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Who's playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic? Here's the roster so far

Who's playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic? Here's the roster so far originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Will Team USA reclaim the World Baseball Classic title in 2026?

The United States will be looking to rebound from a runner-up finish when the World Baseball Classic returns in March.

After capturing their first WBC title in 2017, the Americans made it all the back to the final of the 2023 international baseball tournament. But the U.S. fell just short of pulling off the repeat, losing to 3-2 to Japan. The thrilling tournament was capped by Shohei Ohtanistriking out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to secure Japan’s third WBC title.

Now, as the 2026 tournament approaches, Team USA is putting together a roster that’s certainly championship-caliber.

The club is captained by New York Yankeesthree-time MVPAaron Judge. The roster also features both the NL and AL MVP runners-up from 2025 in Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. The pitching staff, meanwhile, is headlined by the reigning Cy Young winners in Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes and Detroit Tigers southpaw Tarik Skubal.

And those aren’t the only MLB stars who will be donning red, white and blue.

Who is on Team USA’s World Baseball Classic roster?

Here’s an updated breakdown of manager Mark DeRosa‘s roster to this point (this section will be updated as roster additions are announced):

Starting pitchers

Relievers

Catchers

  • Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
  • Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers

Infielders

Outfielders

Bednar, Schwarber, Smith and Witt Jr. are returning members from the 2023 squad.

When does the 2026 World Baseball Classic start?

The opening game of the tournament is scheduled for March 4.

What are the 2026 World Baseball Classic dates?

Pool play will run from March 4-March 11 followed by the quarterfinals from March 13-14, the semifinals from March 15-16 and the championship game on March 17.

Where is the 2026 World Baseball Classic being played?

Group stage games will be played across four cities and three countries:

  • Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan
  • Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Daikin Park in Houston
  • loanDepot park in Miami

The quarterfinals will be held in Houston and Miami, while the semifinals and finals will be played in Miami.

Which teams are in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?

The WBC features 20 teams which are split into four different pools for the opening round. Each pool is assigned to one host city for the first round.

Here’s a breakdown of the pools and host cities:

Pool A (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

  • Canada
  • Colombia
  • Cuba
  • Panama
  • Puerto Rico

Pool B (Houston)

  • Brazil
  • Great Britain
  • Italy
  • Mexico
  • United States

Pool C (Tokyo, Japan)

  • Australia
  • Chinese Taipei
  • Czechia
  • Japan
  • Korea

Pool D (Miami)

  • Dominican Republic
  • Israel
  • Netherlands
  • Nicaragua
  • Venezuela

How does the World Baseball Classic work?

The WBC opens with a round robin where teams play one game against each of the other clubs in their pool. The top two teams from each pool then advance to the knockout rounds, which are single-elimination.

Teams from Pools A and B will play quarterfinal games in Houston, while clubs from Pools C and D will play in Miami.

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Blue Jackets Score Three Power Play Goals, Two By Mason Marchment to Beat Kings

Mason Marchement(6-PPG, 7-PPG) and Kirill Marchenko(11-PPG) scored for the Blue Jackets, and Jet Greaves made 23 saves in a 3-1 win over the LA Kings on Monday night. 

It was a brilliant game by the Blue Jackets, who defensively stifled the Kings all night long, giving them very little. The Blue Jackets' power play scored three goals on seven power plays to stay hot. 

The Blue Jackets played without their best player in Zach Werenski, but they all stepped up, played really well, and gave the Kings nothing. 

A bit of concerning news as Sean Monahan left the game in the third period. We will update you when we hear more. 

First Period - SOG 11-10 Kings - CBJ Goals - Mason Marchment x2

Just 4:07 into the game, newly acquired Mason Marchment scored his 6th goal of the season. The goal was a power play goal, which was awarded to the Blue Jackets when Kevin Fiala went off for hooking. Damon Severson and Dmitri Voronkov were given assists on the score. 

Damon Severson gave L.A. their first power play when he was called for hooking Anze Kopitar at 12:27 of the first period. Jet Greaves and the penalty killers were able to kill it, keeping the CBJ's one-goal lead.  

Dante Fabbro gave the Kings their second man advantage when he was called for cross-checking Alex Turcotte with 2:28 left in the first. 44 seconds into the Kings power play, however, they were called for high-sticking when Andrei Kuzmenko's stick made high contact with Boone Jenner. 

Mason Marchment would score his 2nd goal of the night, and third as a Jacket to put Columbus up 2-0. The Marchment trade has worked out well so far. Marchment is the first player in Blue Jackets history to score three goals in his first two games. 

Second Period - SOG 11-4 CBJ - No CBJ Goals

Miles Wood gave the Kings another power play when he was called for interfering with Alex Turcotte. That was Turcotte's second drawn penalty so far in the game. The Blue Jackets were able to kill it off with ease. 

Columbus was given another power play opportunity when Corey Perry picked up two penalties when he and Damon Severson got into a scuffle. The penalty was nullified when Ivan Provorov was called for tripping Warren Foegele. All he was trying to do was get to the puck when Foegele tried to cut back and tripped over Provorov. 

With 7:56 to go in the second period, the Blue Jackets were awarded another power play when Brandt Clarke was called for slashing Miles Wood. The Kings were able to kill off the CBJ power play, which was their fourth of the game. 

With 1:19 left, the Kings would score when Andrei Kuzmenko put one past Jet Greaves. The Kings had been loading up their top line in desperation, and it finally worked. 

The period would end 2-1. 

Third Period - SOG 9-7 CBJ - CBJ Goal - Kirill Marchenko

There wasn't much to speak on in the third until Corey Perry took another penalty, giving the CBJ a power play. The Kings were able to kill the penalty off with ease. 

Kevin Fiala took another penalty to give the CBJ their 6th power play of the game. Kirill Marchenko would waste no time though, scoring his 11th goal of the season to regain the Columbus two-goal lead. It was Marchenko's first goal in seven games. That would be the Blue Jackets first three power play goal game of the year. 

Boone Jenner was called for hooking just 42 seconds after the Marchenko goal to give the Kings their 5th power play. The Kings would pull Goalie Anton Forsberg to attempt a two-man advantage. The advantage was nixed when the Kings were called for Too Many Men. 

The Blue Jackets would shut down the rest of the game to pull out the win against the Kings. 

Final Stats

CBJ APP

Player Stats

  • Mason Marchment scored two goals and led the team with 4 shots.
  • Kirill Marchenko Scored his 11th goal.
  • Damon Severson had two assists, his 9th and 10th.
  • Dmitri Voronkov picked up his 11th assist.
  • Boone Jenner got his 10th assist and 4 shots.
  • Adam Fantilli picked up his 11th assist.
  • Denton Mateychuk recorded his 8th assist and played 28:35.
  • Jet Greaves made 23 saves.

Team Stats

  • The Jackets' power play went 3/7.
  • The Columbus PK stopped all five Kings power plays.
  • Columbus won 53.3% of the faceoffs. 32/60
  • The Blue Jackets had 14 giveaways.

Up Next: The Blue Jackets will now take a five-day break for Christmas and will resume their march to the playoffs on December 28th against the New York Islanders. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Maple Leafs Fall To Last Place In NHL’s Eastern Conference Following Blue Jackets Victory

Just one day before the NHL begins its three-day holiday break, the Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen to last place in the Eastern Conference. Ironically, it was former Maple Leafs prospect Mason Marchment who scored two power-play goals on Monday to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

That result highlights a glaring disparity: a single former prospect matched the entire output of the Toronto power play, which has managed only two goals on the man-advantage throughout its last 10 games in December. This persistent inefficiency recently forced the club to part ways with assistant coach Marc Savard, who had overseen the power-play unit for a season-and-a-half.

The last time the Leafs found themselves at the bottom of the conference this late in the calendar was during the 2015-16 season. That year, Toronto finished last in the league and subsequently won the NHL Draft Lottery, using the No. 1 overall pick to select current team captain and cornerstone Auston Matthews.

However, the current situation differs significantly from that total rebuild. Today, the Leafs are navigating a crisis of confidence following a winless three-game road trip through Washington, Nashville, and Dallas. Despite high preseason expectations of a Stanley Cup run, the team now finds itself searching for answers.

The silver lining for Toronto is the current parity within the Eastern Conference. With every team maintaining a points percentage of at least .500, the Leafs remain only six points out of a playoff spot. While a 15-5-5 record suggests there is plenty of time to recover, the team certainly has its work cut out for them as 2026 approaches. The Leafs return to action Tuesday afternoon, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins with a vital opportunity to climb out of the conference basement.

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The Canadiens Have Options In The Shootout

When the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the shootout on Sunday night, only Cole Caufield was able to find the back of the net. The other two shooters, Nick Suzuki and Alexandre Texier, were both stopped by goaltender Artus Svilos, who had a .200 save percentage in the shootout before then this season.

Suzuki, as talented as he may be, has a 32.4% career success rate in the shootout. He hasn’t scored a shootout goal this season, or even last season. The last time he scored in that kind of scenario was during the 2023-24 season, when he used a Pavel Datsyuk-like move a few times. Since then, he’s been unable to find the back of the net.

Canadiens: Kent Hughes Is Betting On The French Factor
Canadiens: Crosby Makes History And The Penguins Finally Win One
Canadiens: Montembeault Stays With The Rocket

It may just be time for Martin St-Louis to explore other options, especially since the Canadiens do have some offensive talent depth now. While taking shots in the shootout is a big responsibility and may be too much for some players, the coach has at least two players who both crave puck possession and want to be THE man when a goal is needed.

Whenever the Canadiens need a goal late, you can literally see how eager Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov are to get the puck and to try to get that goal. Furthermore, both have some impressive moves and hands. Is the coach trying to shield them from pressure? That would be surprising since both seem to thrive on it.

Is it that Suzuki wants to take the shots even though he’s struggling to score? Well, it’s part of the coach’s job to make that kind of decision; even if the captain wants to shoot, the bench boss has the final say. Much like when it comes to goaltending, you’re only as good as your latest results. If it weren’t the case, Samuel Montembeault would still be in the net, and Jacob Fowler would still be looking forward to getting his first NHL start.

What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, and the coach must be willing to explore other options when results are needed.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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The life of a rugby league referee: fit, fanatical and fuelled by self-belief

A new documentary film shows elite referees are dedicated, passionate and desperate to get decisions right

By No Helmets Required

Fifteen teams are currently grinding their way through pre-season training before the new Super League season. No, the Rugby Football League has not suddenly decided to promote London to the big time. The people who will make the decisions on the pitch without touching the ball are also preparing for the season by hitting the treadmills, pushing weights and running laps at their base in the Etihad Campus in Manchester.

You can get a good idea what that looks like in a new documentary called Beyond the Whistle, which follows the highest-profile British referees through the 2024 season. The 40-minute film focuses on the battle between Liam Moore and Chris Kendall to be the league’s top referee, how the group copes when new rules are foisted upon them, and the work done by head of match officials, Phil Bentham.

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Oxford sack manager Gary Rowett with club in Championship relegation zone

  • Rowett leaves after a year with club two points from safety

  • Oxford have one win from their past 10 matches

Oxford have sacked Gary Rowett with the club 22nd in the Championship, two points from safety. The former Birmingham, Derby, Stoke and Millwall manager was appointed on 20 December 2024 and kept the club in the second tier last season.

Oxford’s chairman, Grant Ferguson, told the club’s website: “Gary joined during a challenging period and deserves immense credit for the hard work and leadership that saw us retain our Championship status last season. However, following a disappointing run of results, we have had to take this difficult decision in the best interests of the club.”

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Warriors' Draymond Green must stay true to his word that problem won't linger

Warriors' Draymond Green must stay true to his word that problem won't linger originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Instead of focusing on the first-half performance of Jimmy Butler, the second-half showing of Steph Curry, the overall impact Brandin Podziemski and a long list of players had contributing to a 23-point Warriors win Monday night, all talk has been consumed by Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr’s public heated argument during a third-quarter timeout. 

The voice that stood out the most following the incident wasn’t Green or Kerr. A dejected Curry spoke to the bigger picture at hand, a problem that can grow if not taken care of immediately. 

“It’s unfortunate that we’re up here after considering where we’ve been, two-game win streak and protecting our home court, that the vibes of the questions are a little bit more negative than they should be,” Curry said. “I get why you’re asking them.”

Curry did not want to answer questions about the incident. He knew he’d have to. Curry was looking at the box score when first asked about it and requested the reporter to repeat the question. 

“Just having a good conversation,” he sarcastically answered. 

“That’s kind of for them to talk about, not me,” Curry continued. 

There lies the problem. Curry was a perfect 6 of 6 from the field and 3 of 3 from 3-point range in the third quarter after missing all six of his threes in the first half to help him get to 26 points while also leading the team with six assists. Butler was aggressively in control in the first half as Curry struggled and efficiently reached 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting with six free throws. Moses Moody gave the Warriors three 20-point scorers in a game where he was 8 of 11 from the field and went 3 of 6 on threes. 

Off the bench, Podziemski was one of the best players on the floor for either team as a plus-36 that met the eye test. Gary Payton II provided constant energy in 10 minutes, as did Gui Santos in his 10. 

And then for Green himself, he was mostly solid in his 18 minutes with nine points, seven rebounds, two assists and one turnover. But he also was one of two Warriors (Will Richard) with a negative plus/minus. None of those numbers will be remembered. Him going back and forth at Kerr and eventually deciding on his own to leave the bench and go to the Warriors’ locker room is all that will be remembered. 

The decision to leave the bench solely was on Green. Once he decided to do so, Kerr wasn’t going to let him play again, beginning at the 8:31 mark of the third quarter. 

Both of Green and Kerr, as well others who spoke after the game, said the issue won’t linger. 

“We’re good. We’ll move forward. We’ll be all right,” Green said. 

History is why Green is confident this won’t spill over to a larger problem.

“Because none of the other ones ever have,” Green said. “We still keep winning, so we’ll be all right.” 

But is this just a blip in the road, or an insight into something bigger? 

Green was ejected the previous game, a 119-116 win against the Phoenix Suns, for giving a profanity-laced argument at a referee. Moody, 23, was the one trying to hold Green back during his ejection. Moody also was the one physically holding onto Green on the bench Monday night and got in between Green and Kerr before assistant coach Anthony Vereen escorted him down the tunnel. 

The decision to remove himself from the situation can be taken multiple ways. Some might feel like Green quit on his team out of selfish emotions in the middle of a game while trailing. There also can be some maturity seen in Green feeling like the smartest decision was to cool himself down away from Kerr. 

“I just felt like it was best for me, and everybody,” Green said. “You stay in a hot situation, there’s no way to stop it. So I just wanted to remove myself.”

The basketball of all this also has to be spoken about. The Warriors were a plus-16 after Green’s ejection Saturday night. They were even better without him Monday, outscoring the Magic 54-26 the rest of the game.

“It means we’ve got guys on the bench who are dying to play,” Kerr said. “This is the NBA, and all these guys have their careers at stake. They want to win, they want to play. So when their opportunity comes up, they’re ready to play.”

Green is turning the ball over more than ever before, and the Warriors still are at their best when he’s at his best – physically and emotionally. 

On a night where there was so much positive to focus on from a game where the Warriors earned their second straight win to get back to .500 (15-15), and the entire Chase Center crowd sang “Happy Birthday” for Draymond’s son DJ on his ninth birthday, the lasting image can’t be him losing his cool and having to take himself out. 

Even if this isn’t the last clash between Green and Kerr – and it likely won’t be – the problem can’t become public, and it can’t linger. Not now, not again. These Warriors can’t afford it, and neither can Green.

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Bruins have backup goalie problem that's costing them in standings

Bruins have backup goalie problem that's costing them in standings originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

For the Boston Bruins to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026 after finishing with the NHL’s fifth-worst record last season, they needed Jeremy Swayman to have a bounce-back campaign.

And Swayman has actually played quite well through the first 37 games of the season.

He has a 14-9-1 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA. Those stats don’t jump off the page, but context is important: The Bruins rank 30th or worse in shot attempts allowed, shots on net allowed, scoring chances allowed and high-danger chances allowed, per Natural Stat Trick.

The Bruins are defending poorly, and Swayman is bailing them out more often than not. For proof: Swayman ranks No. 4 among all goalies with 16.5 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

Swayman performance hasn’t been a problem, even if his December stats have regressed a bit from his stellar November numbers.

The backup goalie situation is an actual concern for the Bruins — one that has already cost them a bunch of points in a tightly contested Atlantic Division race.

Joonas Korpisalo has played poorly this season. There’s no other way to describe it. He is 6-7-0 with a .880 save percentage and a 3.63 GAA. The Finnish netminder ranks 77th out of 83 goalies with minus-4.5 goals saved above expected. He has allowed four or more goals in four of his last six starts, including Sunday night’s 6-2 defeat to the Ottawa Senators during which he gave up five goals on 17 shots in just 26:31 of ice time.

The best-case scenario for the Bruins is that Korpisalo turns it around and plays better. But his on-ice performance would suggest the chances of that scenario unfolding are not high. He has yet to put together back-to-back starts allowing two or fewer goals this season. He’s also on pace to tally a sub-.900 save percentage for the third straight year, so it’s not like his disappointing play is a new trend.

What if Korpisalo’s struggles continue?

There aren’t a ton of great options. Trading him would be difficult given his lackluster performance and his burdensome contract that doesn’t run out until after the 2027-28 season and carries a $3 million salary cap hit.

The Bruins could promote one of the two Providence Bruins goalies — Michael DiPietro and Simon Zajicek — to the backup role. DiPietro, who was the AHL’s top goalie last season, is more NHL-ready than Zajicek. He’s also having another strong season for Providence with a 10-4-0 record, a .933 save percentage and a 1.97 GAA.

DiPietro, who’s currently dealing with an injury and hasn’t played in more than a week, has earned a chance to prove himself in the NHL, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give him a couple opportunities if Korpisalo doesn’t improve.

The bottom line is the Bruins cannot expect to remain in the playoff race deep into the season if their backup goalie has a 3.63 GAA, especially when a couple losses in a row can drop you several spots in the standings.

Korpisalo’s inability to consistently give the B’s quality starts doesn’t just impact the team’s place in the standings, it also forces Swayman to take on a larger workload, which obviously isn’t ideal.

The Bruins have largely exceeded expectations so far this season. They are firmly in the mix for a playoff spot, and finishing top three in the division is certainly not out of the question.

But they need to solve this backup goalie nightmare ASAP, because it does have the potential to cost them dearly if it persists.