A Classic Tournament Lineup Shines Bright: 78 All-Stars Compete, Featuring Four Current MVPs and Cy Young Award Winners

Two decades ago, the first World Baseball Classic (WBC) began, changing the world of baseball forever. Many legendary figures, such as Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki, Andruw Jones, and Carlos Beltrán (the latter two inducted into the Hall of Fame this past winter), represented their countries in competition.

Now in its sixth edition, the tournament continues to expand baseball’s global reach. Players fiercely compete for national team spots with the enthusiasm of high schoolers searching for dance partners, while managers and general managers sometimes must candidly tell MLB legends, “Sorry, there’s just no room.”

This year’s event features, for the first time, all four current MVP and Cy Young Award winners together: Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, and Aaron Judge will play for Team USA, while Shohei Ohtani returns to the reigning 2023 champion Samurai Japan squad.

Across the 20 WBC teams, a record 78 MLB All-Stars are participating, including 36 players selected for the 2025 American and National League All-Star rosters. The list includes 190 players on MLB 40-man rosters, with a total of 306 players signed within the MLB system.

The rosters of the USA, Japan, and the Dominican Republic stand out with exceptional talent. Team USA boasts powerful catcher Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs in a single season, backed by three-time All-Star and World Series champion Will Smith as backup. Bobby Witt Jr., a two-time recent All-Star with Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, is also included. The U.S. roster features 22 MLB All-Stars, the most of any team.

The Dominican Republic fields a formidable squad with 16 All-Stars. Their lineup, dubbed a “murderer’s row,” includes Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., and Junior Caminero—possibly one of the most intimidating batting orders in Classic history. Led by pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Cristopher Sánchez, and Brayan Bello, the team aims to replicate the undefeated 2013 championship glory.

The Samurai Japan team is far more than just Shohei Ohtani. Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, fresh off a heroic postseason with the Dodgers, returns to the national team. Newly signed MLB stars Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto are also on the roster. Notably, Nippon Professional Baseball stars like Hiromi Itoh, the recent Sawamura Award winner, and Terauki Sato, who hit 40 home runs and earned Central League MVP honors in 2025, are included.

Top talent can be found on every country's roster: Venezuela is led by captain Salvador Perez alongside Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jackson Chourio; Mexico hopes to surpass its 2023 semifinal finish with catcher Alejandro Kirk, closer Andrés Muñoz, and dynamic outfielder Randy Arozarena; Cuba relies on Pacific League MVP Liván Moinelo to anchor its starting rotation, while 39-year-old WBC all-time home run leader Alfredo Despaigne returns aiming to break more records. Former White Sox infielder Alexei Ramírez also makes a comeback at 44, competing for the first time since 2006.

This tournament also features seven MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects poised to gain international recognition. Sixth-ranked Nolan McLean joins Team USA, while 2024 draft top pick Travis Bazzana, who once kept a memo with his name as the leadoff hitter on Australia’s 2026 dream lineup, is set to realize his dream. Cubs rookie Jonathan Long will represent Chinese Taipei, honoring his roots and aiming to help the 2024 World Baseball 12-Team champion challenge Japan again.

The rosters also highlight father-son legacies: Jung Hoo Lee returns to play for South Korea, following in the footsteps of his father Jeong Beom Lee, a former Korean star. Brazil features three sons of major leaguers: Dante Bichette Jr., Lucas Ramirez (son of Manny Ramirez), and 17-year-old Vanderbilt commit Joseph Contreras (son of José Contreras). Andrew Jones will coach the Netherlands team, managing his own son, Druw Jones.

One of the tournament’s unique appeals is creating stars from non-professional backgrounds. Czech firefighter and pitcher Martin Schneider, after representing the European team and recovering from injury, returns to the national squad hoping to emulate teammate and electrician Ondřej Satoria, who gained fame striking out Shohei Ohtani. Australian captain Tim Kennelly, also a firefighter, retired from the Australian Baseball League last winter and may play his final career game here. Brazil’s shortstop Vitor Ito works in baseball as a translator for the NPB Hanshin Tigers but is not a player.

Baseball has never been exclusive to the United States, and the 2026 World Baseball Classic will highlight this more than ever. Look around the globe and Classic stars appear everywhere: San Marino, with a population of just 34,000, fields Pirates prospect Alessandro Ercolani; Aruba has produced four-time MLB All-Star Xander Bogaerts; South Korea honors its heritage with players like Riley O’Brien and Jahmai Jones. The simple truth is: baseball belongs to the world.

So, who will ultimately claim the title? The answer will be revealed next month.