World Baseball Classic Heats Up
K-pop idol Wooyoung from ATEEZ will throw the ceremonial first pitch for Team Korea against Australia on March 9 in the World Baseball Classic. Meanwhile, Josh Naylor from Mississauga has been named Captain Canada for the tournament, while Aaron Judge's "Captain America" speech to Team USA drew mixed reactions with one viral comment calling it "the worst speech I've ever heard."
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is the sixth edition of the international tournament. Japan enters as the defending champion after defeating the United States 3-2 in a dramatic 2023 final that famously ended with Shohei Ohtani striking out his then-Angels teammate, Mike Trout. Team USA is looking for redemption and has assembled a roster with a combined 64 MLB All-Star selections, six MVP awards, and three Cy Young Awards. The star-studded lineup includes 2025 AL MVP vote-getters Cal Raleigh and Bobby Witt Jr., alongside captain Aaron Judge. This is Judge's first time participating in the tournament. For the first time, Canada is in a pool separated from the powerhouse United States, creating a viable path to the quarterfinals, a stage they have never reached. The team, managed by Ernie Whitt for a record sixth WBC, features 14 returning players from the 2023 classic, including brothers Josh and Bo Naylor. The matchup between South Korea and Australia is a rematch of a tight 2023 contest where Australia won 8-7. Team Korea's 2026 roster blends KBO talent, like 2024 KBO MVP Do Yeong Kim, with MLB players like San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. Adding to the stakes, this year's tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The top two teams from the Americas will secure a spot in the Olympic baseball tournament.
