With the 2026 World Baseball Classic set to begin March 5, roster activity picked up noticeably over the last several days as teams moved closer to the early-February 30-man roster deadline. While there weren’t daily bombshells, the stretch from January 22–26 produced several meaningful developments, headlined by a major pitching addition for Italy and a near-complete roster reveal from defending champion Japan.=
Below is a rundown of the key roster news and where things stand. View all rosters and projected starting lineups
On January 26, Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata announced 29 of the 30 players who will represent Japan at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. One roster spot remains open and is expected to be finalized shortly, but the announcement effectively locked in the core of the defending champions.
Japan’s roster includes a record eight MLB-affiliated players, blending elite NPB talent with established major leaguers. Confirmed names include:
Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels)
Yuki Matsui (San Diego Padres)
Tomoyuki Sugano (Free Agent, formerly Orioles)
Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays)
Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox)
Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs)
Fifteen players from Japan’s 2023 championship team are returning. Notably, Roki Sasaki is not included on the roster. Japan will hold training camp in Miyazaki from February 14–24 before exhibition games and Pool C play at the Tokyo Dome.
The biggest roster commitment of the stretch came from Italy. On January 21, with reports circulating widely between January 22–24, Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced at the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Banquet that Aaron Nola will pitch for Team Italy at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Nola qualifies through Italian heritage and immediately becomes the top rotation arm for Italy. His participation also gives him a built-in early ramp-up ahead of the MLB season, with WBC play beginning March 5.
Italy will compete in Pool B in Houston against the United States, Mexico, Great Britain, and Brazil.
Italy’s growing MLB-caliber core now includes:
Aaron Nola (Phillies, RHP)
Adam Ottavino (Reliever)
Vinnie Pasquantino (Royals, 1B)
Jac Caglianone (Royals prospect)
Kyle Teel (White Sox catcher, widely reported as part of the player pool)
With Nola anchoring the rotation, this shapes up as Italy’s strongest WBC roster to date and positions them as a legitimate threat in Pool B.
Late-January reporting and tracker updates confirmed that Tristan Beck (San Francisco Giants) and Brendan Beck (New York Yankees prospect) are set to represent Great Britain. Both qualify through family heritage and significantly upgrade Great Britain’s pitching depth.
The additions complement a roster that already includes Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Harry Ford, giving Great Britain a more balanced mix of MLB talent and high-level prospects as they prepare for Pool B in Houston.
Team USA did not announce any new roster additions during the January 22–26 window, but its projected roster remains deep and largely intact. Trackers continue to list approximately 25–27 committed players, including:
Aaron Judge (Captain)
Paul Skenes
Tarik Skubal
Alex Bregman
Bryce Harper
Kyle Schwarber
Cal Raleigh
Clayton Kershaw
No official USA Baseball updates were released during this stretch, though the expectation remains that the final roster will be one of the deepest in WBC history.
Puerto Rico (Pool A)
Puerto Rico’s early core remains unchanged, anchored by Edwin Díaz, José Berríos, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Nolan Arenado.
Venezuela (Pool D)
Venezuela continues to build around a strong pitching foundation, including Pablo López and Eduardo Rodríguez. Federation officials have indicated a formal roster reveal is coming in early February and a big announcement on January 27th.
No Altuve is devastating.
Cuba (Pool A)
Cuba received a positive boost with Blue Jays reliever Yariel Rodríguez gaining approval to participate, though with innings restrictions. This comes amid several high-profile player declines.
Final 30-man rosters are due in early February, and roster activity is expected to accelerate rapidly over the next 10 days. Japan’s near-complete roster and Italy’s addition of Aaron Nola represent two of the most impactful moves so far, but more announcements are imminent as federations finalize approvals and MLB teams green-light participation.
Tournament play begins March 5, 2026, with pool games in Houston, Tokyo, San Juan, and Miami.
With the 2026 World Baseball Classic set to begin March 5, roster activity picked up noticeably over the last several days as teams moved closer to the early-February 30-man roster deadline. While there weren’t daily bombshells, the stretch from January 22–26 produced several meaningful developments, headlined by a major pitching addition for Italy and a near-complete roster reveal from defending champion Japan.=
Below is a rundown of the key roster news and where things stand. View all rosters and projected starting lineups
On January 26, Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata announced 29 of the 30 players who will represent Japan at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. One roster spot remains open and is expected to be finalized shortly, but the announcement effectively locked in the core of the defending champions.
Japan’s roster includes a record eight MLB-affiliated players, blending elite NPB talent with established major leaguers. Confirmed names include:
Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels)
Yuki Matsui (San Diego Padres)
Tomoyuki Sugano (Free Agent, formerly Orioles)
Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays)
Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox)
Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs)
Fifteen players from Japan’s 2023 championship team are returning. Notably, Roki Sasaki is not included on the roster. Japan will hold training camp in Miyazaki from February 14–24 before exhibition games and Pool C play at the Tokyo Dome.
The biggest roster commitment of the stretch came from Italy. On January 21, with reports circulating widely between January 22–24, Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced at the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Banquet that Aaron Nola will pitch for Team Italy at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Nola qualifies through Italian heritage and immediately becomes the top rotation arm for Italy. His participation also gives him a built-in early ramp-up ahead of the MLB season, with WBC play beginning March 5.
Italy will compete in Pool B in Houston against the United States, Mexico, Great Britain, and Brazil.
Italy’s growing MLB-caliber core now includes:
Aaron Nola (Phillies, RHP)
Adam Ottavino (Reliever)
Vinnie Pasquantino (Royals, 1B)
Jac Caglianone (Royals prospect)
Kyle Teel (White Sox catcher, widely reported as part of the player pool)
With Nola anchoring the rotation, this shapes up as Italy’s strongest WBC roster to date and positions them as a legitimate threat in Pool B.
Late-January reporting and tracker updates confirmed that Tristan Beck (San Francisco Giants) and Brendan Beck (New York Yankees prospect) are set to represent Great Britain. Both qualify through family heritage and significantly upgrade Great Britain’s pitching depth.
The additions complement a roster that already includes Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Harry Ford, giving Great Britain a more balanced mix of MLB talent and high-level prospects as they prepare for Pool B in Houston.
Team USA did not announce any new roster additions during the January 22–26 window, but its projected roster remains deep and largely intact. Trackers continue to list approximately 25–27 committed players, including:
Aaron Judge (Captain)
Paul Skenes
Tarik Skubal
Alex Bregman
Bryce Harper
Kyle Schwarber
Cal Raleigh
Clayton Kershaw
No official USA Baseball updates were released during this stretch, though the expectation remains that the final roster will be one of the deepest in WBC history.
Puerto Rico (Pool A)
Puerto Rico’s early core remains unchanged, anchored by Edwin Díaz, José Berríos, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Nolan Arenado.
Venezuela (Pool D)
Venezuela continues to build around a strong pitching foundation, including Pablo López and Eduardo Rodríguez. Federation officials have indicated a formal roster reveal is coming in early February and a big announcement on January 27th.
No Altuve is devastating.
Cuba (Pool A)
Cuba received a positive boost with Blue Jays reliever Yariel Rodríguez gaining approval to participate, though with innings restrictions. This comes amid several high-profile player declines.
Final 30-man rosters are due in early February, and roster activity is expected to accelerate rapidly over the next 10 days. Japan’s near-complete roster and Italy’s addition of Aaron Nola represent two of the most impactful moves so far, but more announcements are imminent as federations finalize approvals and MLB teams green-light participation.
Tournament play begins March 5, 2026, with pool games in Houston, Tokyo, San Juan, and Miami.
