Where Is The World Baseball Classic Being Played and How Pools Are Split

Emerson Raymont

Published: March 7, 2026 9:12 PM ET

The 2026 tournament is already delivering headlines: Shohei Ohtani homered against Korea at the Tokyo Dome as Japan beat Korea 8-6, and the United States opened with a 15-5 rout of Brazil. Where Is The World Baseball Classic Being Played is now a practical question for fans — pool play runs across multiple cities and tight scheduling will shape who advances to the knockout rounds.

Where Is The World Baseball Classic Being Played

Pool play games are set for Tokyo, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Miami and Houston. The pool stage runs through March 11 (ET), followed by quarterfinals on March 13 and 14 (ET), semifinals on March 15 and 16 (ET) and the final on March 17 (ET) at loanDepot Park in Miami. After a few games in Tokyo to start the event, the full schedule expanded into the other host cities as the tournament moved into pool play.

Ohtani’s homer lifts Japan

Shohei Ohtani homered against Korea early Saturday morning at the Tokyo Dome; it was his second homer in as many games as Japan won 8-6 to improve to 2-0. Japan enters pool play as the reigning champion after defeating Team USA 3-2 in the 2023 final. The early offensive output and high-leverage hitting in Japan’s lineup have given the defending champions an immediate statement in the tournament’s opening days.

Team USA cruises, lineup changes

The United States routed Brazil 15-5 in its opener and is carrying a roster that includes 22 MLB All‑Stars, the most on any team in the tournament. Names listed on the roster include Paul Skenes, Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge. Manager Mark DeRosa made lineup adjustments between games — moving Kyle Schwarber to lead off, shifting Bryce Harper to cleanup and bumping Alex Bregman up the order — and brought in Clay Holmes in the fourth inning of one game. Two‑time reigning AL Cy Young champion Tarik Skubal made a start that ended early after a first‑pitch homer from Great Britain; that game also featured a highlight defensive play when Great Britain’s right fielder robbed a would‑be game‑tying homer at the wall.

Key takeaways: multiple host cities through March 11 (ET); Japan and the U. S. posted big early wins; quick turnaround to knockout rounds.

Analysis and forward look: with pool play scheduled to finish by March 11 (ET) and single‑elimination rounds immediately following, teams that produce early offensive bursts or steady pitching depth will have an edge heading into the quarterfinals on March 13 and 14 (ET). Betting markets currently list the U. S. as the favorite by a narrow margin over Japan, reflecting expectations tied to roster depth and the Americans’ opening offensive outburst. If the U. S. keeps producing big run totals and Japan sustains its early hitting, both teams are positioned to avoid early upsets and enter the knockout rounds with momentum.