Post by Commissioner Erick on Apr 25, 2022 12:20:49 GMT -5
Group A
1) South Korea
Group Play Record: 22-14
The Case For: South Korea probably has the best pitcher and the second best position player in their group with PBA single-game strikeout king Woo-Seok Ko on the hill and two-time 70+ KBO home run hitter Mun-Yeong Kym on the hill. The Koreans have decent power, and respectable hit tools throughout their lineup, and their staff looks solid. They have a strong chance of making the quarterfinals and have never lost more than one game in group play.
The Case Against: Outside of Ko and Kym, there aren’t a ton of top-tier talents, and the club will strikeout. It probably won’t hurt them in Group Play or the Second Round, but will be a limiting factor when the tournament gets to single elimination. Only six position players have played in the WBC for South Korea
Top 3 Talents:
P: Woo-Seok Ko—2024 AL All Star
1B: Mun-Yeong Kym—2-Time KBO MVP
2B: Hyo-Jun Park—2-Time AL Leader in Steals
Top WBC Career WAR
C: Jong-deok Na—16 G, 69 PA, 0.5 WAR (.311/2/11)—5-Time KBO Gold Glove
P: Chung-yun Choi—10 G, 9 GS, 49 IP, 1.1 WAR (4-0, 2.76), 1.06 WHIP—2021 KBO Pitcher of The Year
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: In-tae Kim—12 G, 38 PA, 0.5 WAR (.323/1/8) 3 BB, 16 K—2-Time PBA Platinum Stick Winner.
RP: Sung-Min Kim—4 G, 3.2 IP, -0.1 WAR (1-0, 4.90), 2 HR—2020 KBO Reliever of the Year
Random Fact: South Korea is the only team to advance in Group Play all five tournaments without winning a championship (The United States and Dominican Republic have won titles)
2) Mexico
Group Play Record: 17-10
The Case For: Mexico has a top tier bullpen, and a serviceable offense. That should be enough for it to prevail in group play.
The Case Against: Alex Verdugo is the best hitter, and the staff doesn’t have a top-tier arm. They’ll be outclassed in the Second Round when they have to face, most likely, South Korea, Japan, and Canada.
Top 3 Talents:
RP: Giovanny Gallego—2-Time PBA All-Star
RF: Alex Verdugo—2-Time PBA Gold Glove Winner
CF: Humberto Camacho—102 Career Doubles
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Christian Villanueva—26 G, 101 PA, 1.1 WAR (.315/4/12) 16 R—2-Time LMB Platinum Stick winner
RP: Giovanny Gallegos—12 G, 15.2 IP, 0.8 WAR (1-0, 2, 2.30) 3 BB, 21 K, 4 WBC since 2020
Least WBC Career WAR
1B: Carlos A. Diaz—11 G, 53 PA, -0.4 WAR (.184/0/3) 2 BB, 12 K—2026 LMB MVP
P: Luis Coto—4 G, 7 IP, -0.1 WAR: (1-1, 7.43) 2 HR—3.04 PBA ERA in 77 IP
Random Fact: Mexico has never had a losing record in Group Play
3) Australia
WBC Record: 6-16
The Case For: Australia may have the tournament’s best player. Roderick Dalton had a 1.136 OPS in the postseason last year and is a bonafide superstar. He can absolutely single-handedly carry Australia to wins, especially in a group without great pitching. Australia went 4-4 in 2026 with a similar roster.
The Case Against: Australia has one starting pitcher who may be able to cut it at a Triple-A level, and they have a number of easy outs. If Dalton is pitched around, it’s tough to guarantee success for Australia.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Roderick Dalton—2027 AL 1B Platinum Stick Winner
C: Jake Turnbull—4-Time JCL Platinum Stick Winner
RP: James Hall—3.40 Career PBA ERA
Top WBC Career WAR
1B: Roderick Dalton—13 G, 57 PA, 0.5 WAR (.293/2/8) 13 BB, 8 K
RP: Kane Guyatt—3 G, 3 GS, 14 IP, 0.5 WAR (1-1, 0.64) 4 H—2-time Southern League All-Star
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Ted Durrington—12 G, 42 PA, -0.3 WAR (.179/0/2) .179 SLG—.274 Average in Cuban League
SP: Domenic Krajancic—3 G, 6.1 IP, -0.3 WAR, (1-0, 8.53) 9 BB, 3 K—4.54 ERA in High-A Inland Empire last year
Random Fact: Australia went 0-9 its first three seasons, before going 5-5 in Group Play the last two seasons.
4) Germany
WBC Record: 1-9
The Case For: Warren Lang and Yale Ziegler provide Germany with a few good arms, and there’s a little bit of power and patience in the lineup. Spring an upset and they can slip into the second round
The Case Against: Germany is 1-9 all-time in the WBC. They have a few hitters and a few defenders, but few players who can do both. They had a .501 OPS last WBC, and don’t have a significantly better roster this time around.
Top 3 Talents
C: Bruce Maxwell—15.2 PBA WAR
P: Warren Lang—11-6, 4.57 career PBA record
P: Yale Ziegler—3.69 PBA ERA
Top WBC Career WAR
LF: Pascal Amon—10 G, 42 PA, 0.4 WAR (.324/0/5) 3 2B—2019 West Indies Short League MVP
RP: Yale Ziegler—2 G, 2 GS, 9.2 IP, 0.4 WAR (0-1, 3.72) 1 BB, 9 K
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Horst Brunner—10 G, 37 PA, -0.9 WAR (.083/0/2) 0 BB, 15 K—1.2 2B Zone Rating in High-A Myrtle Beach last year
CL: Kurt Rosenthal—4 G, 6 IP, -0.3 WAR (0-2, 7.50) 2.17 WHIP—3.54 ERA in Short-A Barbados last season
Random Fact: Mandel Angrenny leads Germany in doubles (4), and is tied in home runs (1) and RBIs (5)
Group B
1) Japan
WBC Record: 23-12
The Case For: Japan is a veteran team with a solid offense and a few aces. They should easily be the best team they play until the semifinals and their pitching will give them a shot in the medal rounds.
The Case Against: Japan’s offense is good, but not dominant. Tomoya Mori hit just .176 last WBC and the team hit just six home runs in nine games.
Top 3 Talents
C: Tomoya Mori—AL and JCL MVP
2B: Tetsuo Yamada—2-Time JCL MVP
CL: Hisatake Yamane—2-Time JCL Reliever of the Year
Top WBC Career WAR
LF: Yoshitomo Tsutsugo—32 G, 147 PA, 1.2 WAR (.303/7/24)—3 Time JCL All-Star, 2022 AL All Star
SP: Makoto Aduwa—4 G, 4 GS, 25.2 IP, (2-2, 1.75)—2024 JCL Most Outstanding Pitcher
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Tetsuo Yamada—17 G, 69 PA, -0.1 WAR (.226/2/7)
RP: Miyoshi Sugiyama—3 G, 3 IP (0-0, 6.00)—2 Time JPL Reliever of the Year
Random Fact: Tomoyuki Sugano, who retired last season, has the most Starts (12), Wins (8), Strikeouts (66), Innings (79), Complete Games (2), and WAR (2.85)
2) Canada
WBC Record: 13-13
The Case For: Canada has some top-tier offensive players with Kelyn Klattenburger, Harland Guenette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. That trio has also produced in the WBC in the past. They should punish Chile and Aruba and have the upside to escape the Second Round.
The Case Against: It’s a very underwhelming staff, and the middle infield is poor offensively and defensively. They can underperform as a result. Zach Pop is the only arm with more than two games experience.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Kelyn Klattenurger—2027 NL DH Platinum Stick Winner
3B: Harland Guenette—9.7 Career PBA WAR
RF: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.— 2024 ALDS, ALCS, World Series MVP
Top WBC Career WAR
RF: Vladimir Guerrero Jr—26 G, 111 PA, 0.6 WAR (.302/8/21) 4-4 SB
RP: Zach Pop—11 G, 16.1 IP, 0.5 WAR (2-2, 2, 2.20)—4.02 PBA ERA
Least WBC Career WAR
RF: Dalton Pompey—26 G, 122 PA, -0.6 WAR (.204/0/4) .517 OPS—2 Time JCL RF Platinum Stick Winner
P: Talbot Dobie—2 G, 2 IP, -0.0 WAR (0-0, 4.50) 3 BB—8-15, 4.37 ERA in 2027 for Arizona
Random Fact: Four different Canadians (Harland Guenette, Tyler Duncan, Kennan Bloom, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr) have four stolen bases
3) Aruba
WBC Record: 3-7
The Case For: There are some fantastic prospects on Aruba. If they play up to their potential, they’ll be a very tough team.
The Case Against: The best prospects are all extremely young and still a few years away from being fully developed. Their best days are ahead of them, but not probably not this year.
Top 3 Talents
P: Odmar Galindo—2025 Southern League All Star
P: Govaart Van Den Heuvel—2.22 Career Minor League ERA in 35 Games, 33 Starts
P: Gerald Riches—#14 PBA Prospect
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Pjotr von Kasteren—10 G, 41 PA, 0.1 WAR (.242/0/4)—.681 Minor League OPS
SP: Ulbert Maasdam—2 G, 9.1 IP, 0.4 WAR (1-0, 1.93)—1.62 Double-A ERA
Least WBC Career WAR
CF: Quido van Velzen—10 G, 37 PA, -0.5 WAR (.143/0/3) .332 OPS—20 Doubles in Double-A Mississippi last season
SP: Nicholas Naylor—2 G, 3.1 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-0, 16.20 ERA)—4.79 Minor League ERA
Random Fact: Xander Bogaerts (1.010) is the only player with more than 13 Plate Appearances and more than a .666 OPS.
4) Chile
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Pedro Tapia is a legitimate slugger and top prospect Elias Ramirez is a fantastic defensive Center Fielder. They may be able to knock off Aruba a couple of times.
The Case Against: Chile has big prospects, but they’re still prospects. The team’s defense is rough, their bullpen is awful, and they have three hitters who won’t embarrass themselves at the plate.
Top 3 Talents
LF: Pedro Tapia—19 Home Runs, 30 Doubles in rookie year for Arizona last year
CF: Elias Ramirez—#13 PBA Prospect
P: Danny Saco—3.5-Star Prospect at University of California.
Chile has no WBC history
Group C
1) Venezuela
WBC Record: 19-9
The Case For: Venezuela has great position player talent. They should score runs, they’ll be able to survive an injury or two, and their outfield defense should be fantastic. They have the position players to make a deep run.
The Case Against: The pitching is good, but not great. They can give up some home runs, which can cause them to lose to teams with good pitching.
Top 3 Talents
3B: Juan Gestoso—2027 NL MVP
2B: Arturo Reineri—2025 AL 2B Platinum Stick Winner
C: Wilson Conteras—6-Time PBA Platinum Stick Winner
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Juan Gestoso—20 G, 86 PA, 1.2 WAR (.364/0/7), 13-14 Steals, 20 BB, 9 K
P: German Marquez—10 G, 5 GS, 36.2 IP, 0.9 WAR (3-2, 2.21)—16.1 Career PBA WAR
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Arturo Reneri—5 G, 18 PA, -0.2 WAR (.067/0/4)
RP: Jorge Cardenas—2 G, 2 IP, 0.1 WAR (0-0, 0.00), 0 BB, 2 K—2.86, 2.1 WAR for Atlanta last season
Random Fact: With 13 bases, Juan Gestoso has the most steals in WBC history.
2) Cuba
WBC Record: 13-14
The Case For: Cuba has some terrific offensive talents and a good bullpen. They should be able to handle Taiwan to make it to the second round, and with Group D being horrible, Cuba has a clear path to the Final Eight.
The Case Against: Cuba doesn’t have a great starting staff, and they can struggle stringing out hits. Good pitching may be able to handle them, and they won’t be able to take too much advantage of bad defenses.
Top 3 Talents
3B: Lourdes Gurriel—2-Time AL All Star
LF: Luis Robert—3-Time PBA All Star
2B: Yoan Moncada—2-Time AL 2B Platinum Stick Winner
Top WBC Career WAR
LF: Luis Robert—10 G, 45 PA (.293/3/9) 2 2B, 2 3B
P: Cionel Perez—4 G, 3 GS, 18 IP (2-1, 2.50) 2 BB, 19 K, 0.83 WHIP—2024 AL All Star
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Yoan Moncada—6 G, 21 PA (.263, 0, 2) 0 SB, 1 BB, 8 K
P: Yohan Oviedo—4 G, 3 GS, 14.2 IP, (1-2, 7.36) 5 HR—4.75 PBA ERA
Random Fact: Cuba allowed just eight earned runs in 2026 but could not advance past group play.
3) Chinese Taipei
WBC Record: 6-16
The Case For: It’s a veteran team with some power and a good pen. They may be able to luck into some home runs against Cuba and win a close game.
The Case Against: There’s a bit of power, but there aren’t any good players with good hit tools. The starting staff has only one adequate pitcher.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Ghi-cheng Der—14.1 scoreless WBC innings
RP: Wei-Chung Wang—4.51 PBA ERA
RF: Chih-Hsiung Yao—2024 Canadian Rookie League MVP
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Wu-ti Rao—3 G, 14 PA (.429/0/0) 3 R, 2 2B—5.5 WAR in Korean Minor Leagues
RP: Ghi-cheng-Der—5 G, 2 GS, 14.1 IP (1-0, 2, 0.00)
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Nien-ting Wu—14 G, 59 PA, -0.1 WAR (.222/0/1) .510 OPS—17.3 WAR in Ni-Gun League
RP: Ju-Long Fou—3 G, 2.1 IP (0-0, 3.86) 5 BB, 3 K—3.21 ERA in PBA Minors in Colorado’s system
Random Fact: Der is one of two players (Jeurys Familia) to have at least 10 innings pitched and no earned runs allowed.
4) Virgin Islands
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Les Lovell and Dermott Brugwin don’t look too bad. They may be able to produce against Taiwan.
The Case Against: The talent isn’t there. The starters are terrible, the defense is terrible, they don’t have any stars, and only three hitters look respectable. They may go 0-6.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Hughie Ludkin—5.06 Career PBA ERA
3B: Dermott Brugwin—2026 Carolina League All-Star
RP: Micah Coles—90 strikeouts in 76.1 innings in Double-A Portland last season
The Virgin Islands has no WBC History
Group D
1) Honduras
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Jordan Alejandre is probably the best hitter in the Group. There are some decent relievers on the team, and some big strikeout arms could dominate in group play.
The Case Against: The team has no Catchers and doesn’t have depth for its position players. They’ll likely be smoked should they advance to Round 2.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Jordan Alejandre—2025 Canadian Rookie League MVP
SP: David Labrador—4-11, 7.49 ERA in Arizona.
SP: Bill Trevino—79 K in 85.2 IP for High-A San Jose last season
Honduras has no WBC History.
2) Italy
WBC Record: 4-15
The Case For: Gavin Cecchini is probably the second best offensive player in the group, and Charles Galemberti is a major prospect. There are a few players who look like they can hack it in the upper minors, which is a luxury no other team in the group has.
The Case Against: The outfield is awful and few Italians have any plate discipline. They also have only two pitchers who don’t look like they’ll get shelled every time they pitch. Seven of their 11 arms haven’t turned 21.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Gavin Cecchini—.340 Career PBA On-Base Percentage in 670 Games
RP: Nicolo Clemente—3.93 Career Triple-A ERA in 133 Games
SS: Charles Galemberti—#12 PBA Prospect
Top WBC Career WAR
SS: Fontana Lorenzetti—11 G, 45 PA, 0.2 WAR (.225/0/0) 3-3 SB, 1.4 SS Zone Rating—2026 Southern League All Star
RP: Nicolo Clemente—5 G, 5 GS, 0.3 WAR (0-3, 5.40)
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Feliciano Boccapecci—10 G, 43 PA, -0.3 WAR (.195/0/2) 0 BB, 17 K—5-8 SB for High-A Down East
SP: Giampietro Tilleti—1 G, 2.2 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-1, 3.38) 1 BB, 1 HR—2027 Canadian Rookie League Pitcher of the Year
Random Fact: Anthony Rizzo (2) and Mattia Varalda (3) are the only Italian players with multiple home runs.
3) The Philippines
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: The club has a few better hitters than Jamaica, and a much better defense. The group is incredibly weak so it won’t take much to advance.
The Case Against: The pitching is ghastly and the club has no plate discipline. Even underwhelming staffs like Honduras should dominate.
Top 3 Talents
SS: Marvello Gabato—21 Career Minor League doubles in 134 Games
C: Daniel Reginalde—2-Time Minor League All Star
LF: Nherbert Padoga—2026 West Indies Shor League All-Star
The Philippines has no WBC History
4) Jamaica
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Jayden Valmarry is an electric arm, and the team can club a few doubles. With some weak outfield defenses, that may allow them to surprise a few teams.
The Case Against: There are three players on the roster at least 25-years-old. The defense is abysmal and the club lacks any semblance of high-end talent.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Jayden Valmarry—Career 3.07 Minor League ERA with 5.9 WAR in Colorado’s system.
1B: Chris Albutt—.742 OPS in first pro season for Quad Cities in Midwest League
SP: Griff Newble—Career 25-16, 3.48 record in Triple-A
Jamaica has no WBC History
Group E
1) The United States
WBC Record: 36-6
The Case For: It’s a new squad for the US for the most part, but it’s still awesome. There’s a ton of young two-way talent, a few aces, and an unstoppable bullpen.
The Case Against: There’s surprising vulnerability with the rotation with a few prospects getting the call. Offensively, there isn’t quite the depth of years past. The US should still roll to the semifinals, but it isn’t quite the team that won the 2026 Championship
Top 3 Talents
SS: Royce Lewis—2027 NL All Star
C: Rogelio Mendizibal—2027 NL C Platinum Stick
RF: Seth Beer—2-Time NL MVP
Top WBC Career WAR
RF: Seth Beer: 23 G, 102 PA, 2.2 WAR (.392/6/30) 25 R, 27 BB, 15 K, 1.262 OPS
SP: Marcus Stroman: 6 G, 6 GS, 40.2 IP, 1.7 WAR (5-0, 1.11) 1 HR, 5 BB, 36 K—2-Time AL Cy Young
Least WBC Career WAR
P: A.J. Masucci—3 G, 3.1 IP, -0.1 WAR (0-0, 0.00), 3 BB, 2 K—37-22, 4.20 PBA Record
LF: Jadon Ancrum—1 G, 1 PA, -0.0 WAR (.000/0/0)—2-Time AL All Star
Random Fact: Nolan Arenado has the most home runs and RBIs all time for the US. He will not play this tournament.
2) The Netherlands
WBC Record: 9-16
The Case For: The Netherlands has Wessel Russchen, perhaps the best baseball player in the game right now. Veteran infielders Xander Bogaerts and Jurrickson Profar give the club some depth as well.
The Case Against: In 2026 The Netherlands had Profar, Bogaerts, and Russchen and went 1-4. Russchen hit .167, and the Dutch had a .616 OPS despite Bogaerts and Profar playing well. There are too many non-factors, and not enough pitching. The Netherlands National Team has a 6.23 ERA lifetime, and that may not come down this year.
Top 3 Talents
CF: Wessel Russchen—2027 AL MVP
3B: Xander Bogaerts—2-Time PBA Platinum Stick Winner
3B: Jurrickson Profar—2019 NL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Jurrickson Profar—27 G, 113 PA, 1.1 WAR, (.347/5/16) 13 R, 16 BB, 9 K, 3-3 SB—
SP: Godfrey Borggreve—4 G, 2 GS, 14.2 IP, 0.0 WAR (0-2, 7.36) 9 BB, 6 K—6.10 ERA in Korean minors
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: Omer de Vos—16 G, 66 PA, -0.1 WAR (.230/2/7) 3 BB, 17 K, 4-4 SB—2026 Cal League All-Star
SP: Jeremy Visser—3 G, 6.2 IP, -0.3 WAR (0-0, 4.05) 2 HR, 3 K—4-10, 6.59 Career Minor League record
Random Fact: Russchen has hit for a worse average at every tournament, going .370 in 2022, .200 in 2024, and .167 in 2026.
3) England
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: The British won’t be upsetting the US, but they may have enough hitting to win an upset over The Netherlands. Jasrado Chisholm has experience as a successful PBA hitter and Frazer Bhamra can draw some walks.
The Case Against: Chisholm is in the downswing of his career and the pitching staff has three players over the age of 21. England will assuredly give up a bunch of runs.
England has no WBC history
4) Costa Rica
WBC Record: 1-9
The Case For: Costa Rica has some arms that can rack up strikeouts, and a few respectable starters. They can win some low scoring games against England and The Netherlands
The Case Against: The Offense is putrid, filled with players too young to be effective. The defense won’t be any better. Costa Rica is 1-9 lifetime in the WBC scoring just 25 total runs in two tournaments.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Juan de Ochoa—440 strikeouts in 360.1 career Triple-A innings.
CL: Juan Gutierrez—3.34 Career Minor League ERA and 35 Saves in 72 Games
RF: Omar Ayala—24 Doubles in 83 Games for Double-A Harrisburg last year
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Juan Soto—10 G, 43 PA, 0.2 WAR (.237/0/2) 0.9 Zone Rating—Career 5.9 Minor League Zone Rating
SP: Juan Romero—2 G, 2 GS, 12.2 IP, (0-1, 1.42) 1 BB, 17 K, 0.79 WHIP—2024 California League Most Outstanding Pitcher
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Luis Rivera—10 G, 36 PA, -0.5 WAR (.242/0/0) .537 OPS, -1.0 2B ZR—18-25 Career SB for Rookie-League Montreal
RP: Jamie Sixtos—4 G, 5 IP, -0.3 WAR (0-1, 14.40) 8 BB, 1 K—2024 Dominican Rookie League All-Star
Random Fact: Costa Rica did not homer the last WBC tournament.
Group F
1) Puerto Rico
WBC Record: 18-9
The Case For: Puerto Rico has an unbelievable collection of relievers, and could have the best staff in the tournament as a result. Led by Francisco Lindor, they have a solid offense and a spectacular defense as well. They have the upside to win it all.
The Case Against: Every one of their arms is a reliever. Their arms with stamina only have two effective pitches. This could hurt them against better lineups. They have a lot of competent offensive players, but Lindor is their only star. Their group is also easily the toughest one in the tournament.
Top 3 Talents
SS: Francisco Lindor: 9-Time PBA SS Platinum Stick Winner
RP: Ismael Robles— All Time PBA Postseason Saves Leader
RP: Omar Lara—2026 NL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
SS: Francisco Lindor—27 G, 126 PA, 1.8 WAR (.333/5/20) 22 B, 17 K, 20 R
RP: Ismael Robles—8 G, 1 GS, 19 IP, 1.0 WAR (3-0, 4, 0.47)—2 BB, 28 K
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Luis Pintor—7 G, 23 PA, -0.4 WAR (.000/0/1)—22 Career PBA RBIs
RP: Luis Viscarra—5 G, 1 GS, 12 IP (0-1, 7.50)—4.12 PBA ERA in 113.2 IP
Random Fact: Puerto Rico is 14-4 the past two tournaments.
2) Nicaragua
WBC Record: 5-5
The Case For: Luis Esparza, Luis Ortiz, and Roniel Raudes give Nicaragua a good staff, and Jorge Tarin and Cheslor Cuthbert have been monsters in WBC play historically.
The Case Against: The defense isn’t great, and both Tarin and Cuthbert are getting older. That could be the difference in a tough group.
Top 3 Talents
P: Luis Ortiz—#22 PBA Prospect
SP: Luis Esperaza—2025 AL All Star, 2026 AL Strikeout leader
RF: Jorge Tarin—75 PBA Home Runs
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Cheslor Cuthbert—10 G, 45 PA, 0.8 WAR (.415/4/12)—56 Career PBA Home Runs
SP: Luis Esparza—3 G, 3 GS, 14.1 IP, 0.6 WAR (0-1, 3.14)
Least WBC Career WAR
CF: Juan Moreno—10 G, 41 PA, -0.4 WAR (.150/1/2) 1 BB, 0-1 CS—3-Time Minor League All Star in Colorado’s system
SP: Juan Botello—3 G, 4.2 IP, -0.1 WAR (0-0, 3.86)—2-Time All-Star in Kansas City’s system
Random Fact: No team that played its first tournament in 2024 has advanced to the second round, though Nicaragua has the best record.
3) Colombia
WBC Record: 11-11
The Case For: Colombia has a number of solid players, including young Juan Alaniz and veteran Jose Quintana. They’re coming off a strong 2026 tournament where they went 4-1 in Group Play.
The Case Against: Colombia doesn’t have a great defense, nor does it have a lot of power. In a tough group, that’s probably enough to sink it.
Top 3 Players
RF: Bryan Martelo—2-Time AL All Star
SP: Jose Quintana—2027 AL All-Star
RP: Juan Alaniz—9-1 Career PBA Record
Top WBC Career WAR
RF: Brayan Emery—13 G, 55 PA, 1.0 WAR (.391/5/16) 11 R—2026 LF International Bat Award, 39 KBO Triples
RP: Luis Escobar—5 G, 1 GS, 12.2 IP, 0-6 WAR (2-2, 2.84) 1 BB, 13 K—4.57 Career PBA ERA in 492.1 IP
Least WBC Career WAR
RF: Bryan Martelo—20 G, 94 PA, -0.1 WAR (.185/3/11)
RP: Erick Julio—5 G, 4 GS, 17 IP, -0.0 WAR (1-3, 7.41)—17-29, 4, 5.29 Career PBA Record
Random Fact: Colombia has the most wins of any team that has advanced from Group Play one time or fewer.
4) China
WBC Record: 2-8
The Case For: China has a very competitive staff. It can definitely win some games thanks to its pitching.
The Case Against: There are only five position players who appear to be competent, let along dangerous. Though better than a few teams in the tournament, In a strong group, China will be lucky to win a game.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Zhi-Peng Thum—7-7, 7, 3.73 Career PBA Record
SP: Kwon Ju—2024 KBO Outstanding Pitcher
RP: Chad Kite—92 Career PBA Strikeouts in 124 innings
Top WBC Career WAR
1B: Gui Yuan Xu—10 G, 42 PA, 0.2 WAR (.265/1/3)—2026 KBO Newcomer of the Year
SP: Kwon Ju—5 G, 5 GS, 29 IP, 0.8 WAR (1-1, 2.17)
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Hou-Kang Ang—10 G, 42 PA, -0.5 WAR (.146/0/2) 0 BB, 13 K, -0.7 ZR—2-Time Minor League SS Gold Glove Award Winner
SP: Man Ban—2 G, 3.1 IP, -0.4 WAR (0-0, 24.30) 8 BB, 1 K, 8 H—2-2, 6.81 ERA, 0.1 WAR in Dominican Summer League for Colorado last season
Random Fact: Si-dao Weng is the only player with multiple home runs (2).
Group G
1) Dominican Republic
WBC Record: 32-9
The Case For: The offense is filled with superstars and the pitching staff has Eric Pena and a ton of flamethrowers. The Dominican Republic has already won the WBC Championship twice.
The Case Against: The team can be homer prone, which could lead to an upset in the knockout rounds
Top 3 Talents
SP Eric Pena—2-Time Cy Young Winner
C: Francisco Mejia—9-Time AL All Star
3B: Orlando Arcia—4-Time NL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Orlando Arcia—33 G, 161 PA, 1.8 WAR (.348/6/24) 9 2B, 6-6 SB
SP: Jhoan Duran—8 G, 5 GS, 34.1 IP, 1.9 WAR (5-0, 1.57)—2024 AL All Star
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: Gilberto Celestino—11 G, 39 PA, -0.0 WAR (.171/1/6) .546 OPS—2-Time AL All Star
CL: Luis Alcantara—3 G, 3 IP, -0.1 WAR (0-0, 6.00)—2025 JCL All-Star
Random Fact: With 40 appearances, Francisco Mejia has appeared in the most WBC games all time.
2) Brazil
WBC Record: 4-6
The Case For: Vicente Corado and Tomaz Espassandim are young future stars who already have some small successes in the WBC
The Case Against: The bullpen and infield defense aren’t good. That could doom them against the Netherlands Antilles
Top 3 Talents
2B Tomaz Espassandim—2027 NL 2B Platinum Stick Award
SP: Vicente Corado—2-0, 1.48 Record in Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season
SP: Bo Takahashi—20-17, 2, 3.98 Career PBA Record
Top WBC Career WAR
2B: Tomaz Espassandim—10 G, 43 PA, 0.3 WAR (.282/2/11)
SP: Edison Batista—2 G, 2 GS, 15 IP, 0.5 WAR (1-0, 2.40) 4 BB, 14 K—4.73 Career NPB ERA
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Godalupe Lagos—7 G, 21 PA, -0.3 WAR (.100/0/0)—2026 Northwest League SS Platinum Stick Award
SP: Liberatore Crespo—3 G, 4.1 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-0, 20.77) 10 H, 5 BB, 0 K—1-2, 1, 6.15 ERA for Rookie League Sault Saint Marie last year
Random Fact: Ezequiel Garay has the most WBC WAR all time (0.4), but declined to participate this year.
3) Netherlands Antilles
WBC Record: 8-20
The Case For: Ozzie Albies is a fantastic talent and may be able to be an offense unto his own. Unlike other teams with single stars, Albies’ speed allows him to create offense if teams are cautious to him.
The Case Against: The pitching staff is terrible. The Netherlands Antilles has a career 10.41 ERA in WBC play and with good reason.
Top 3 Talents
2B: Ozzie Albies—5-Time 2B Gold Glove Winner
2B: Juremi Profar—39 Career PBA Doubles
3B: Kirvin Moesquit—2022 AL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
2B: Ozzie Albies—28 G, 120 PA, 1.1 WAR (.318/4/19) 20 R, 4-5 SB
RP: Reynold Van der Hoff—2 G, 3.1 IP, 0.1 WAR (0-0, 0.00)
Least WBC Career WAR
RF: Isranel Wilson—28 G, 102 PA, -0.4 WAR (.234/1/5)—.293 Average in KBO
SP: Halmar van Breukelen—6 G, 4 GS, 15.1 IP, -0.8 WAR (0-4, 16.43) 37 H, 10 BB, 8 K—13-7, 4.84 for Germany in Meridian League
Random Fact: Netherlands Antilles is 0-9 in the second round
4) El Salvador
Group Play: 0-0
The Case For: There are some interesting pitching prospects who can hold down the lesser bats that make up their group.
The Case Against: The team is mostly comprised of teenagers still developing. They’ll struggle to score and defend.
Top 3 Talents
SP: Luis Villa—2-Time Minor League All Star
SP: Jonathan Guarneros—184 Minor League Strikeouts in 140.2 Innings
SP: Alex Damian—2.5 Star Prospect
El Salvador has no WBC History
Group H
1) Panama
WBC Record: 11-14
The Case For: Panama has become a good WBC team, going 0-6 the first two tournament, and 10-3 in Group Play since. They have a good infield, play good defense, and have solid, respectable players. They have a decent chance to make the quarterfinals.
The Case Against: Panama has a lot of respectable players, but not a lot of good ones. They can be toppled by a good performance.
Top 3 Talents
2B: Jonathan Arauz—2025 NL 2B Platinum Stick Award
SS: Allen Cordoba—18.2 Career PBA WAR
SP: Sergio Arellano—2025 Eastern League All-Star
Top WBC Career WAR
2B: Jonathan Arrauz—25 G, 104 PA, 1.0 WAR (.289/5/13) 5 2B, 2 3B
SP: Alfredo Santana—4 G, 2 GS, 13.1 IP, 0.6 WAR (1-0, 1.35)—8-14, 4.33 Career PBA Record
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Enoc Watts—13 G, 51 PA, -0.2 WAR (.186/0/4) 15 K—2027 JPL Newcomer of the Year
RP: Abdiel Mendoza—4 G, 5 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-0, 5.40) 2 HR—2024 California League Reliever of the Year
Random Fact: Jonathan Arrauz is the team’s best player, but Javier Guerra and Robert Mullen have the most Home Runs with six.
2) Curacao
WBC Record: 1-9
The Case For: Nelle Willemsen is an upcoming star and Esteban Valdez is a Cy Young winner. Curacao has the upside to beat anyone as a result.
The Case Against: Curacao is 1-9 all-time in Group Play and don’t really have anything to fall back on besides Valadez and Willemsen. They’ll struggle when anyone else is on the hill.
Top 3 Talents
SP: Esteban Valadez—2027 AL Cy Young Award Winner
RF: Nelle Willemsen—.907 OPS for San Francisco last season
C: Dick Bisschop—2026 Eastern League All-Star
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Ferry Ettema—10 G, 42 PA, 0.1 WAR (.216/0/2) 4 2B, 4-4 SB—2-Time Minor League All Star
SP: Esteban Valadez—3 G, 3 GS, 15.1 IP, 0.5 WAR (0-1, 2.35)
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: Riemer Koot—10 G, 34 PA, -0.4 WAR (.133/1/1) 12 K, -1.6 ZR—2026 KBO Futures League LF Glove Wizard
SP: Elias Vos—2 G, 2.2 IP, 0.3 WAR (0-0, 33.75) 9 BB, 3 K—8-3 career record in Korean Futures League
Random Fact: 20-Year-Old Bernard Njissen has the only win for Curacao in WBC history.
3) South Africa
WBC Record: 2-8
The Case For: Some of the prospects are starting to grow up. There are a few talented arms, the defense should be okay, and Zike Tantawi gives the club a power element
The Case Against: The bullpen is exceptionally young, and the club is short on hitters. Getting Curaco to open the tournament means facing off against Valadez, which hinders their shot at being second best in the group.
Top 3 Talents
SS: Taban Ohon—2027 International League SS Glove Wizard
RP: Makabee Dingane—3.46 Career Minor League ERA in Colorado system
CF: Anwa Ita—.386 Average, 14 2B, .970 OPS for A-Ball Charleston last year
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Umar Jengo—10 G, 39 PA, 0.6 WAR (.297/2/4) 4-4 SB—2027 Eastern League CF Glove Wizard
RP: Masmud Chiwanda—4 G, 2 GS, 17.1 IP, 0.3 WAR (1-0, 3.63) 14 K—105 K in 110.1 Career IP in Double-A
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Taban Ohan—10 G, 40 IP, -0.5 WAR (.086/0/2) 5 GIDP
RP: Makabee Dingane—3 G, 3 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-1, 24.00)
Random Fact: Umar Jengo is the only South African player with multiple home runs
4) New Zealand
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: There are some big strikeout arms and competent hitters. It’ll battle with South Africa and could edge into second with some fortune.
The Case Against: The pitching staff is homer prone and wild, death knells in the tournament. The defense should also struggle.
Top 3 Talents
SP: Brendon Stobbie—2-Time Minor League All Star
RF: Jerod Dethridge—64 Career Triple-A Doubles
RP: Edwin Thompson—2-Time Minor League All Star
New Zealand has no WBC History
1) South Korea
Group Play Record: 22-14
The Case For: South Korea probably has the best pitcher and the second best position player in their group with PBA single-game strikeout king Woo-Seok Ko on the hill and two-time 70+ KBO home run hitter Mun-Yeong Kym on the hill. The Koreans have decent power, and respectable hit tools throughout their lineup, and their staff looks solid. They have a strong chance of making the quarterfinals and have never lost more than one game in group play.
The Case Against: Outside of Ko and Kym, there aren’t a ton of top-tier talents, and the club will strikeout. It probably won’t hurt them in Group Play or the Second Round, but will be a limiting factor when the tournament gets to single elimination. Only six position players have played in the WBC for South Korea
Top 3 Talents:
P: Woo-Seok Ko—2024 AL All Star
1B: Mun-Yeong Kym—2-Time KBO MVP
2B: Hyo-Jun Park—2-Time AL Leader in Steals
Top WBC Career WAR
C: Jong-deok Na—16 G, 69 PA, 0.5 WAR (.311/2/11)—5-Time KBO Gold Glove
P: Chung-yun Choi—10 G, 9 GS, 49 IP, 1.1 WAR (4-0, 2.76), 1.06 WHIP—2021 KBO Pitcher of The Year
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: In-tae Kim—12 G, 38 PA, 0.5 WAR (.323/1/8) 3 BB, 16 K—2-Time PBA Platinum Stick Winner.
RP: Sung-Min Kim—4 G, 3.2 IP, -0.1 WAR (1-0, 4.90), 2 HR—2020 KBO Reliever of the Year
Random Fact: South Korea is the only team to advance in Group Play all five tournaments without winning a championship (The United States and Dominican Republic have won titles)
2) Mexico
Group Play Record: 17-10
The Case For: Mexico has a top tier bullpen, and a serviceable offense. That should be enough for it to prevail in group play.
The Case Against: Alex Verdugo is the best hitter, and the staff doesn’t have a top-tier arm. They’ll be outclassed in the Second Round when they have to face, most likely, South Korea, Japan, and Canada.
Top 3 Talents:
RP: Giovanny Gallego—2-Time PBA All-Star
RF: Alex Verdugo—2-Time PBA Gold Glove Winner
CF: Humberto Camacho—102 Career Doubles
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Christian Villanueva—26 G, 101 PA, 1.1 WAR (.315/4/12) 16 R—2-Time LMB Platinum Stick winner
RP: Giovanny Gallegos—12 G, 15.2 IP, 0.8 WAR (1-0, 2, 2.30) 3 BB, 21 K, 4 WBC since 2020
Least WBC Career WAR
1B: Carlos A. Diaz—11 G, 53 PA, -0.4 WAR (.184/0/3) 2 BB, 12 K—2026 LMB MVP
P: Luis Coto—4 G, 7 IP, -0.1 WAR: (1-1, 7.43) 2 HR—3.04 PBA ERA in 77 IP
Random Fact: Mexico has never had a losing record in Group Play
3) Australia
WBC Record: 6-16
The Case For: Australia may have the tournament’s best player. Roderick Dalton had a 1.136 OPS in the postseason last year and is a bonafide superstar. He can absolutely single-handedly carry Australia to wins, especially in a group without great pitching. Australia went 4-4 in 2026 with a similar roster.
The Case Against: Australia has one starting pitcher who may be able to cut it at a Triple-A level, and they have a number of easy outs. If Dalton is pitched around, it’s tough to guarantee success for Australia.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Roderick Dalton—2027 AL 1B Platinum Stick Winner
C: Jake Turnbull—4-Time JCL Platinum Stick Winner
RP: James Hall—3.40 Career PBA ERA
Top WBC Career WAR
1B: Roderick Dalton—13 G, 57 PA, 0.5 WAR (.293/2/8) 13 BB, 8 K
RP: Kane Guyatt—3 G, 3 GS, 14 IP, 0.5 WAR (1-1, 0.64) 4 H—2-time Southern League All-Star
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Ted Durrington—12 G, 42 PA, -0.3 WAR (.179/0/2) .179 SLG—.274 Average in Cuban League
SP: Domenic Krajancic—3 G, 6.1 IP, -0.3 WAR, (1-0, 8.53) 9 BB, 3 K—4.54 ERA in High-A Inland Empire last year
Random Fact: Australia went 0-9 its first three seasons, before going 5-5 in Group Play the last two seasons.
4) Germany
WBC Record: 1-9
The Case For: Warren Lang and Yale Ziegler provide Germany with a few good arms, and there’s a little bit of power and patience in the lineup. Spring an upset and they can slip into the second round
The Case Against: Germany is 1-9 all-time in the WBC. They have a few hitters and a few defenders, but few players who can do both. They had a .501 OPS last WBC, and don’t have a significantly better roster this time around.
Top 3 Talents
C: Bruce Maxwell—15.2 PBA WAR
P: Warren Lang—11-6, 4.57 career PBA record
P: Yale Ziegler—3.69 PBA ERA
Top WBC Career WAR
LF: Pascal Amon—10 G, 42 PA, 0.4 WAR (.324/0/5) 3 2B—2019 West Indies Short League MVP
RP: Yale Ziegler—2 G, 2 GS, 9.2 IP, 0.4 WAR (0-1, 3.72) 1 BB, 9 K
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Horst Brunner—10 G, 37 PA, -0.9 WAR (.083/0/2) 0 BB, 15 K—1.2 2B Zone Rating in High-A Myrtle Beach last year
CL: Kurt Rosenthal—4 G, 6 IP, -0.3 WAR (0-2, 7.50) 2.17 WHIP—3.54 ERA in Short-A Barbados last season
Random Fact: Mandel Angrenny leads Germany in doubles (4), and is tied in home runs (1) and RBIs (5)
Group B
1) Japan
WBC Record: 23-12
The Case For: Japan is a veteran team with a solid offense and a few aces. They should easily be the best team they play until the semifinals and their pitching will give them a shot in the medal rounds.
The Case Against: Japan’s offense is good, but not dominant. Tomoya Mori hit just .176 last WBC and the team hit just six home runs in nine games.
Top 3 Talents
C: Tomoya Mori—AL and JCL MVP
2B: Tetsuo Yamada—2-Time JCL MVP
CL: Hisatake Yamane—2-Time JCL Reliever of the Year
Top WBC Career WAR
LF: Yoshitomo Tsutsugo—32 G, 147 PA, 1.2 WAR (.303/7/24)—3 Time JCL All-Star, 2022 AL All Star
SP: Makoto Aduwa—4 G, 4 GS, 25.2 IP, (2-2, 1.75)—2024 JCL Most Outstanding Pitcher
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Tetsuo Yamada—17 G, 69 PA, -0.1 WAR (.226/2/7)
RP: Miyoshi Sugiyama—3 G, 3 IP (0-0, 6.00)—2 Time JPL Reliever of the Year
Random Fact: Tomoyuki Sugano, who retired last season, has the most Starts (12), Wins (8), Strikeouts (66), Innings (79), Complete Games (2), and WAR (2.85)
2) Canada
WBC Record: 13-13
The Case For: Canada has some top-tier offensive players with Kelyn Klattenburger, Harland Guenette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. That trio has also produced in the WBC in the past. They should punish Chile and Aruba and have the upside to escape the Second Round.
The Case Against: It’s a very underwhelming staff, and the middle infield is poor offensively and defensively. They can underperform as a result. Zach Pop is the only arm with more than two games experience.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Kelyn Klattenurger—2027 NL DH Platinum Stick Winner
3B: Harland Guenette—9.7 Career PBA WAR
RF: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.— 2024 ALDS, ALCS, World Series MVP
Top WBC Career WAR
RF: Vladimir Guerrero Jr—26 G, 111 PA, 0.6 WAR (.302/8/21) 4-4 SB
RP: Zach Pop—11 G, 16.1 IP, 0.5 WAR (2-2, 2, 2.20)—4.02 PBA ERA
Least WBC Career WAR
RF: Dalton Pompey—26 G, 122 PA, -0.6 WAR (.204/0/4) .517 OPS—2 Time JCL RF Platinum Stick Winner
P: Talbot Dobie—2 G, 2 IP, -0.0 WAR (0-0, 4.50) 3 BB—8-15, 4.37 ERA in 2027 for Arizona
Random Fact: Four different Canadians (Harland Guenette, Tyler Duncan, Kennan Bloom, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr) have four stolen bases
3) Aruba
WBC Record: 3-7
The Case For: There are some fantastic prospects on Aruba. If they play up to their potential, they’ll be a very tough team.
The Case Against: The best prospects are all extremely young and still a few years away from being fully developed. Their best days are ahead of them, but not probably not this year.
Top 3 Talents
P: Odmar Galindo—2025 Southern League All Star
P: Govaart Van Den Heuvel—2.22 Career Minor League ERA in 35 Games, 33 Starts
P: Gerald Riches—#14 PBA Prospect
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Pjotr von Kasteren—10 G, 41 PA, 0.1 WAR (.242/0/4)—.681 Minor League OPS
SP: Ulbert Maasdam—2 G, 9.1 IP, 0.4 WAR (1-0, 1.93)—1.62 Double-A ERA
Least WBC Career WAR
CF: Quido van Velzen—10 G, 37 PA, -0.5 WAR (.143/0/3) .332 OPS—20 Doubles in Double-A Mississippi last season
SP: Nicholas Naylor—2 G, 3.1 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-0, 16.20 ERA)—4.79 Minor League ERA
Random Fact: Xander Bogaerts (1.010) is the only player with more than 13 Plate Appearances and more than a .666 OPS.
4) Chile
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Pedro Tapia is a legitimate slugger and top prospect Elias Ramirez is a fantastic defensive Center Fielder. They may be able to knock off Aruba a couple of times.
The Case Against: Chile has big prospects, but they’re still prospects. The team’s defense is rough, their bullpen is awful, and they have three hitters who won’t embarrass themselves at the plate.
Top 3 Talents
LF: Pedro Tapia—19 Home Runs, 30 Doubles in rookie year for Arizona last year
CF: Elias Ramirez—#13 PBA Prospect
P: Danny Saco—3.5-Star Prospect at University of California.
Chile has no WBC history
Group C
1) Venezuela
WBC Record: 19-9
The Case For: Venezuela has great position player talent. They should score runs, they’ll be able to survive an injury or two, and their outfield defense should be fantastic. They have the position players to make a deep run.
The Case Against: The pitching is good, but not great. They can give up some home runs, which can cause them to lose to teams with good pitching.
Top 3 Talents
3B: Juan Gestoso—2027 NL MVP
2B: Arturo Reineri—2025 AL 2B Platinum Stick Winner
C: Wilson Conteras—6-Time PBA Platinum Stick Winner
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Juan Gestoso—20 G, 86 PA, 1.2 WAR (.364/0/7), 13-14 Steals, 20 BB, 9 K
P: German Marquez—10 G, 5 GS, 36.2 IP, 0.9 WAR (3-2, 2.21)—16.1 Career PBA WAR
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Arturo Reneri—5 G, 18 PA, -0.2 WAR (.067/0/4)
RP: Jorge Cardenas—2 G, 2 IP, 0.1 WAR (0-0, 0.00), 0 BB, 2 K—2.86, 2.1 WAR for Atlanta last season
Random Fact: With 13 bases, Juan Gestoso has the most steals in WBC history.
2) Cuba
WBC Record: 13-14
The Case For: Cuba has some terrific offensive talents and a good bullpen. They should be able to handle Taiwan to make it to the second round, and with Group D being horrible, Cuba has a clear path to the Final Eight.
The Case Against: Cuba doesn’t have a great starting staff, and they can struggle stringing out hits. Good pitching may be able to handle them, and they won’t be able to take too much advantage of bad defenses.
Top 3 Talents
3B: Lourdes Gurriel—2-Time AL All Star
LF: Luis Robert—3-Time PBA All Star
2B: Yoan Moncada—2-Time AL 2B Platinum Stick Winner
Top WBC Career WAR
LF: Luis Robert—10 G, 45 PA (.293/3/9) 2 2B, 2 3B
P: Cionel Perez—4 G, 3 GS, 18 IP (2-1, 2.50) 2 BB, 19 K, 0.83 WHIP—2024 AL All Star
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Yoan Moncada—6 G, 21 PA (.263, 0, 2) 0 SB, 1 BB, 8 K
P: Yohan Oviedo—4 G, 3 GS, 14.2 IP, (1-2, 7.36) 5 HR—4.75 PBA ERA
Random Fact: Cuba allowed just eight earned runs in 2026 but could not advance past group play.
3) Chinese Taipei
WBC Record: 6-16
The Case For: It’s a veteran team with some power and a good pen. They may be able to luck into some home runs against Cuba and win a close game.
The Case Against: There’s a bit of power, but there aren’t any good players with good hit tools. The starting staff has only one adequate pitcher.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Ghi-cheng Der—14.1 scoreless WBC innings
RP: Wei-Chung Wang—4.51 PBA ERA
RF: Chih-Hsiung Yao—2024 Canadian Rookie League MVP
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Wu-ti Rao—3 G, 14 PA (.429/0/0) 3 R, 2 2B—5.5 WAR in Korean Minor Leagues
RP: Ghi-cheng-Der—5 G, 2 GS, 14.1 IP (1-0, 2, 0.00)
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Nien-ting Wu—14 G, 59 PA, -0.1 WAR (.222/0/1) .510 OPS—17.3 WAR in Ni-Gun League
RP: Ju-Long Fou—3 G, 2.1 IP (0-0, 3.86) 5 BB, 3 K—3.21 ERA in PBA Minors in Colorado’s system
Random Fact: Der is one of two players (Jeurys Familia) to have at least 10 innings pitched and no earned runs allowed.
4) Virgin Islands
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Les Lovell and Dermott Brugwin don’t look too bad. They may be able to produce against Taiwan.
The Case Against: The talent isn’t there. The starters are terrible, the defense is terrible, they don’t have any stars, and only three hitters look respectable. They may go 0-6.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Hughie Ludkin—5.06 Career PBA ERA
3B: Dermott Brugwin—2026 Carolina League All-Star
RP: Micah Coles—90 strikeouts in 76.1 innings in Double-A Portland last season
The Virgin Islands has no WBC History
Group D
1) Honduras
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Jordan Alejandre is probably the best hitter in the Group. There are some decent relievers on the team, and some big strikeout arms could dominate in group play.
The Case Against: The team has no Catchers and doesn’t have depth for its position players. They’ll likely be smoked should they advance to Round 2.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Jordan Alejandre—2025 Canadian Rookie League MVP
SP: David Labrador—4-11, 7.49 ERA in Arizona.
SP: Bill Trevino—79 K in 85.2 IP for High-A San Jose last season
Honduras has no WBC History.
2) Italy
WBC Record: 4-15
The Case For: Gavin Cecchini is probably the second best offensive player in the group, and Charles Galemberti is a major prospect. There are a few players who look like they can hack it in the upper minors, which is a luxury no other team in the group has.
The Case Against: The outfield is awful and few Italians have any plate discipline. They also have only two pitchers who don’t look like they’ll get shelled every time they pitch. Seven of their 11 arms haven’t turned 21.
Top 3 Talents
1B: Gavin Cecchini—.340 Career PBA On-Base Percentage in 670 Games
RP: Nicolo Clemente—3.93 Career Triple-A ERA in 133 Games
SS: Charles Galemberti—#12 PBA Prospect
Top WBC Career WAR
SS: Fontana Lorenzetti—11 G, 45 PA, 0.2 WAR (.225/0/0) 3-3 SB, 1.4 SS Zone Rating—2026 Southern League All Star
RP: Nicolo Clemente—5 G, 5 GS, 0.3 WAR (0-3, 5.40)
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Feliciano Boccapecci—10 G, 43 PA, -0.3 WAR (.195/0/2) 0 BB, 17 K—5-8 SB for High-A Down East
SP: Giampietro Tilleti—1 G, 2.2 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-1, 3.38) 1 BB, 1 HR—2027 Canadian Rookie League Pitcher of the Year
Random Fact: Anthony Rizzo (2) and Mattia Varalda (3) are the only Italian players with multiple home runs.
3) The Philippines
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: The club has a few better hitters than Jamaica, and a much better defense. The group is incredibly weak so it won’t take much to advance.
The Case Against: The pitching is ghastly and the club has no plate discipline. Even underwhelming staffs like Honduras should dominate.
Top 3 Talents
SS: Marvello Gabato—21 Career Minor League doubles in 134 Games
C: Daniel Reginalde—2-Time Minor League All Star
LF: Nherbert Padoga—2026 West Indies Shor League All-Star
The Philippines has no WBC History
4) Jamaica
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: Jayden Valmarry is an electric arm, and the team can club a few doubles. With some weak outfield defenses, that may allow them to surprise a few teams.
The Case Against: There are three players on the roster at least 25-years-old. The defense is abysmal and the club lacks any semblance of high-end talent.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Jayden Valmarry—Career 3.07 Minor League ERA with 5.9 WAR in Colorado’s system.
1B: Chris Albutt—.742 OPS in first pro season for Quad Cities in Midwest League
SP: Griff Newble—Career 25-16, 3.48 record in Triple-A
Jamaica has no WBC History
Group E
1) The United States
WBC Record: 36-6
The Case For: It’s a new squad for the US for the most part, but it’s still awesome. There’s a ton of young two-way talent, a few aces, and an unstoppable bullpen.
The Case Against: There’s surprising vulnerability with the rotation with a few prospects getting the call. Offensively, there isn’t quite the depth of years past. The US should still roll to the semifinals, but it isn’t quite the team that won the 2026 Championship
Top 3 Talents
SS: Royce Lewis—2027 NL All Star
C: Rogelio Mendizibal—2027 NL C Platinum Stick
RF: Seth Beer—2-Time NL MVP
Top WBC Career WAR
RF: Seth Beer: 23 G, 102 PA, 2.2 WAR (.392/6/30) 25 R, 27 BB, 15 K, 1.262 OPS
SP: Marcus Stroman: 6 G, 6 GS, 40.2 IP, 1.7 WAR (5-0, 1.11) 1 HR, 5 BB, 36 K—2-Time AL Cy Young
Least WBC Career WAR
P: A.J. Masucci—3 G, 3.1 IP, -0.1 WAR (0-0, 0.00), 3 BB, 2 K—37-22, 4.20 PBA Record
LF: Jadon Ancrum—1 G, 1 PA, -0.0 WAR (.000/0/0)—2-Time AL All Star
Random Fact: Nolan Arenado has the most home runs and RBIs all time for the US. He will not play this tournament.
2) The Netherlands
WBC Record: 9-16
The Case For: The Netherlands has Wessel Russchen, perhaps the best baseball player in the game right now. Veteran infielders Xander Bogaerts and Jurrickson Profar give the club some depth as well.
The Case Against: In 2026 The Netherlands had Profar, Bogaerts, and Russchen and went 1-4. Russchen hit .167, and the Dutch had a .616 OPS despite Bogaerts and Profar playing well. There are too many non-factors, and not enough pitching. The Netherlands National Team has a 6.23 ERA lifetime, and that may not come down this year.
Top 3 Talents
CF: Wessel Russchen—2027 AL MVP
3B: Xander Bogaerts—2-Time PBA Platinum Stick Winner
3B: Jurrickson Profar—2019 NL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Jurrickson Profar—27 G, 113 PA, 1.1 WAR, (.347/5/16) 13 R, 16 BB, 9 K, 3-3 SB—
SP: Godfrey Borggreve—4 G, 2 GS, 14.2 IP, 0.0 WAR (0-2, 7.36) 9 BB, 6 K—6.10 ERA in Korean minors
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: Omer de Vos—16 G, 66 PA, -0.1 WAR (.230/2/7) 3 BB, 17 K, 4-4 SB—2026 Cal League All-Star
SP: Jeremy Visser—3 G, 6.2 IP, -0.3 WAR (0-0, 4.05) 2 HR, 3 K—4-10, 6.59 Career Minor League record
Random Fact: Russchen has hit for a worse average at every tournament, going .370 in 2022, .200 in 2024, and .167 in 2026.
3) England
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: The British won’t be upsetting the US, but they may have enough hitting to win an upset over The Netherlands. Jasrado Chisholm has experience as a successful PBA hitter and Frazer Bhamra can draw some walks.
The Case Against: Chisholm is in the downswing of his career and the pitching staff has three players over the age of 21. England will assuredly give up a bunch of runs.
England has no WBC history
4) Costa Rica
WBC Record: 1-9
The Case For: Costa Rica has some arms that can rack up strikeouts, and a few respectable starters. They can win some low scoring games against England and The Netherlands
The Case Against: The Offense is putrid, filled with players too young to be effective. The defense won’t be any better. Costa Rica is 1-9 lifetime in the WBC scoring just 25 total runs in two tournaments.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Juan de Ochoa—440 strikeouts in 360.1 career Triple-A innings.
CL: Juan Gutierrez—3.34 Career Minor League ERA and 35 Saves in 72 Games
RF: Omar Ayala—24 Doubles in 83 Games for Double-A Harrisburg last year
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Juan Soto—10 G, 43 PA, 0.2 WAR (.237/0/2) 0.9 Zone Rating—Career 5.9 Minor League Zone Rating
SP: Juan Romero—2 G, 2 GS, 12.2 IP, (0-1, 1.42) 1 BB, 17 K, 0.79 WHIP—2024 California League Most Outstanding Pitcher
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Luis Rivera—10 G, 36 PA, -0.5 WAR (.242/0/0) .537 OPS, -1.0 2B ZR—18-25 Career SB for Rookie-League Montreal
RP: Jamie Sixtos—4 G, 5 IP, -0.3 WAR (0-1, 14.40) 8 BB, 1 K—2024 Dominican Rookie League All-Star
Random Fact: Costa Rica did not homer the last WBC tournament.
Group F
1) Puerto Rico
WBC Record: 18-9
The Case For: Puerto Rico has an unbelievable collection of relievers, and could have the best staff in the tournament as a result. Led by Francisco Lindor, they have a solid offense and a spectacular defense as well. They have the upside to win it all.
The Case Against: Every one of their arms is a reliever. Their arms with stamina only have two effective pitches. This could hurt them against better lineups. They have a lot of competent offensive players, but Lindor is their only star. Their group is also easily the toughest one in the tournament.
Top 3 Talents
SS: Francisco Lindor: 9-Time PBA SS Platinum Stick Winner
RP: Ismael Robles— All Time PBA Postseason Saves Leader
RP: Omar Lara—2026 NL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
SS: Francisco Lindor—27 G, 126 PA, 1.8 WAR (.333/5/20) 22 B, 17 K, 20 R
RP: Ismael Robles—8 G, 1 GS, 19 IP, 1.0 WAR (3-0, 4, 0.47)—2 BB, 28 K
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Luis Pintor—7 G, 23 PA, -0.4 WAR (.000/0/1)—22 Career PBA RBIs
RP: Luis Viscarra—5 G, 1 GS, 12 IP (0-1, 7.50)—4.12 PBA ERA in 113.2 IP
Random Fact: Puerto Rico is 14-4 the past two tournaments.
2) Nicaragua
WBC Record: 5-5
The Case For: Luis Esparza, Luis Ortiz, and Roniel Raudes give Nicaragua a good staff, and Jorge Tarin and Cheslor Cuthbert have been monsters in WBC play historically.
The Case Against: The defense isn’t great, and both Tarin and Cuthbert are getting older. That could be the difference in a tough group.
Top 3 Talents
P: Luis Ortiz—#22 PBA Prospect
SP: Luis Esperaza—2025 AL All Star, 2026 AL Strikeout leader
RF: Jorge Tarin—75 PBA Home Runs
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Cheslor Cuthbert—10 G, 45 PA, 0.8 WAR (.415/4/12)—56 Career PBA Home Runs
SP: Luis Esparza—3 G, 3 GS, 14.1 IP, 0.6 WAR (0-1, 3.14)
Least WBC Career WAR
CF: Juan Moreno—10 G, 41 PA, -0.4 WAR (.150/1/2) 1 BB, 0-1 CS—3-Time Minor League All Star in Colorado’s system
SP: Juan Botello—3 G, 4.2 IP, -0.1 WAR (0-0, 3.86)—2-Time All-Star in Kansas City’s system
Random Fact: No team that played its first tournament in 2024 has advanced to the second round, though Nicaragua has the best record.
3) Colombia
WBC Record: 11-11
The Case For: Colombia has a number of solid players, including young Juan Alaniz and veteran Jose Quintana. They’re coming off a strong 2026 tournament where they went 4-1 in Group Play.
The Case Against: Colombia doesn’t have a great defense, nor does it have a lot of power. In a tough group, that’s probably enough to sink it.
Top 3 Players
RF: Bryan Martelo—2-Time AL All Star
SP: Jose Quintana—2027 AL All-Star
RP: Juan Alaniz—9-1 Career PBA Record
Top WBC Career WAR
RF: Brayan Emery—13 G, 55 PA, 1.0 WAR (.391/5/16) 11 R—2026 LF International Bat Award, 39 KBO Triples
RP: Luis Escobar—5 G, 1 GS, 12.2 IP, 0-6 WAR (2-2, 2.84) 1 BB, 13 K—4.57 Career PBA ERA in 492.1 IP
Least WBC Career WAR
RF: Bryan Martelo—20 G, 94 PA, -0.1 WAR (.185/3/11)
RP: Erick Julio—5 G, 4 GS, 17 IP, -0.0 WAR (1-3, 7.41)—17-29, 4, 5.29 Career PBA Record
Random Fact: Colombia has the most wins of any team that has advanced from Group Play one time or fewer.
4) China
WBC Record: 2-8
The Case For: China has a very competitive staff. It can definitely win some games thanks to its pitching.
The Case Against: There are only five position players who appear to be competent, let along dangerous. Though better than a few teams in the tournament, In a strong group, China will be lucky to win a game.
Top 3 Talents
RP: Zhi-Peng Thum—7-7, 7, 3.73 Career PBA Record
SP: Kwon Ju—2024 KBO Outstanding Pitcher
RP: Chad Kite—92 Career PBA Strikeouts in 124 innings
Top WBC Career WAR
1B: Gui Yuan Xu—10 G, 42 PA, 0.2 WAR (.265/1/3)—2026 KBO Newcomer of the Year
SP: Kwon Ju—5 G, 5 GS, 29 IP, 0.8 WAR (1-1, 2.17)
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Hou-Kang Ang—10 G, 42 PA, -0.5 WAR (.146/0/2) 0 BB, 13 K, -0.7 ZR—2-Time Minor League SS Gold Glove Award Winner
SP: Man Ban—2 G, 3.1 IP, -0.4 WAR (0-0, 24.30) 8 BB, 1 K, 8 H—2-2, 6.81 ERA, 0.1 WAR in Dominican Summer League for Colorado last season
Random Fact: Si-dao Weng is the only player with multiple home runs (2).
Group G
1) Dominican Republic
WBC Record: 32-9
The Case For: The offense is filled with superstars and the pitching staff has Eric Pena and a ton of flamethrowers. The Dominican Republic has already won the WBC Championship twice.
The Case Against: The team can be homer prone, which could lead to an upset in the knockout rounds
Top 3 Talents
SP Eric Pena—2-Time Cy Young Winner
C: Francisco Mejia—9-Time AL All Star
3B: Orlando Arcia—4-Time NL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
3B: Orlando Arcia—33 G, 161 PA, 1.8 WAR (.348/6/24) 9 2B, 6-6 SB
SP: Jhoan Duran—8 G, 5 GS, 34.1 IP, 1.9 WAR (5-0, 1.57)—2024 AL All Star
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: Gilberto Celestino—11 G, 39 PA, -0.0 WAR (.171/1/6) .546 OPS—2-Time AL All Star
CL: Luis Alcantara—3 G, 3 IP, -0.1 WAR (0-0, 6.00)—2025 JCL All-Star
Random Fact: With 40 appearances, Francisco Mejia has appeared in the most WBC games all time.
2) Brazil
WBC Record: 4-6
The Case For: Vicente Corado and Tomaz Espassandim are young future stars who already have some small successes in the WBC
The Case Against: The bullpen and infield defense aren’t good. That could doom them against the Netherlands Antilles
Top 3 Talents
2B Tomaz Espassandim—2027 NL 2B Platinum Stick Award
SP: Vicente Corado—2-0, 1.48 Record in Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season
SP: Bo Takahashi—20-17, 2, 3.98 Career PBA Record
Top WBC Career WAR
2B: Tomaz Espassandim—10 G, 43 PA, 0.3 WAR (.282/2/11)
SP: Edison Batista—2 G, 2 GS, 15 IP, 0.5 WAR (1-0, 2.40) 4 BB, 14 K—4.73 Career NPB ERA
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Godalupe Lagos—7 G, 21 PA, -0.3 WAR (.100/0/0)—2026 Northwest League SS Platinum Stick Award
SP: Liberatore Crespo—3 G, 4.1 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-0, 20.77) 10 H, 5 BB, 0 K—1-2, 1, 6.15 ERA for Rookie League Sault Saint Marie last year
Random Fact: Ezequiel Garay has the most WBC WAR all time (0.4), but declined to participate this year.
3) Netherlands Antilles
WBC Record: 8-20
The Case For: Ozzie Albies is a fantastic talent and may be able to be an offense unto his own. Unlike other teams with single stars, Albies’ speed allows him to create offense if teams are cautious to him.
The Case Against: The pitching staff is terrible. The Netherlands Antilles has a career 10.41 ERA in WBC play and with good reason.
Top 3 Talents
2B: Ozzie Albies—5-Time 2B Gold Glove Winner
2B: Juremi Profar—39 Career PBA Doubles
3B: Kirvin Moesquit—2022 AL All Star
Top WBC Career WAR
2B: Ozzie Albies—28 G, 120 PA, 1.1 WAR (.318/4/19) 20 R, 4-5 SB
RP: Reynold Van der Hoff—2 G, 3.1 IP, 0.1 WAR (0-0, 0.00)
Least WBC Career WAR
RF: Isranel Wilson—28 G, 102 PA, -0.4 WAR (.234/1/5)—.293 Average in KBO
SP: Halmar van Breukelen—6 G, 4 GS, 15.1 IP, -0.8 WAR (0-4, 16.43) 37 H, 10 BB, 8 K—13-7, 4.84 for Germany in Meridian League
Random Fact: Netherlands Antilles is 0-9 in the second round
4) El Salvador
Group Play: 0-0
The Case For: There are some interesting pitching prospects who can hold down the lesser bats that make up their group.
The Case Against: The team is mostly comprised of teenagers still developing. They’ll struggle to score and defend.
Top 3 Talents
SP: Luis Villa—2-Time Minor League All Star
SP: Jonathan Guarneros—184 Minor League Strikeouts in 140.2 Innings
SP: Alex Damian—2.5 Star Prospect
El Salvador has no WBC History
Group H
1) Panama
WBC Record: 11-14
The Case For: Panama has become a good WBC team, going 0-6 the first two tournament, and 10-3 in Group Play since. They have a good infield, play good defense, and have solid, respectable players. They have a decent chance to make the quarterfinals.
The Case Against: Panama has a lot of respectable players, but not a lot of good ones. They can be toppled by a good performance.
Top 3 Talents
2B: Jonathan Arauz—2025 NL 2B Platinum Stick Award
SS: Allen Cordoba—18.2 Career PBA WAR
SP: Sergio Arellano—2025 Eastern League All-Star
Top WBC Career WAR
2B: Jonathan Arrauz—25 G, 104 PA, 1.0 WAR (.289/5/13) 5 2B, 2 3B
SP: Alfredo Santana—4 G, 2 GS, 13.1 IP, 0.6 WAR (1-0, 1.35)—8-14, 4.33 Career PBA Record
Least WBC Career WAR
2B: Enoc Watts—13 G, 51 PA, -0.2 WAR (.186/0/4) 15 K—2027 JPL Newcomer of the Year
RP: Abdiel Mendoza—4 G, 5 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-0, 5.40) 2 HR—2024 California League Reliever of the Year
Random Fact: Jonathan Arrauz is the team’s best player, but Javier Guerra and Robert Mullen have the most Home Runs with six.
2) Curacao
WBC Record: 1-9
The Case For: Nelle Willemsen is an upcoming star and Esteban Valdez is a Cy Young winner. Curacao has the upside to beat anyone as a result.
The Case Against: Curacao is 1-9 all-time in Group Play and don’t really have anything to fall back on besides Valadez and Willemsen. They’ll struggle when anyone else is on the hill.
Top 3 Talents
SP: Esteban Valadez—2027 AL Cy Young Award Winner
RF: Nelle Willemsen—.907 OPS for San Francisco last season
C: Dick Bisschop—2026 Eastern League All-Star
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Ferry Ettema—10 G, 42 PA, 0.1 WAR (.216/0/2) 4 2B, 4-4 SB—2-Time Minor League All Star
SP: Esteban Valadez—3 G, 3 GS, 15.1 IP, 0.5 WAR (0-1, 2.35)
Least WBC Career WAR
LF: Riemer Koot—10 G, 34 PA, -0.4 WAR (.133/1/1) 12 K, -1.6 ZR—2026 KBO Futures League LF Glove Wizard
SP: Elias Vos—2 G, 2.2 IP, 0.3 WAR (0-0, 33.75) 9 BB, 3 K—8-3 career record in Korean Futures League
Random Fact: 20-Year-Old Bernard Njissen has the only win for Curacao in WBC history.
3) South Africa
WBC Record: 2-8
The Case For: Some of the prospects are starting to grow up. There are a few talented arms, the defense should be okay, and Zike Tantawi gives the club a power element
The Case Against: The bullpen is exceptionally young, and the club is short on hitters. Getting Curaco to open the tournament means facing off against Valadez, which hinders their shot at being second best in the group.
Top 3 Talents
SS: Taban Ohon—2027 International League SS Glove Wizard
RP: Makabee Dingane—3.46 Career Minor League ERA in Colorado system
CF: Anwa Ita—.386 Average, 14 2B, .970 OPS for A-Ball Charleston last year
Top WBC Career WAR
CF: Umar Jengo—10 G, 39 PA, 0.6 WAR (.297/2/4) 4-4 SB—2027 Eastern League CF Glove Wizard
RP: Masmud Chiwanda—4 G, 2 GS, 17.1 IP, 0.3 WAR (1-0, 3.63) 14 K—105 K in 110.1 Career IP in Double-A
Least WBC Career WAR
SS: Taban Ohan—10 G, 40 IP, -0.5 WAR (.086/0/2) 5 GIDP
RP: Makabee Dingane—3 G, 3 IP, -0.2 WAR (0-1, 24.00)
Random Fact: Umar Jengo is the only South African player with multiple home runs
4) New Zealand
WBC Record: 0-0
The Case For: There are some big strikeout arms and competent hitters. It’ll battle with South Africa and could edge into second with some fortune.
The Case Against: The pitching staff is homer prone and wild, death knells in the tournament. The defense should also struggle.
Top 3 Talents
SP: Brendon Stobbie—2-Time Minor League All Star
RF: Jerod Dethridge—64 Career Triple-A Doubles
RP: Edwin Thompson—2-Time Minor League All Star
New Zealand has no WBC History