A different kind of March Madness is heating up.
Following an exhilarating preliminary round — that culminated with Vinnie Pasquantino hitting three dingers for Italy and upsetting Mexico to help Team USA advance — only eight countries remain in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
They are:
Team USA (3-1)
led by Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Tarik Skubal
Team Canada (3-1)
led by Jameson Taillon, Josh Naylor, Michael Soroka, Cal Quantrill, Logan Allen
Team Japan (4-0)
led by Shohei Ohtani, Yusei Kikuchi, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Munetaka Murakami, Seiya Suzuki
Team Italy (4-0)
led by Vinnie Pasquantino, Aaron Nola, Adam Ottavino, Jac Caglianone, Jon Berti
Team Dominican Republic (4-0)
led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Ketel Marte, Austin Wells, Sandy Alcantara
Team Puerto Rico (3-1)
led by Edwin Díaz, Nolan Arenado, Martín Maldonado, Eddie Rosario, MJ Melendez
Team Venezuela (3-1)
led by Ronald Acuña Jr., Sal Perez, José Butto, Luis Arraez, Gleyber Torres
Team Korea (2-2)
led by Hyun Jin Ryu, Hyeseong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, Hae-Min Park, Jahmani Jones
The eight of them (all of whom have MLBers) will meet in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 in Miami and Houston.
If you’d like to attend and root on the country of your choice, last-minute tickets are available for all remaining contests.
Better yet, seats are surprisingly cheap.
At the time of publication, our team found tickets going for as low as $46 including fees on StubHub for games in Houston (that’s Italy vs. Puerto Rico).
Prices start at $131 including fees for Miami showdowns (this one is for the Dominican Republic vs. Korea game).
For those hoping to get to the U.S.-Canada contest in Houston, you can get in for $55 including fees.
Once the dust settles on those cutthroat, single-elimination showdowns, the Semifinals are set to take place at Miami’s LoanDepot Park on Sunday, March 15 and Monday, March 16.
Things will wrap up and a winner will be crowned in the Championship on Tuesday, March 17 also in Miami.
Want to witness baseball history…on a budget?
We’re here to help.
Our team has everything you need to know and more about seeing the World Baseball Classic live in 2026 below.
World Baseball Classic tickets
A complete calendar including teams, game dates, venues and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:
| World Baseball Classic game dates | StubHub prices start at |
|---|---|
| Dominican Republic vs. Korea Friday, March 13 at loanDepot Park in Miami, FL |
$131 (including fees) |
| Canada vs. USA Friday, March 13 at Daikin Park in Houston, TX |
$55 (including fees) |
| Italy vs. Puerto Rico Saturday, March 14 at Daikin Park in Houston, TX |
$46 (including fees) |
| Japan vs. Venezuela Saturday, March 14 at loanDepot Park in Miami, FL |
$134 (including fees) |
| Semifinal Game (TBD vs. TBD) Sunday, March 15 at loanDepot Park in Miami, FL |
$244 (including fees) |
| Semifinal Game (TBD vs. TBD) Monday, March 16 at loanDepot Park in Miami, FL |
$137 (including fees) |
| Championship Game (TBD vs. TBD) Tuesday, March 17 at loanDepot Park in Miami, FL |
$377 (including fees) |
About the World Baseball Classic
The 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic falls on the 20th anniversary of the tournament and is the sixth time the event has taken place.
Now, that’s just good clean fun.
To kick off the WBC’s run, Japan won in both 2006 and ’09. Four years later, the Dominican Republic took home the 2013 crown followed by the U.S.’ lone victory in ’17.
Due to a COVID-induced delay, the fifth World Baseball Classic went down in 2023 and concluded with a dramatic showdown between then-Angels teammates Shohei Ohtani of Japan and the U.S.’ Mike Trout.
Up 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the DH turned reliever chucked a full-count slider to give Japan the momentous win.
As for 2026, we’ve seen the U.S. get upset by Italy, the first walk-off in the history of the tournament (thanks, Ozzie Albies) and the first four-strikeout inning…in the history of the tournament (thank you, Cristopher Sánchez and thank you Austin Wells for not catching Sánchez’s wild third strike allowing a baserunner on, in turn creating this unique scenario).
Huge artists on tour in 2026
Want to catch a concert or three this year, too?
We’re here to help.
Here are just five of our favorite artists we can’t wait to see live these next few months.
• RUSH
• AC/DC
• BTS
• Bruno Mars
• Peso Pluma
Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2026 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
