go on to lose their qualifying tournament in 2016, failing to make the classic at all. The Brazilians did not qualify in 2023 either, so their participation this year will mark their first World Baseball Classic appearance in 13 years.

Long story short, Brazil remains an underdog, with the lowest WBSC ranking of any country in the tournament. The USA and Mexico are the heavy favorites in Pool B, and it would be nothing short of a massive upset if Brazil could somehow advance to the second round.

With that said, success for Brazil doesn’t necessarily mean advancing. Even one WBC win – which would be the first in the country’s history – would be a big step forward. That’s not to say this team isn’t going to put up a fight to win it all, but there’s nothing wrong with taking things one step at a time.

Beating Italy or Great Britain would be cause for celebration. Beating Mexico or the USA would be cause for a party in the streets.

Here’s the roster that will be battling for Brazil’s first-ever World Baseball Classic victory.

Read Just Baseball’s complete Team Brazil roster preview

World Baseball Classic Pool B Schedule

Here’s when to watch every game the United States, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil will play leading up to and during the 2026 WBC.

Exhibition Games

Date	Matchup	Stadium	Start Time
March 3	San Francisco Giants vs. USA	Scottsdale Stadium	7:05 pm MT
March 3	Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Mexico	Salt River Fields at Talking Stick	1:10 pm MT
March 3	Chicago Cubs vs. Italy	Sloan Park	1:05 pm MT
March 3	Milwaukee Brewers vs. Great Britain	American Family Fields of Phoenix	1:10 pm MT
March 3	Athletics vs. Brazil	Hohokam Stadium	1:05 pm MT
March 4	Colorado Rockies vs. USA	Salt River Fields at Talking Stick	1:10 pm MT
March 4	Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Mexico	Camelback Ranch-Glendale	1:05 pm MT
March 4	Los Angeles Angels vs. Italy	Tempe Diablo Stadium	1:10 pm MT
March 4	San Diego Padres vs. Great Britain	Peoria Stadium	1:10 pm MT
March 4	Texas Rangers vs. Brazil	Surprise Stadium	1:05 pm MT

Pool Play

Date	Matchup	Stadium	Start Time
March 6	Mexico vs. Great Britain	Daikin Park, Houston	12:00 pm CT
March 6	USA vs. Brazil	Daikin Park, Houston	7:00 pm CT
March 7	Brazil vs. Italy	Daikin Park, Houston	12:00 pm CT
March 7	Great Britain vs. USA	Daikin Park, Houston	7:00 pm CT
March 8	Great Britain vs. Italy	Daikin Park, Houston	12:00 pm CT
March 8	Brazil vs. Mexico	Daikin Park, Houston	7:00 pm CT
March 9	Brazil vs. Great Britain	Daikin Park, Houston	12:00 pm CT
March 9	Mexico vs. USA	Daikin Park, Houston	7:00 pm CT
March 10	Italy vs. USA	Daikin Park, Houston	8:00 pm CT
March 11	Italy vs. Mexico	Daikin Park, Houston	6:00 pm CT

Knockout Rounds

Round	Date	Stadium	Start Time
Quarterfinal	Mar. 13 or 14, 2026	Daikin Park, Houston	TBA
Semifinal	Mar. 15 or 16, 2026	loanDepot Park, Miami	8:00 pm ET
Final	Mar. 17, 2026	loanDepot Park, Miami	8:00 pm ET