It’s time.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins this week, as Chinese Taipei and Australia kick things off tomorrow night at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Each team’s roster is set, players have reported, and reporters and fans alike are traveling to one of the four Pool Play destinations in Houston, Miami, San Juan, and Tokyo.
There are endless notable WBC storylines to watch, and undoubtedly, broken records and unforgettable matchups are in the cards. Today, World Baseball Network takes a deep dive into 10 of the more distinctive WBC stats and facts.
10. The WBC’s all-time home run leader, 39-year-old Alfredo Despaigne, will play in his fifth consecutive tournament with Cuba, tying him with Venezuela’s Miguel Cabrera. Netherlands right-hander Shairon Martis will also join the exclusive club of players to compete in five WBCs.
9. Right-hander Joseph Contreras, son of former Major League pitcher Jose Contreras, is the youngest player on any WBC roster. He won’t turn 18 until May, and is committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University.
8. At 44, former Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez is the oldest player on the 20 WBC rosters. He will set the record for the oldest player to appear in a WBC game when he steps on the field for Cuba, surpassing Team USA’s Roger Clemens, who pitched at age 43 in 2006.
7. With 17 players from the organization suiting up, the New York Mets lead the Majors for the most participants in this year’s WBC, including Juan Soto (Dominican Republic), Clay Holmes (USA), and Mark Vientos (Nicaragua).
6. Both of Nippon Professional Baseball’s reigning MVPs will participate. Hanshin Tigers infielder Teruaki Sato was named the 2025 Central League MVP and will represent Japan. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks left-hander Livan Moinelo was named the 2025 Pacific League MVP and will represent Cuba.
5. Japan’s Masataka Yoshida led the 2023 WBC with 13 RBIs in just 22 at-bats. The left-handed hitter is one of 15 players from the Boston Red Sox organization who will compete in this year’s tournament.
4. Australia’s Travis Bazzana and Team USA’s Bryce Harper will become the seventh and eighth former No. 1 overall MLB draft picks to participate in the WBC. Previous No. 1 selections include Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Joe Mauer, Alex Rodriguez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Carlos Correa.
3. Japan’s Shohei Ohtani (2023) can join Daisuke Matsuzaka (2006, 2009) as the only players to win multiple WBC MVPs. Matsuzaka, a former right-handed pitcher, is the WBC’s all-time leader with six pitching wins and 23 strikeouts.
2. Puerto Rico’s Nolan Arenado will become the fifth player in WBC history to play for two different nations in the tournament. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman was a member of the United States in 2023.
1. The 2026 WBC will be the first iteration of the tournament featuring all four of MLB’s reigning MVPs and Cy Young Award winners. Aaron Judge and Ohtani were named the 2025 AL and NL MVPs, respectively, and Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes won last year’s AL and NL Cy Young Awards.
Note: Facts Nos. 10-6, 4, 2, and 1 are via MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
Photo: Alfredo Despaigne hits a single against the Netherlands during the fourth inning of their second round game at the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
