Overview
- The 20-team tournament runs March 5–17 across Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami, with the championship set for March 17 at loanDepot Park.
- Team USA is led by captain Aaron Judge, with manager Mark DeRosa lining up Logan Webb (Brazil), Tarik Skubal (Great Britain), Paul Skenes (Mexico) and Nolan McLean (Italy) as pool-play starters.
- Oddsmakers make the United States the pre-tournament favorite, ahead of Japan and the Dominican Republic.
- Japan defends its title with Shohei Ohtani limited to hitting and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto slated to start the opener, while the Dominican Republic brings a lineup headlined by Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. and Julio Rodríguez.
- WBC rules cap first-round outings at 65 pitches and mandate rest days, insurers have sidelined several stars such as Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and José Altuve, Tarik Skubal plans only one start before returning to camp, and all 47 games air on FOX platforms including FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes and Tubi.