World Baseball Classic: Pool C Preview

After coming up short in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics, Team Japan finally regained its throne atop the baseball world in 2023.

​A four-game romp through Pool B in which they outscored their opponents by a score of 38-8 set the tone for their undefeated run, though they would need a late comeback in the semifinals against Mexico to advance to the championship game against the United States.

​Of course, the most memorable moment of the tournament – and arguably in the history of the World Baseball Classic – was Shohei Ohtani coming out of the bullpen to strikeout then-teammate Mike Trout to clinch the title.

​Though it may seem silly now, there were questions back then about how Ohtani, who had never played in a playoff game with the Los Angeles Angels, would respond to the big-game pressure.

​Yet, not only would Ohtani’s performance in the 2023 WBC eliminate any questions about his ability to handle the spotlight, but he would also cement his place as the best baseball player in the world.

​The then-27-year-old slashed with .436/.606/.739 as a hitter while posting a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9.2 innings on the mound, earning MVP honors for both pool play and the entire World Baseball Classic.

​As good as Ohtani was in 2023, Team Japan’s global domination was hardly a one-man show. Just months after signing a five-year, $90 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, Masataka Yoshida slashed a robust .409/.531/.727 and led all players with 13 RBI, three of which came on a seventh-inning game-tying homer against Team Mexico

​Both Shogo Maki and future Toronto Blue Jay Kazuma Okamoto would join Yoshida in the two-home run club, while now White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami delivered the biggest hit of the tournament with his walk-off, two-run double against Mexico.

​On the mound, the Japanese received three solid starts from future Dodgers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, while future Cub Shota Imanaga allowed just two runs over six strong innings.

​As the Japanese look to defend their title, however, they will be facing a major shakeup in the rotation. Yamamoto is the only starting pitcher from 2023 who will be available for this tournament, as Imanaga, Sasaki and five-time All-Star Yu Darvish are all off the roster, and Ohtani will be limited to DH duties.

​Replacing them will be Yusei Kikuchi and Tomoyuki Sugano, both of whom have had success at the major league level but aren’t nearly at the caliber of Yamamoto. Therefore, the X-factor in Japan’s rotation may be Hiromi Itoh, the defending Sawamura Award winner who struck out 195 batters against just 29 walks in 196.1 innings last season.

​New Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai is also a name to keep an eye on. The three-time NPB All-Star is not on the current roster but is part of the designated pitcher pool and could come into play if Japan advances.

​Though Japan’s rotation may be a step down from 2023, they will possess what could be an even stronger lineup. They will return every significant hitter from their championship run and add Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki, who hit a career-high 32 home runs last season and has posted an OPS+ of at least 130 in each of his last three seasons.

​Another notable addition to Japan’s lineup is defending Central League MVP Award winner Teruaki Sato. The 27-year-old was not selected to Team Japan last go-around but broke out with a 40-homer season in 2025.

​All told, Japan’s roster is still up there with the most stacked in the entire tournament, and it would be a major surprise if they don’t go undefeated in Pool C.

​Therefore, the more pressing question is who joins them in advancing to the quarterfinal. One of the major surprises of the 2023 tournament was Australia’s 3-1 run in pool play, which included an upset 8-7 victory over South Korea that proved to be the difference in the standings.

​17 of Australia’s players from their 2023 roster will return for another go-around, tied for the most of any WBC team. This includes 40-year-old Tim Kennedy, the Australian Baseball League’s all-time hit leader, and Robbie Glendinning, who hit a critical go-ahead home run in the victory over South Korea.

The big headliner, however, is the addition of Travis Bazzana, the 2024 first overall pick and Just Baseball’s 46th-ranked prospect. The 23-year-old may not have developed as quickly as fellow 2024 draftee Nick Kurtz, but he is right on the doorstep of the majors after posting an .858 OPS in 26 Triple-A games last season.

​Bazzana will bring some starpower to a team that doesn’t have another active MLB player besides Chicago White Sox infielder Curtis Mead, although Australian baseball legend Liam Hendriks is a part of the designated pitcher pool if they are able to advance.

​Though Australia was able to squeak out a victory over South Korea in 2023, it’s hard not to say that the South Koreans have the better team on paper.

​Their roster is a mix of proven MLB contributors like Hyeseong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee and Jahmai Jones and KBO stars like Do Yeong Kim, who hit 38 home runs and stole 40 bases as a 20-year-old in 2025.

​While their offense has always been formidable, a lackluster pitching performance was the biggest reason for their early exit in 2023. The additions of proven MLB contributors Riley O’Brien and Dane Dunning could remedy their mound issues, as those arms will join forces with former MLB All-Star Hyun Jin Ryu to form a solid big three.

​The biggest dark horse in this group is Chinese Taipei, who replace China as the fifth team in Pool C. A participant in all five World Baseball Classics, Chinese Taipei had its best showing in 2023, going 2-2 in pool play but narrowly missing out on advancing due to tiebreakers.

​They have since proven that performance was no fluke, capturing gold at the 2024 Premier12 tournament and earning a spot in the WBC during last year’s qualifiers.

​The star of Chinese Taipei is former MLB infielder Yu Chang, who won Pool A MVP honors in 2023 thanks to a .438 average and four extra-base hits in four games. Chang is one of a handful of position players with MLB experience, including infielders Tsung-Che Cheng and Tzu-Wei Lin and outfielder Stuart Fairchild.

​While nobody on the pitching side has MLB experience, Athletics prospect Wei-En Lin could make his MLB debut soon after striking out 117 batters in 87 innings across three levels last season, and Jo-Hsi Hsu recently parlayed his upper-90’s fastball into a deal with the NPB’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

​Those three teams will be the main contenders for the second spot in the quarterfinals, but don’t forget about Czechia. They were one of the most entertaining stories of the 2023 WBC, highlighted by electrician Ondřej Satoria striking out Shohei Ohtani despite not throwing a pitch above 80 miles per hour.

​Like Satoria, many of the Czech players have other full-time jobs, including 40-year-old firefighter Martin Schneider. The only player on the team with MLB experience is former Baltimore Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra, though outfielder Marek Chulp is a name to watch after becoming the first European player to play in the NPB.

Pool C WBC Power Rankings