A Look Ahead at Team Canada’s 2026 World Baseball Classic
For the first time in program history, Team Canada enters the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a roster which could realistically advance out of the group stage. Since the tournament’s inception in 2006, Canada has never qualified beyond pool play. In 2023, it fell just shy of advancing by one game after a 10-3 loss to Team Mexico. However, in 2026, a deeper mix of Canadian talent emerged, and paired with favourable matchups, the 2026 World Baseball Classic could be a turning point for the Canadian program.
Team Canada begins the 2026 tournament in Pool A, which will take place exclusively in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Canada will face off against Panama, Colombia, Cuba, and Puerto Rico from March 6 to 11, and finishing top two among this pool of teams (with Puerto Rico expected to advance on home turf) would be a watershed moment for their global baseball presence.
Of course, final rosters will not be released until much closer to the tournament. However, various key contributors have already committed to representing the red and white, while others are still unannounced but are expected to compete, health permitting.
Offence - Key Contributors
Freddie Freeman - 1B/DH (Los Angeles Dodgers)
The first base position has long been a cornerstone of Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, first with potential Hall of Fame talent Joey Votto and, since 2017, the 9-time All-Star Freddie Freeman.
Freeman remains one of the best first basemen in MLB, boasting a decorated career and an outstanding 2025 season, in which he picked up his third World Series win with the Dodgers. However, the 36-year-old first baseman underwent a procedure in early December to remove loose bodies following an ankle sprain in September. If his comeback from injury is slower than expected, the Dodgers could refuse to allow Freeman to play in the tournament.
Josh Naylor - 1B/DH (Seattle Mariners)
Back for his first World Baseball Classic since 2017, Naylor had a strong 2025 campaign with the Cleveland Guardians and Mariners, slashing .295/.353/.492 with 92 RBI, which earned him a 5-year $92.5 million extension with the Mariners in free agency.
The expectation would be that Naylor would alternate with Freeman at first base and designated hitter within the heart of the Canadian lineup, adding yet another lethal power bat from the left side.
Bo Naylor - C - (Cleveland Guardians)
The Naylor brothers are expected to reunite this March, as Bo Naylor remains the nation’s top catching option for the second tournament in a row. While the 25-year-old catcher hit below the Mendoza Line (.195) in 2025, Naylor has above-average plate discipline and defence, plus, with prior experience with many of Canada’s top arms, Naylor is an invaluable asset in a short two-week tournament, easily making him the battery for Team Canada in 2026.
Tyler O’Neill - OF - (Baltimore Orioles)
O’Neill is one of Team Canada’s most fearsome bats. In 2024, he hit 31 homers for the Boston Red Sox, and in 2023, he delivered an incredible tournament performance for Team Canada, hitting for a .615 average with a 1.491 OPS.
An injury-ridden 2025 with the Orioles is the main question mark for the slugger eyeing his third WBC appearance. It is possible that, due to injury concerns, the team may block O’Neill from the tournament. However, if his health permits, his power and 8 years of MLB experience make him an X-factor for Canada.
Edouard Julien - 2B - (Minnesota Twins)
In the 2023 WBC, Julian was all the rage for Team Canada, leading the team with an incredible 1.821 OPS, two home runs, and 1.154 SLG. However, aside from his breakout performance in 2023, he has struggled to replicate the same success in the past two MLB seasons, accumulating -1.1 fWAR during that timeframe.
Julien looks like a lock to make the Team Canada roster, and returning to the tournament after his illustrious 2023 performance, expectations are sky-high for the young second baseman, who is looking to bounce back.
Created by Tristan Morgan
itching - Key Contributors
Historically, Team Canada’s biggest hurdle has been pitching. Since the inauguration of the World Baseball Classic in 2006, the team has posted an eye-popping 7.63 ERA, with their best performance in the tournament coming in 2009, when they pitched a 5.82 ERA, ranking eighth in the tournament. Despite this, in 2023, the team posted an 8.71 ERA, which ranked them 19th among the 20 teams in that regard.
However, three years have been good enough to flip the sights of Team Canada’s pitching staff completely, and they are facing the most significant rotation and bullpen in team history:
Jonah Tong - RHP - New York Mets
Tong represents the next wave of Canadian pitching talent and could emerge as one of the top arms to represent Canada this March. The right-hander has climbed the Mets prospect rankings since being drafted in the 2022 MLB Draft and now is eyeing a full-time starting role in the Mets rotation in 2026. Tong harnesses a fastball that plays well above its 95mph average, and in 113.2 IP at AA-Binghamton and AAA-Syracuse, pitched to a 1.43 ERA with 14K/9.
Tong would present significant upside to the rotation, stepping in as team ace if Nick Pivetta remains unlikely to compete due to his extended 2025 workload with the San Diego Padres.
Michael Soroka - RHP - Arizona Diamondbacks
Soroka is one of the most established names on the Team Canada pitching staff and remains a key piece in helping Canada advance out of pool play. The right-hander logged 89.2 innings during the 2025 MLB season, posting a 4.52 ERA with 95 strikeouts.
Once an All-Star early in his career, Soroka’s game is built on command. If available, he offers Canada a proven big-league arm capable of handling quality international lineups and providing stability at the front of the rotation.
Cal Quantrill - RHP - Texas Rangers
Quantrill is one of the headlining names heading into the 2026 WBC for Team Canada.
Since his WBC debut for Canada in 2023, Quantrill has continued to log innings at the major league level, surpassing 800 career MLB innings while bouncing around several major league clubs. Quantrill’s experience navigating full MLB lineups and Postseason moments positions him as a potential game-changer for the rotation, and the upcoming tournament offers a clear opportunity to provide the type of dependable innings that eluded him in his 2023 performance against Great Britain, pitching 0.2 innings and giving up 3 earned runs.
Mitch Bratt - LHP - Arizona Diamondbacks
In his second appearance at the World Baseball Classic, Mitch Bratt would provide Team Canada with a reliable starting option, particularly as Canada manages pitchers coming off limited Spring Training workloads. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ No. 9 prospect, Bratt, posted a 3.38 ERA over 122.1 innings in 2025, striking out 148 batters across AA-Amarillo and AAA-Reno.
Bratt was the youngest player (19) on Canada’s roster during the 2023 Classic, and he enters 2026 with considerably more experience. His ability to maintain a sub-1.20 WHIP and neutralize left-handed hitters makes him a strong candidate to slot in as a back-end starter.
Matt Brash - RHP - Seattle Mariners
Entering the 2023 tournament, Brash was still viewed as a young prospect with elite stuff, but he received only an inning of work. However, since then, he has firmly established himself with the Mariners, and his results have continued to improve.
During the 2025 season, Brash posted a 2.47 ERA over 47.1 innings, striking out 58 batters while operating primarily in a setup role. Built around one of the best sliders in the league, routinely hitting 17-20 inches of horizontal movement. Brash now offers Canada a proven, high-leverage option capable of closing games outright or bridging the gap from the eighth inning.
Jordan Romano RHP - Los Angeles Angels
At Romano’s peak with the Toronto Blue Jays, he was among MLB’s elite closers, earning All-Star selections in 2022 and 2023 and recording 36 saves in each season. However, a rough 2024 and 2025 seasons followed, carrying a 7.83 ERA in that time, and serious questions evolved surrounding how much he might have left in the tank. Adding Romano to Team Canada is a high-risk, high-reward move, but one worth taking.
Created by Tristan Morgan
Final Thoughts
For the first time in its World Baseball Classic history, Team Canada enters the tournament with a legitimate path to the quarterfinals and beyond, one that extends beyond their optimism. The combination of proven MLB hitters, a deeper pitching pool featuring more active big-league arms than ever before, and a favourable Pool A without dealing with the USA, Dominican Republic, or Japan positions Canada to challenge for a top-two finish in San Juan.
Puerto Rico remains the clear favourite in Pool A with superstars like Francisco Lindor, Edwin Diaz, and Nolan Arenado, plus the addition of home-field advantage. However, for the second position, Canada has the talent to separate itself from Panama, Colombia and Cuba over the course of pool play.
Much will hinge on health, as well as MLB club permissions, as Spring Training gets underway, but the foundation is in place for Canada to make a deep run. Unlike past editions that leaned heavily on a few stars, the 2026 roster projects to be much more balanced, capable of winning in multiple ways, and providing more competitive at-bats from 1 to 9. If Canada is to move beyond pool play, this tournament represents its strongest opportunity yet to do so and perhaps redefine the program’s standing on the international stage.
