USA Baseball announced its coaching staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic under manager Mark DeRosa and general manager Michael Hill on April 11.
Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr., Jerry Manuel, Lou Collier, and Dave Righetti will not return to the Team USA coaching staff after serving in 2023.
New additions include former MLB players Andy Pettitte, Michael Young, Brian McCann, Skip Schumaker, Matt Holliday, and David Ross. Fredi González, Dino Ebel, and George Lombard also join DeRosa’s 2026 staff.
USA Baseball 2026 WBC Coaching Staff
Manager – Mark DeRosa
Assistant Manager – Brian McCann
Assistant Manager – Fredi González
Assistant Manager – Michael Young
Bench Coach – Skip Schumaker
Hitting Coach – Matt Holliday
Pitching Coach – Andy Pettitte
Bullpen Coach – David Ross
First Base Coach – George Lombard
Third Base Coach – Dino Ebel
110 big-league seasons.
24 All-Star Game appearances.
11 World Series titles.
8,566 career hits.Our coaching staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic is LOADED 🇺🇸
📰: https://t.co/EDREzeQJxp pic.twitter.com/A46VNTv77v
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) April 11, 2025
Ebel and Pettitte are the only returning coaches from Team USA’s 2023 WBC staff.
Pettitte, a three-time All-Star, won five World Series titles with the New York Yankees and the American League pennant in 2021. He pitched 18 seasons in the majors.
Schumaker, who won a World Series in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals, played 13 seasons in the majors. He managed the Miami Marlins in 2023 and 2024 and was named National League Manager of the Year in his first season.
Ross helped the Chicago Cubs end their 108-year championship drought in 2016. He retired after that season, his 15th in Major League Baseball.
Ebel has been with the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2019 and helped the club win World Series titles in 2020 and 2024.
Holliday played 15 MLB seasons, was a seven-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger winner, 2007 NL batting champion, and NLCS MVP. He won a World Series in 2011 with St. Louis.
McCann, a left-handed power hitter from Athens, Ga., spent most of his 15-year MLB career with the Braves and Yankees. He was a seven-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger, and part of the Houston Astros’ 2017 World Series-winning team.
Young played 14 seasons, including 13 with the Texas Rangers. He was a seven-time All-Star, 2005 AL batting champion, and won a Gold Glove in 2008.
González, born in Holguín, Cuba, became a U.S. citizen after attending Southridge High School in Miami. He managed the Florida Marlins from 2007–10 and the Atlanta Braves from 2011–16, finishing with a career managerial record of 710–692.
Lombard has been the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach since 2021. He previously spent five seasons with the Dodgers as their first base coach and won a World Series with them in 2020.
DeRosa has been a full-time analyst and co-host on MLB Network since 2013, appearing on MLB Central with Robert Flores and Lauren Shehadi.
As a player, DeRosa represented Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, batting .316/.364/.632 across 19 at-bats with six hits, one double, one triple, one home run, and nine RBI.
Over 16 MLB seasons, DeRosa appeared in 1,241 games, posting a .268 career average with 975 hits, 100 home runs, and a .751 OPS.
The United States will face Italy, Mexico, Great Britain, and Brazil in Pool B at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas from March 6–11, 2026.
DeRosa managed Team USA to the 2023 WBC championship game in Miami, where they lost 3–2 to No. 1-ranked Japan.
The United States will aim to retain core players from 2023, including Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Pete Alonso, Kyle Tucker, Cedric Mullins, Bobby Witt Jr., Will Smith, Nolan Arenado, J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber.
Potential offensive additions for 2026 include Aaron Judge, Corbin Carroll, Adley Rutschman, Jacob Wilson, Jackson Merrill, Michael Harris II, Austin Riley, Victor Scott, Jordan Walker, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Dylan Moore, Cal Raleigh, Marcus Semien, Nico Hoerner, and Corey Seager.
Returning arms from the 2023 roster could include Brady Singer, Ryan Pressly, Jason Adam, Devin Williams, and Kyle Freeland.
Recently retired pitchers Lance Lynn and Adam Wainwright were key to Team USA’s 2023 run.
Pitching candidates for 2026 include Tarik Skubal, Corbin Burnes, Tylor Megill, Zack Wheeler, Carlos Rodón, Nathan Eovaldi, Hunter Greene, Spencer Strider, Jack Flaherty, Hunter Brown, Dustin May, Blake Snell, Chris Sale, Nick Lodolo, Joe Ryan, Kevin Gausman, Paul Skenes, Max Fried, Garrett Crochet, Hayden Wesneski, Logan Gilbert, Tyler Mahle, Shane Baz, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Mitchell Parker.
Relievers who could be considered include Josh Hader, Ryan Walker, Mason Miller, Kyle Finnegan, Porter Hodge, Luke Jackson, Blake Treinen, Luke Weaver, Anthony Banda, Jeremiah Estrada, Alek Jacob, Pete Fairbanks, Ryan Helsley, and Kirby Yates.
Teams like Great Britain, Israel, and Italy will likely recruit U.S.-born players with dual citizenship under WBC eligibility rules.
Japan leads all countries with three WBC championships (2006, 2009, 2023), followed by the United States (2017) and the Dominican Republic (2013). The World Baseball Classic is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation in partnership with Major League Baseball, the MLBPA, and the WBCI.
The 2026 WBC pool matchups and dates are listed at MLB’s World Baseball Classic official website. Game start times have not yet been announced.
2026 World Baseball Classic Information
Nicaragua will play against Venezuela, Israel, the Netherlands, and the Dominican Republic in Miami at loanDepot Park from March 6-11.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and Colombia will compete in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium from March 6-11 in Pool A.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and Chinese Taipei will compete at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 in Pool C.
The Quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC will feature the Pool A runner-up facing the Pool B winner on March 13, while the Pool B runner-up will face the Pool A winner on March 14 at Daikin Park.
The other side of the Quarterfinals will be on March 13 with the Pool C runner-up playing the Pool D winner and the Pool D runner-up.
The schedule for the 2026 @WBCBaseball is here! 👀 pic.twitter.com/B5MvUIrZK5
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 9, 2025
WBSC Rankings Outline
Japan is ranked at No. 1 in the World Baseball Rankings and will play in their sixth WBC. Chinese Taipei hails at No. 2. and will play in their sixth event. Venezuela at No. 3 and will appear for the sixth time at the WBC. Mexico is at No. 4 and will play in their sixth WBC. The United States is at No. 5 and will appear for the sixth time in the WBC. South Korea is labeled at No. 6 and will play in their sixth WBC.
The Netherlands at No. 7 will play in the WBC for the sixth time. Panama at No. 8 will play at the event for the fourth time. Puerto Rico crawling in at No. 9 will appear for the sixth time. Cuba is at No. 10 and will appear in the sixth WBC. The Dominican Republic at No. 11 will play in their sixth event. Australia pipelines at No. 12 and will play for the sixth time at the WBC.
Colombia at No. 13 and will appear in their third WBC. Italy is at No. 14 and will play in their sixth event The Czech Republic at No. 15 will appear in their second WBC. Nicaragua is ranked at No. 16 and will appear in the WBC for the second-time.
Great Britain at No. 18 will play for the second time at the WBC. Israel is ranked at No. 19 and will play in their third WBC. Canada is at No. 22 and will play in their sixth event. Brazil is ranked at No. 23 and will play in their second WBC.
In the 2023 WBC, Nicaragua, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic played in their first event. Israel and Colombia have played in three consecutive WBC events dating back to 2017. Brazil is appearing in the WBC for the first time since 2013. Panama has played in the WBC previously in 2006, 2009 and 2023, prior to 2026.
China will not participate in the WBC for the first time since they did not qualify in the second qualifier in Tucson, Ariz., while going 0-3. They have been in the WBC since 2006, in the event’s first year.
The teams that are playing in the 2026 WBC and are part of the WBSC Americas sector are the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. In the WBSC Europe sector, Italy, Israel, Great Britain, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are participating in the 2026 event.
Japan, Chinese Taipei, and South Korea are in the WBSC Asia sector and Australia is in the WBSC Oceania sector.
The remaining listed countries have played in the WBC since its first year in 2006.
The WBC is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the sports governing body alongside Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the WBCI, that partner in organizing the event during spring training.
If teams end up with the same record in pool play the Total Quality Balance run differential rule will be in effect for runs for and runs against alongside the head-to-head record.
2026 WBC Pool Matchups With Confirmed Dates
Pool A – Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, Canada & Cuba
Venue – Hiram Bithorn Stadium – San Juan, Puerto Rico
March 6
Game 1 – Cuba vs. Panama
Game 2 – Puerto Rico vs. Colombia
March 7
Game 3 – Colombia vs. Canada
Game 4 – Panama vs. Puerto Rico
March 8
Game 5 – Colombia vs. Cuba
Game 6 – Panama vs. Canada
March 9
Game 7 – Colombia vs. Panama
Game 8 – Cuba vs. Puerto Rico
March 10
Game 9 – Canada vs. Puerto Rico
March 11
Game 10 – Canada vs. Cuba
Pool B – United States, Mexico, Brazil, Great Britain & Italy
Venue – Daikin Park – Houston, Texas
March 6
Game 1 – Mexico vs. Great Britain
Game 2 – United States vs. Brazil
March 7
Game 3 – Brazil vs. Italy
Game 4 – Great Britain vs. United States
March 8
Game 5 – Great Britain vs. Italy
Game 6 – Brazil vs. Mexico
March 9
Game 7 – Brazil vs. Great Britain
Game 8 – Mexico vs. United States
March 10
Game 9 – Italy vs. United States
March 11
Game 10 – Italy vs. Mexico
Pool C – Japan, Chinese Taipei, Australia, South Korea & Czech Republic
Venue – Tokyo Dome – Tokyo, Japan
March 5
Game 1 – Chinese Taipei vs. Australia
Game 2 – Czechia vs. South Korea
March 6
Game 3 – Australia vs. Czechia
Game 4 – Japan vs. Chinese Taipei
March 7
Game 5 – Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia
Game 6 – South Korea vs. Japan
March 8
Game 7 – Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea
Game 8 – Australia vs. Japan
March 9
Game 9 – South Korea vs. Australia
March 10
Game 10 – Czechia vs. Japan
Pool D – Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Venezuela, Israel & Nicaragua
Venue – loanDepot Park – Miami, Fla.
March 6
Game 1 – Netherlands vs. Venezuela
Game 2 – Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic
March 7
Game 3 – Nicaragua vs. Netherlands
Game 4 – Israel vs. Venezuela
March 8
Game 5 – Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic
Game 6 – Nicaragua vs. Israel
March 9
Game 7 – Dominican Republic vs. Israel
Game 8 – Venezuela vs. Nicaragua
March 10
Game 9 – Israel vs. Netherlands
March 11
Game 10 – Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela
