Steve Drumwright

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images In the early days of this past offseason, it was reported by The Athletic that MLB "would prefer" to discipline Cleveland Guardians relievers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz before spring training began due to their involvement in a pitch-rigging scheme that resulted in federal charges. Seemed logical at the time. There was no rush to impose probable lifetime suspensions for gambling with three months before pitchers and catchers would report to camps across Arizona and Florida. MLB could continue its investigation, gathering as much information as possible to ensure that proper discipline was applied. That same article also said the government's involvement, due to the federal charges, could be a factor in the timing of any announcement. In recent high-profile cases that involved the legal system—Trevor Bauer and Julio Urias, as examples—MLB has waited out that process before punishing players with suspensions. Another player, Wander Franco, has yet to have any concrete MLB discipline as a result of the sexual-abuse charges in his native Dominican Republic. Franco is awaiting retrial on the charges after being convicted in June. That trial was recently delayed. Clase and Ortiz, who were friends and had lockers next to each other, are currently on nondisciplinary leave from the Guardians, with that changing in late March from paid to unpaid. Clase, one of MLB's top closers, would have been entering the final year of a five-year, $20 million contract this season, although there were club options for 2027 and 2028. Ortiz would have been in his first year of arbitration eligibility in the recent offseason. Ortiz was the first of the two nabbed in this scandal, being put on the restricted list July 3, with Clase following July 28. But here we are, in the second full week of the 2026 MLB season, and there isn't a resolution despite mounting evidence. The original indictments against Clase and Ortiz, which came out in November, included charges of conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy for throwing pitches with a predetermined outcome to benefit bettors. That indictment was superseded in February to include additional instances of pitch-fixing, including one in the 2024 postseason. The top charge in this case can carry a 20-year prison sentence. A trial was supposed to begin in May, but has been pushed back to November, just after the MLB season concludes. Another complication in imposing discipline is that Ortiz is seeking to have his case separated from Clase's, with Ortiz's defense team claiming its client is a victim of Clase's actions. Clase's attorneys have supported separating the cases, while federal prosecutors oppose the move. While MLB could be waiting out the legal process, which would come after the World Series and be the biggest baseball news event before the impending lockout, this could be a huge reason why a decision has been delayed. While there was (still is?) a friendship between the two Dominican pitchers, Clase was a superstar in the baseball world as a three-time All-Star and two-time AL Reliever of the Year, and Ortiz was an afterthought. The number of instances in which Clase is alleged to have rigged a pitch has grown, too. In the first indictment, nine pitches were specified for the 2023 and 2025 seasons, excluding 2024. The updated indictment now includes 2024, including Game 1 of the NL Division Series vs. the Detroit Tigers. ESPN reported the number is now at 48 games based on a court filing by Ortiz's defense. Clase appeared in 197 games, recording 115 saves, from 2023-25. That means Clase allegedly threw a fixed pitch in about one-quarter of the games in which he appeared. A separate filing says there are 250 suspicious Clase pitches. You never know why a player would even risk this behavior, especially when it appears that the reward for Clase and Ortiz was a rather minimal return for what they put on the line. We don't have the full picture of why they did this. There could have been debt involved, whether it is theirs or someone in their family. Clase has been known to be involved in rooster fighting in the Dominican Republic, and he used coded language related to roosters to confirm his actions in an upcoming game. Based on what I have read about Ortiz's involvement, there seems to be a chance that he could receive a lesser penalty than Clase from an MLB perspective. Especially facing the type of prison time the charges could bring, perhaps 65 years each, Ortiz is likely singing like a bird to minimize any time behind bars, much less baseball punishment, and another reason why he wants his case split from Clase. With that type of prison time at stake, does it make sense for MLB to levy punishment now or wait until court proceedings play out? The one danger MLB faces in prolonging any announcement is any further delays in the trial's beginning. As it stands, MLB can use a conviction as cover to levy suspensions against Clase and Ortiz. And that is probably the way federal prosecutors prefer this to play out. Any suspension and the related news coverage would impact the jury pool's thoughts on whether the players were part of a gambling scheme. So if you are like me and wondering why MLB hasn't dropped the hammer yet, here are some reasons. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Nolan McLean, United States With a whopping eight career MLB starts and a previous one in the WBC, the 24-year-old New York Mets right-hander takes the ball to start the championship game. McLean was the starter against Italy, where the U.S. was upset by Italy 8-6 in the final game of pool play. He went three innings, allowing two hits, both home runs, and three runs with two walks and three strikeouts. The homers were by Kyle Teel and Sam Antonacci, both of the Chicago White Sox. He will need to be sharper this time around in the biggest game he has pitched to date. Garrett Whitlock, United States The 29-year-old Boston Red Sox right-handed reliever has had it on lock in his three WBC appearances. Whitlock has been part of a nasty trio at the back of the American bullpen with Mason Miller and David Bednar. Whitlock has the only non-Miller save, securing the 5-3 win over Mexico. Otherwise, Whitlock has been the eighth-inning guy, following Bednar and setting up Miller. In three innings, he has allowed one hit and struck out five, with no walks. Whitlock earned a hold in the 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in the semifinals, striking out Juan Soto, getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground out, and striking out Manny Machado. Angel Zerpa, Venezuela If you were wondering why the Milwaukee Brewers traded outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever for the 26-year-old, the WBC has shown why. The hard-throwing left-hander has pitched in five of the six Venezuela games, including in the semifinal win. With Venezuela trailing 2-1, he came in with a runner on second and one out and got Jon Berti to fly out, hit Jakob Marsee, and struck out Captain Espresso himself, Vinnie Pasquantino, then showing his emotions as he headed toward the dugout. Zerpa has pitched 4 ⅔ innings and hasn't allowed a run, allowing four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. He will look good in that Brewers bullpen. Javier Sanoja, Venezuela The 23-year-old Kansas City Royals outfielder has only played in two of Venezuela's games, but he has had an impact when called upon. Sanoja is 3-for-8 with his only RBI coming on a go-ahead homer in a 6-2 win over the Netherlands. Sanoja is in a bench role with Venezuela due to the presence of three established MLB outfielders in Ronald Acuna Jr., Jackson Chourio, and Wilyer Abreu, but should he get called upon to pinch-hit in the championship game, he is the type of player who could provide that surprise spark. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Andres Gimenez, Venezuela The 27-year-old infielder was thrust into a more prominent role with the Toronto Blue Jays late in the regular season and throughout the run to the World Series. Due to Bo Bichette's injury, a three-time AL Gold Glove second baseman (2022-24) and the 2023 Platinum Glove winner as the AL's top overall defender, Gimenez slid over to shortstop and seamlessly anchored the Jays' defense. His hitting has always been secondary, and that has proven true in the WBC. Splitting time with Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop, Gimenez is just 1-for-7 (.143) in four games with a walk. He came up with some big hits for the Jays in the postseason, including homers in back-to-back AL Championship Series games, so this is the type of atmosphere in which he thrives. Willson Contreras, Venezuela The new Boston Red Sox first baseman hasn't had a significant impact on Venezuela's offense yet. The 33-year-old has played in three of Venezuela's five games and mustered just three hits in 12 at-bats (.250) with a walk and driven in three runs. This is a stark contrast to what he had done with the Red Sox in Grapefruit League action, where Contreras is 6-for-13 (.462) with two homers and six RBIs in six games. He also walked three times. The good news is Venezuela hasn't needed anything big from Contreras to this point, but this would be an opportune time for him to contribute. Andrew Fischer, Italy A year ago, the 21-year-old Milwaukee Brewers prospect was playing college baseball at Tennessee under Tony Vitello. Now, both are in pro ball, with Fischer having been the Crew's first-round draft choice last summer. The third baseman has been a key part of Italy's espresso-fueled offense, going 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles, a homer, and five RBIs. This follows a 19-game debut in the minors at High-A Wisconsin, registering a .311/.402/.446 slash line with one homer, 10 RBIs, and eight stolen bases. He is back at third base after playing first at Tennessee and is likely ticketed to start 2026 at Double-A Biloxi. Ron Marinaccio, Italy The 30-year-old right-handed reliever, battling for a spot in the San Diego Padres' rotation, has made two appearances for Italy. While recording four outs, Marinaccio gave up just one hit, the ninth-inning homer to Pete Crow-Armstrong in Italy's 8-6 stunning triumph over the U.S. Marinaccio did get out of a big game in the eighth inning. With runners on the corners and two outs, he was brought in to face Bryce Harper, who flew out to left on a 3-2 changeup. Marinaccio is likely to be called upon for big outs against Venezuela, with his performance contributing to the Padres' decision on whether he makes the Opening Day roster. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Brice Turang, U.S. It is not a stretch to say that the 26-year-old Milwaukee Brewers second baseman has been the best position player for the Americans thus far. Turang has started four of the five WBC games and leads the regulars with a .467 (7-for-15) average and is tied for third with Aaron Judge with five RBIs. He also has two of Team USA's six stolen bases. Turang has a rather low profile when compared with his star-studded teammates, but he is one of the big reasons the U.S. is where it is. Turang went 3-for-6 with four RBIs in the opening 15-5 win over Brazil, with his bases-loaded double in the fifth inning turning a 4-1 lead into a 7-1 cushion. He then went 2-for-3 with a walk in the 5-3 quarterfinal win over Canada, including an RBI single in the sixth to make it 4-0. Matthew Boyd, U.S. While the Chicago Cubs' left-hander hasn't started in the WBC, he did come on in relief in the first game Paul Skenes started in the WBC. That lines the 35-year-old up to pitch in today's semifinal. Boyd came on in the sixth inning vs. Mexico and went 2⅓ innings, giving up all three runs Mexico would score. In his first inning, he surrendered a one-out solo homer to Jarren Duran, then three straight two-out singles with Joey Meneses driving in the second run to trim the U.S. lead to 5-2. After a perfect seventh inning, Duran once again tagged Boyd, this time for a leadoff homer to make it 5-3. Boyd finished with three strikeouts and a hit batter with no walks. A relief outing is always tough for a starting pitcher, regardless of the situation. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dominican Republic While he came close to bringing the Toronto Blue Jays their first World Series championship in more than three decades, the five-time All-Star is hoping to finish the job with the Dominican Republic in the WBC. Guerrero leads the regulars with a .500 (7-for-14) average and is second on the team with eight RBIs (Fernando Tatis Jr. has 11). Guerrero is one of six Dominicans with a pair of homers, while scoring five times and walking twice. He has helped the Dominican Republic offense dominate this tournament with a .312/.453/.637 slash line, each one the best mark in the WBC. The Dominicans are averaging 10.2 runs per game. Carlos Estevez, Dominican Republic Not that the Dominicans have needed a closer, with two games ending by the mercy rule and allowing just 10 runs in five games, so the 33-year-old Kansas City Royals right-hander has had just one appearance thus far in the WBC. That came in a 10-1 win over Israel, where he allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless inning. The stakes will be much higher if and when he is called upon to face the U.S. lineup. Estevez was the surprising MLB leader in saves in 2025 with 42, his first season with the Royals. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Ranger Suarez, Venezuela Boston Red Sox fans will get to see their prized offseason addition pitch in a crucial game even before he dons the team's uniform at Fenway Park for the first time. The left-hander gets the ball to start against Japan. Suarez started Venezuela's tournament opener, a 6-3 win over the Netherlands, going two innings (43 pitches), allowing one run on three hits and one walk, striking out one. He had made two starts in spring training, going a combined 4⅔ innings and giving up three runs on five hits, with no walks and four strikeouts. In case you were wondering, Suarez has faced Shohei Ohtani three times, with the Japanese slugger going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout. Kazuma Okamoto, Japan The new Toronto Blue Jays third baseman was off to a good start in spring training as he transitions to MLB after 11 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. The 29-year-old was 3-for-9 with a homer and three RBIs in four games for the Jays before heading to the WBC. There, he has struggled, going just 2-for-15 (.133) with a double and an RBI. He has walked three times in four games, while striking out three times. Japan hasn't needed Okamoto's production thus far, putting up the second-highest batting average (.301) and third-best OPS (.987) in pool play, but now would be an ideal time for him to get untracked. Seth Lugo, Puerto Rico The 36-year-old Kansas City Royals right-hander got Puerto Rico's WBC off to a terrific start. Pitching before the home fans in San Juan, Lugo tossed four shutout innings in a 5-0 win over Colombia. He allowed three hits, walked a pair, and struck out three. Now, Lugo has to contend with a homer-happy Italy team led by Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, who had the first three-homer game in WBC history in the final game of pool play vs. Mexico. Italy has 12 homers, second only to the Dominican Republic's 13. Jakob Marsee, Italy The Miami Marlins center fielder hasn't been able to carry a strong start to spring training to his performance in the WBC. The 24-year-old, who had a nice rookie season, is just 3-for-16 with a double and two RBIs in the WBC. This comes after he went 4-for-9 (.444) with four walks, a double, and a homer in four games with the Royals. Marsee has hit in each of the top three spots in Italy's order in the first four games, including leadoff twice. Getting some offense out of the Marsee could help Italy's Cinderella run continue. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Roman Anthony, United States Playing alongside a bunch of All-Stars and current and former MVPs, the still-21-year-old Boston Red Sox left fielder has shown that he belongs on this roster. After a solid start to spring training, 5-for-19 (.263/.300/.316), Anthony has taken a step up at the WBC, going 5-for-15 (.333/.474/.533) with a no-doubt, three-run homer that put the U.S. up 5-0 over Mexico. Anthony, who has started all four WBC games, was the No. 1 prospect in baseball last year when he made his MLB debut in early June, then went out and put up a .292/.396/.463 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 71 games. While he has impressive power, he topped out at 18 homers in 2024, a number that he figures to topple in a full MLB season. Josh Naylor, Canada After a superb finish to the regular season with the Seattle Mariners and having a few big moments in the postseason, including three homers, the 28-year-old first baseman has been part of the relatively no-name nucleus that has carried Canada to the quarterfinals. Naylor has gone 4-for-16 with two RBIs, a run scored, and a steal in the WBC. The offense hasn't been that impressive, posting the ninth-best OPS in the tournament and seventh of the eight quarterfinal teams at .713. Naylor will also be a big part of the Mariners' offense in 2026. Will he repeat his 19-for-19 stolen-base performance in 54 games that he did with the M's? Fernando Tatis Jr., Dominican Republic The clear-cut star of pool play was the 27-year-old San Diego Padres right fielder. Tatis hit the first grand slam in WBC history in the Dominican Republic's 10-1 win over Israel on Monday, then followed that up with a three-run blast in a 7-5 triumph over Venezuela to seal first place in the pool. Both came with beautiful bat flips. Tatis is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with nine RBIs and six runs scored, both tied for second-most in the WBC. The Dominicans, with the deepest lineup in the event, have an amazing 1.130 OPS in the four games, which leads the tournament, while scoring a WBC-best 41 runs. Tatis has been hitting leadoff for the Dominican Republic, but could be hitting somewhere else in the top four of the Padres' lineup. Bo Gyeong Moon, South Korea Who leads the WBC in RBIs after pool play? That would be the 25-year-old corner infielder for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization, who has driven in 11 in four games, a record for the first round of the WBC. The left-handed slugger has two home runs and two doubles in his 7-for-13 (.538) showing thus far. Considering his age, it would be curious if Moon would consider a move to MLB after this season. In five KBO seasons, Moon has a .289/.370/.455, hitting 22 and 24 homers in each of the last two seasons. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Sandy Alcantara, Dominican Republic The 30-year-old Miami Marlins right-hander can set the tone for his 2026 season with a good performance against a good Venezuela lineup. Last year, Alcantara came back from Tommy John surgery and improved in his final 13 starts, posting a 3.33 ERA. He has pitched twice for the Marlins this spring, going four innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Alcantara could be lined up for the championship game if the Dominican Republic advances that far. Wilyer Abreu, Venezuela The Boston Red Sox right fielder has been playing left field for Venezuela. Hitting sixth in the lineup, the 26-year-old got off to a quick start in the WBC, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the first game vs. the Netherlands, a 6-2 Venezuela win. Since then, Abreu is just 1-for-9 with two RBIs in the other two games. Abreu was a nice power source for the Red Sox in 2025, hitting 22 in 115 games. Jac Caglianone, Italy As he prepares for his first full MLB season, the 23-year-old Kansas City Royals outfielder has shown an improvement at the plate this spring. That was certainly evident in Italy's stunning 8-6 win over the U.S. Caglianone, who had an RBI double in four trips vs. Brazil, went 2-for-2, walked, was hit by a pitch and scored twice. He hit a two-run homer off left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, a good sign for the left-handed-hitting slugger. Caglianone struggled in his 62-game MLB debut, putting up a .157/.237/.295 slash line with 52 strikeouts. He did hit seven homers, but perhaps an offseason of making adjustments and spring success (6-for-15 with the Royals) will set him up for success in 2026. Yariel Rodriguez, Cuba The Toronto Blue Jays' right-handed reliever, who turned 29 Tuesday, has already appeared in two of Cuba's three WBC games. Rodriguez has been dominant in those appearances, striking out six and allowing just one hit in 4⅓ innings. This was a nice bounce back after a rough first two spring outings with the Jays. He allowed seven runs in 1⅔ innings. Rodriguez wasn't included on the World Series roster after four postseason appearances. View full article

Pete Crow-Armstrong, United States Originally expected to be a platoon center fielder for Team USA, the soon-to-be 25-year-old Chicago Cubs star started vs. Great Britain due to Byron Buxton getting hit by a pitch on the forearm. Crow-Armstrong's defense is his calling card, especially on a team with a loaded offense like the U.S. He went 1-for-8 in the first two games, but he did have a double, a walk, and scored twice in the 9-1 win over Great Britain. Buxton was back in center for Monday's game. Vinnie Pasquantino, Italy The Pasquatch has been a leader for the Italian team. The 28-year-old Kansas City Royals first baseman has yet to produce offensively in the WBC, going 0-for-7 but drawing three walks and scoring once in Italy's first two games, both victories. That bodes well for Italy as it gets set to face the U.S. in a critical Pool B game, especially if Pasquantino starts to get some hits to power the middle of the order. Liam Hicks, Canada The 26-year-old catcher for the Miami Marlins is the backup backstop for Canada behind Bo Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians. Hicks didn't play in the first two games as Canada didn't use its bench except for one pinch-hit appearance. He did well in his rookie season for the Fish, putting up a .247/.346/.346 slash line with six homers and 45 RBIs in 119 games. RJ Schreck, Israel The No. 9 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays' system, the 25-year-old outfielder has played in each of Israel's first three games. While he has gone just 1-for-7, Schreck has drawn four walks and struck out just once. His lone hit was a solo homer, going deep off Venezuela left-hander Ricardo Sanchez. Israel is 1-2 and won't advance to the quarterfinals, so Schreck will return to Jays' camp. Schreck played at three levels in 2025, finishing with 58 games at Triple-A and posting a .242/.392/.435 slash line with nine homers and 33 RBIs. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Alejandro Kirk, Mexico One of the underrated reasons for the Toronto Blue Jays' run to the World Series last year was that the 27-year-old catcher played a bigger role for Mexico. He did go 0-for-4 in the tournament-opening 8-2 win over Great Britain. Kirk bounced back by going 2-for-3 with an early RBI double and then a big three-run homer in a 16-0 rout of Brazil. He is valuable has not only a very good defensive catcher, but a backstop who can hit. Kirk had a .282/.348/.421 slash line with 15 homers and 76 RBIs with the Jays in the regular season, then had a .308/.441/.538 in the World Series, including two of his five postseason homers. Mason Miller, United States The 27-year-old San Diego Padres closer wasn't particularly sharp in the Americans' first game against Brazil. That could have been because he had to wait out a seven-run top of the ninth inning. Still, Miller struck out three of the four batters he faced, walking the other. Only 11 of his 23 pitches were strikes. As the tournament picks up in intensity, Miller will be put in higher-pressure situations than protecting a 15-5 lead vs. Brazil. The back end of the bullpen is loaded, and that starts with Miller and his killer fastball-slider combination. Brayan Bello, Dominican Republic The Boston Red Sox right-hander is set to make his WBC debut Monday vs. Israel, hoping to run the Dominicans' record to 3-0. The 27-year-old has put up identical 4.19 FIPs in each of the last two seasons for the Red Sox, but they came with much different ERAs (4.49 in 2024 and 3.35 in 2025). He limited opponents to a .237 batting average and .669 OPS, both the best marks of his young career. He should benefit from the rotation additions the Red Sox made this season in left-hander Ranger Suarez and right-hander Sonny Gray, as Bello is likely to be slotted in as the No. 4 starter. Salvador Perez, Venezuela Playing in his fourth WBC, the 35-year-old Kansas City Royals catcher is Venezuela's captain. And he has shown his value in the first two games. Perez is 3-for-9, including a 2-for-4 performance in an 11-3 win over Israel. He scored once and drove in a run in that game. Perez started at designated hitter once and catcher once as he splits time behind the plate with William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers. Venezuela faces a Nicaragua team that has the potential to throw a scare into a team, especially as Perez and Co. await a showdown with the Dominican Republic. Seiya Suzuki, Japan The 31-year-old Chicago Cubs right fielder has been a key piece to a deep lineup for Japan in its first three games. Suzuki has gone 3-for-7 with a pair of walks, including a two-homer game in a crucial 8-6 win over South Korea. Hitting third in that game, Suzuki may have had the biggest hit Japan needed with his two-run homer in the first inning. That came after South Korea took a 3-0 lead at the top of the inning. He then drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning that proved to be vital in a 4-3 win over Australia as the Aussies hit a pair of homers to make things interesting. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Ceddanne Rafaela, Netherlands The 25-year-old Boston Red Sox center fielder was right in the middle of the Netherlands' big ninth-inning rally Saturday. More appropriately, he got the comeback started. Trailing Nicaragua 3-1 with two outs in the ninth and down 0-2 in the count, Rafaela singled to center and went to third on a Xander Bogaerts double. That brought up Ozzie Albies, who cranked a three-run walk-off homer on the first pitch. It was the first walk-off homer in WBC history. Rafaela also had a third-inning single. In addition to being a key part of the Dutch lineup, Rafaela will be a big role for the Red Sox not only with his Gold Glove defense, but with his bat, especially if he can improve upon his career .247/.284/.401 slash line. Joey Ortiz, Mexico The defensive anchor at shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers has been showing a little bit of offense this spring. While he still dazzled with a couple of nice defensive plays, Ortiz contributed to an RBI double during a four-run ninth inning Friday as Mexico put away Great Britain 8-2. He came around to score after his lone hit. Ortiz also walked once, but did strike out twice while hitting ninth. In Cactus League play, Ortiz is hitting a sizzling 7-for-17 (.412) with two walks and five runs scored. Maybe Ortiz is feeling a bit more comfortable entering his second season as an MLB starting shortstop. Any production above what he has shown would be a boon for Mexico and the Brewers. Owen Caissie, Canada Stuck in an outfield logjam with the Chicago Cubs, the 23-year-old had a change of scenery this offseason when he was shipped to the Miami Marlins in the Edward Cabrera deal. If he shows out as he did in Canada's 8-2 win over Colombia on Saturday, the Marlins will have a really nice addition. Caissie got Canada going with a two-run homer in the second inning and added a single in four at-bats. The left-handed hitter rocketed a 76.6 mph curveball on a 1-2 pitch from right-hander Austin Bergner into the right-field stands. Caissie has 41 homers over 226 Triple-A games the last two seasons to go along with a .281/.380/.507 slash line. Daniel Palencia, Venezuela After having his 2025 end early with a strained right shoulder, the 26-year-old closer for the Cubs didn't have much room to ease into 2026 by being named to Venezuela's roster. The right-hander made his WBC debut in Friday's opener, finishing off a 6-2 victory over the Netherlands with a scoreless ninth inning in which he struck out a pair. His four-seamer cracked 100 mph three times and averaged 99.6 mph, finishing off both strikeouts with the fastball. His slider checked in at 91.4 mph, which was up a couple of mph from where it was in spring training. Of his 14 pitches, 10 went for strikes. Valencia will be facing tougher tasks as the WBC progresses, but this was a nice first outing. Alek Jacob, Italy How deep is the San Diego Padres' bullpen? The 27-year-old right-hander, who made 29 relief appearances for the Friars in 2025, is likely headed back to Triple-A to begin 2026. So opportunities like the WBC are big for Jacob. He turned in a nice outing Saturday in Italy's 8-0 win over Brazil. Jacob came on to finish the fifth inning after left-handed starter Sam Aldegheri (Los Angeles Angels) threw 63 pitches. Jacob retired all four Brazilians he faced, getting three swinging strikeouts. At worst, Jacob is nice bullpen insurance to have at Triple-A, but also be attractive to other teams. View full article

Otto Lopez, Canada The 27-year-old Miami Marlins shortstop has started to make a name for himself the last two seasons. As Canada is set to play its WBC opener vs. Colombia, Lopez is hoping to put his all-around skills on display. He flashed more power in 2025, following up a six-homer 2024 by going deep 15 times last year. His OPS+ each of the last two seasons (91, 86) is still below average, showing that Lopez still has strides to make. He had a .121 ISO in 2025, which was 17 points higher than 2024, but still 37 points shy of the MLB average. He doesn't sting the ball, having an exit velocity of 88.5 mph that is in the 26th percentile. Masataka Yoshida, Japan For a player with a three-year MLB slash line of .282/.337/.425 and getting paid $37.2 million over this season and 2027, the 32-year-old Boston Red Sox outfielder doesn't seem to have a significant role with his MLB team. But it is different in the WBC with Japan, where he was the starting left fielder and batted cleanup in Japan's WBC opener. The left-handed hitter went 2-for-3, scored twice and drove in another in Japan's 13-0 rout of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). He also drew a walk and had an RBI double in the fifth inning to make it 5-0. Dan Altavilla, Italy The right-hander in Minnesota Twins camp on a minor-league deal figures to be a key member of Italy's bullpen in the WBC. He is coming off a 2025 with the Chicago White Sox in which he had a 5.45 FIP yet a 2.48 ERA in 28 games and 29 innings. Altavilla has plenty of MLB experience, pitching in parts of eight seasons. While he has a slightly above-average career strikeout rate at 24.4%, his walk rate is poor at 12.3%, which is about 25% higher than the MLB average. However, his strikeout rate took a dramatic dip in 2025 to 17.5%. Alex Bregman, U.S. There are many ways for a hitter to make an impact on a game. And the new Chicago Cubs third baseman, while not a headline-grabber in the closer-than-it-looked 15-5 U.S. win over Brazil in the Americans' opener, Bregman played the role of table-setter. Bregman officially went 0-for-1, but he did draw a whopping four walks, was hit by a pitch, scored twice and had an RBI (on his last walk). Of course, Brazil did issue 17 walks. Still, that type of patience bodes well not only for a U.S. offense that will need that type of patience in the knockout rounds, but something the Cubs will appreciate. Bregman has a career walk rate of 11.8%, with a peak of 17.2% in 2019 when he led MLB in free passes with 119 and finished runner-up in the AL MVP race to Mike Trout. Xander Bogaerts, Netherlands The shortstop's spot in the San Diego Padres' batting order is up in the air as new manager Craig Stammen tinkers with his top four, but with the Netherlands, Bogaerts is entrenched as the No. 3 hitter. The 33-year-old and the Netherlands got off to a slow start, dropping the opener to Venezuela 6-2. Bogaerts went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and also couldn't come up with a sharp backhand grounder by former Padres teammate Luis Arraez with a drawn-in infielder to put Venezuela up 1-0. Bogaerts is a leader on this roster and will need to deliver for even moderate WBC success. View full article

Jackson Chourio, Venezuela The Milwaukee Brewers outfielder, who turns 22 next week, became the youngest player in MLB history to record back-to-back 20-homer, 20-steal seasons and will hit in the middle of the order for Venezuela, which has one of the top lineups in the tournament and opens against the Netherlands. Chourio is coming off an eight-game stint in winter ball in his home country, in which he went 12-for-35 (.400), and then has been scorching the ball in spring training (with several 100 mph exit velocities) for the Brewers, even if the results (4-for-21) haven't been there. Playing in a loaded lineup could help Chourio take flight this season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dominican Republic The pride of Canada's MLB team is also a focal point of the Dominican lineup that hopes to thrash its WBC opponents. Guerrero, coming up on his 27th birthday, may have been born in Montreal and play for the Toronto Blue Jays, but make no mistake that his heart lies with the Dominican Republic, where his parents (including, yes, the original Vladimir Guerrero) are from. Vladito turned on the offensive fireworks in the postseason for the Blue Jays to lead them heartbreakingly close to a World Series title. Now, with All-Stars all around him, he has a chance to win a WBC championship before returning to Toronto and trying for that World Series again. Gio Urshela, Colombia The 34-year-old third baseman, who is battling for a roster spot with the Minnesota Twins, is one of the top hitters in the Colombian lineup, which faces the tough task of opening against Pool A host Puerto Rico. A non-roster invite this spring, Urshela has mustered a 3-for-16 start (.188) as he looks to bounce back from a 2025 with the Athletics in which a hamstring injury limited him to 59 games before being released in mid-August with a .238/.287/.326 slash line. Urshela is hoping to catch some vibes from his terrific 2022 season with the Twins in helping Colombia, which could lead to a major-league job with the Twins or elsewhere. Bobby Witt Jr., U.S. No pressure. The 25-year-old Kansas City Royals shortstop just has the responsibility of leading off for a star-studded U.S. team that is expected to win the championship for just the second time. Witt was a backup on the 2023 WBC team but has since risen to superstardom with a combination of speed and power that helped the Royals reach the playoffs in 2024. Having led MLB in hits each of the last two seasons, including a majors-best 47 doubles in 2025, and stolen no fewer than 31 bases in each of his four seasons, Witt brings the type of dynamic to the U.S. lineup that is the perfect setup for the sluggers behind him. Jarren Duran, Mexico The Boston Red Sox outfielder, a centerpiece of Mexico's roster, hopes to take the team to the championship game after Mexico lost its semifinal game to Japan in 2023. Duran is at a very different point in his career in 2026, coming off a 114 OPS+ season in 2025, good for 4.7 rWAR with the Red Sox. Entering the 2023 WBC, he was a below-replacement-level young player who wouldn't fully break out as a premier player for another 13 months. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / © Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images The World Baseball Classic begins March 4 with Pool C in Tokyo. This pool has a dramatic time difference, which is why some teams will play what seems like two games on the same day (see the schedule below), when in fact they are on different days. Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of Eastern time (soon to be 13 with daylight saving time Sunday) and 17 hours ahead of Pacific. Wednesday's game: Chinese Taipei vs. Australia, 10 p.m. ET (FS1) Thursday's games: Czechia vs. South Korea, 5 a.m. ET (FS1), Australia vs. Czechia, 10 p.m. ET (FS1) Travis Bazzana, Australia The 23-year-old second baseman, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft by the Cleveland Guardians, makes his WBC debut as his country's top player. Bazzana only played in three Cactus League games this spring, going 2-for-8 with a homer. Ticketed to begin 2026 at Triple-A, where he finished with 26 games last year, Bazzana could be on track for a midseason promotion if he hits like he has done throughout his amateur career, including a .360/.497/.660 career slash line at Oregon State. An oblique injury interrupted his 2025, in which he played at three stops and had a put up a .245/.389/.424 slash line with nine homers, 39 RBIs, and 12 steals in 84 games. Australia advanced out of pool play for the first time in 2023. Chieh Hsien Chen, Chinese Taipei The 32-year-old outfielder and captain of Taiwan's team is playing in his second straight WBC. He represented his home country very well in the 2023 tournament, putting together a .357/.438/.643 slash line in four games. He is a 10-year veteran of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, posting a .337/.413/.443 slash line all while playing for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions. There isn't much power in his game (career high of eight), but he does get on base. Chinese Taipei is coming off a surprising Premier12 championship in 2024, upsetting Japan in the gold-medal game, and will be looking to advance out of pool play for just the second time in six WBC trips. Hyeseong Kim, South Korea This is a big spring for the 27-year-old infielder-outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his second season since coming over from the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim is one of a handful of MLB players on the roster and is looking to get a foothold with the Dodgers. He started last season at Triple-A before getting a May call-up, then dealt with bursitis in his left shoulder that landed him on the injured list. Kim only played in 71 games but had a nice .280/.314/.385 slash line with three homers and 17 RBIs in 170 plate appearances. Perhaps playing for his country will give Kim a springboard for the MLB season. Whole Team, Czechia While Czechia might rank at or near the bottom in terms of the talent brought to play in the WBC, there will not be a more fun team to watch. This roster is a bunch of guys with regular jobs who have elevated the country's status in the baseball world after winning its debut game in 2023, beating China 8-5. There are electrians and firefighters who led Czechia to a bronze medal, the country's first, at the 2025 European Baseball Championships. View full article