World Baseball Classic Games Today
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USA favored over defending champion Japan
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The WBC is here, but you don't need a pricey cable plan to watch your team chase the Championship Trophy. Stream every dinger, strikeout, and stolen base using these recommended video streaming services and VPNs.
Czechia faces Korea during group play of the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Thursday at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
The country has dominated the World Baseball Classic in the 2000s, but its baseball history started long before.
Japan enters the World Baseball Classic as the team to beat after winning the tournament in 2023, but the talent advantage might lie on the other side of the world. Both the United States and Dominican Republic have loaded up this year with revenge on their minds after disappointing finishes three years ago.
Dusty Baker realizes that Team Nicaragua, the squad he is managing in the World Baseball Classic, is not a powerhouse like Team USA, Japan and the Dominican Republic. But he vows his team will not be pushovers in the tournament.
For the first time in the WBC, there will be a pitch clock. It will follow MLB rules: Pitchers will have 15 seconds to throw with the bases empty and 18 seconds when runners are on. Batters have until the eight-second mark to be ready to hit.
The World Baseball Classic is nothing without its atmosphere. While the talent on the field is strictly world-class, the pulsing, deafening energy radiating from the grandstands is what truly elevates this tournament from a simple exhibition into an international spectacle.