2026 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers

The 2026 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers took place in February and March 2025, to determine the final four teams that would take part in the 2026 World Baseball Classic one year later. The qualifiers featured two pools of four teams, with the top two teams in each pool moving on to the main tournament.

Pool A took place at the Taipei Dome from February 21-25, 2025. It featured Chinese Taipei, Nicaragua South Africa and Spain. Pool B took place in Tucson, AZ from March 2-6 and featured Brazil, People's Republic of China, Colombia and Germany. All eight teams except for Germany had participated in the main tournament at least once in the past. It was the smallest qualifying tournament yet, as the prior ones had all featured 12 teams. Cut from the qualifiers were Argentina, France, New Zealand and Pakistan; France and New Zealand had taken part in all three prior qualifiers.

Nicaragua and Chinese Taipei emerged as the two teams qualified from Pool A, while Colombia and Brazil were the two teams who were successful in Pool B.

Qualifying Group A: February 21 to 25, 2025[edit]

In Taipei City: Spain, Nicaragua, South Africa, Chinese Taipei
- Venue: Taipei Dome
- Umpires: Evin Johnson (USA), Scott Costello (Canada), Ik-soo Kim (South Korea), Yoshiharu Yamaguchi (Japan), Ty Krauss (USA), Ben Phillips (USA), Mark Stewart Jr. (USA)

February 21[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
South Africa	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
Nicaragua	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	6	0
WP: Bryan Torres (1-0), LP: Dean Jacobs (0-1)
Home Runs: None Attendance: ??

South Africa nearly pulled off an upset. The game started with their Dylan Unsworth trading goose eggs with Ronald Medrano over the first four innings. In the 5th, singles from RF Brandon Bouillon, LF Joshua Wentzel and 2B Victor Ngoepe got South Africa their lone run; they would only have one hit the rest of the game, though. Jesús Garrido, Carlos Téller and Bryan Torres shut them out the remainder of the day.

Justin Erasmus followed Unsworth with scoreless work from the middle of the 5th through the 6th. In the 7th, he allowed a single to DH Emanuel Trujillo. Following a bunt, SS Freddy Zamora singled in the tying run. South Africa got two aboard in the 8th but failed to score. In the bottom of the 10th, 3B Elian Rayo bunted starting runner Trujillo to third. Dean Jacobs intentionally walked Zamora but backup C Ronald Rivera singled in the winning run.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Spain	2	0	2	0	6	2	0	0	0	12	15	1
Chinese Taipei	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2	5	11	0
WP: Elián Leyva (1-0), LP: Yu-Hung Chen (0-1)
Home Runs: ESP Gabriel Lino TPE Yu Chang Attendance: 35,325

The Venezuelans, Dominicans and Cubans representing Spain got their team off to a strong shot at making their first Classic in 13 years by routing the hosts and favorites. 3B Wander Encarnación, the 2023 European Championship MVP, had 3 hits and 3 runs, as did 1B Jesús Ustariz. DH Rusber Estrada drove in three and C Gabriel Lino homered. Ramón Rosso struck out 7 in 3 1/3 shutout innings of relief, allowing one hit. Five of Taiwan's first six hurlers allowed runs in a disappointing showing. 1B Nien-Ting Wu had three hits and SS Yu Chang had a two-run homer as bright spots for the home team.

February 22[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Spain	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	1
Nicaragua	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	6	0
WP: Yeris Gonzalez (1-0), LP: Rhiner Cruz (0-1)
Home Runs: NIC Brandon Leytón ESP Carlos Colmenarez Attendance: ??

Nicaragua again won a 10-inning, 2-1 contest, while Spain's offense falls significantly after their opening romp. 2B Brandon Leytón opened the scoring with a second-inning homer off Yoanner Negrín. Spain returned the favor in the third when their second baseman, Carlos Colmenarez, went yard against Kenword Burton.

In the 6th, Nicaragua threatened as CF Chase Dawson had a one-out double and PH Elián Miranda grounded him over. Yeudy García replaced Negrín but walked DH Benjamín Alegría, who stole second to put two men in scoring position. 3B Elian Rayo walked to load the bases but García retired SS Freddy Zamora to escape the jam.

JC Ramírez had thrown 2 1/3 shutout innings after relieving Burton, but Spain mounted a rally in the 8th. RF Andrés Angulo singled off Leo Crawford and was bunted over. Angel Obando replaced Crawford but walked 3B Wander Encarnación and 1B Jesús Ustariz. Obando recovered to strike out DH Rusber Estrada and SS Edison Valerio hit into a force.

Spain had another solid shot in the 9th. LF Frank Hernández singled and was bunted over, then Colmenarez was intentionally walked. After Obando walked Angulo, Yeris Gonzalez came in to pitch. He got Engel Beltre to ground into a rally-killing double play. In the bottom of the 10th, Rhiner Cruz got the first out and intentionally walked Dawson to make it first and second (with the starting runner aboard). He also walked Miranda (now playing 1B) then Alegría delivered the game-winning hit, scoring LF Juan Montes.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Chinese Taipei	0	0	2	2	0	1	2	0	2	9	14	0
South Africa	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	1
WP: Tzu-Chen Sha (1-0), LP: Damon King (0-1)
Home Runs: TPE Cheng-Jui Sung, Tsung-Hsien Lee Attendance: 35,868

A day after their opening rout, Taiwan bounced back. Tzu-Chen Sha started with 2 2/3 hitless innings and his bullpen kept up a strong pace. 2B Tzu-Wei Lin drew four walks, 1B/RF Po-Hsuan Wang had four hits and RF/CF Cheng-Jui Sung went 4-for-4, including an inside-the-park home run. South Africa's only run came when DH Brandon Smith drove in his brother, SS Tyler Smith.

February 23[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
South Africa	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	1
Spain	0	2	2	0	1	0	0	4	X	9	13	1
WP: Pablo Guillén (1-0), LP: Vince Deyzel (0-1)
Home Runs: ESP Rusber Estrada, Jesús Ustariz Attendance: 35,868

After their opening close game, South Africa is blown out in their second straight as they end their tourney. Eight different players scored for "Spain" with LF Frank Hernández going 3-for-3 and DH Rusber Estrada and 1B Jesús Ustariz both going deep. Pablo Guillén, Fernando Baez and actual Spaniard Jorge Balboa combine on a two-hitter, striking out ten. Just like yesterday, SS Tyler Smith gets South Africa's only run.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Nicaragua	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	6	12	0
Chinese Taipei	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	2
WP: Dilmer Mejía (1-0), LP: Shiang-Sheng Hsu (0-1)
Home Runs: None Attendance: 35,565

Nicaragua swept the pool to advance, allowing only two runs in their three games, while Taiwan would have a rematch with Spain for the other spot in the 2026 WBC. Dilmer Mejía, Leo Crawford, Jesús Garrido, Carlos Téller and Bryan Torres combined on the six-hit whitewash of the hosts, who again left the huge home crowd disappointed. SS Yu Chang had half their hits as a rare bright spot. 2B Brandon Leytón had three hits and CF Chase Dawson drove in three.

February 25[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Chinese Taipei	2	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	6	7	0
Spain	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	9	2
WP: Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang (1-0), LP: Ramón Rosso (0-1), SV: Jyun-Yue Tseng (1)
Home Runs: ESP Rusber Estrada (2) Attendance: 35,768

It was déjà vu for Spain; as in the prior qualifier, they lost in the finale to a team that they had routed in the round-robin - last time, the Czechs and this time, the host Taiwanese entry. Ramón Rosso had baffled Taiwan last time, but this time they had no problems with the Dominican hurler. 1B Po-Hsuan Wang singled and stole second then advanced on a one-out hit by CF Chieh-Hsien Chen. SS Yu Chang continued his hot performance with a RBI double and 3B Nien-Ting Wu grounded in Chen for a 2-0 edge. A's farmhand Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang had his own struggles in the first, allowing three hits - to CF Engel Beltre, 3B Wander Encarnación and DH Rusber Estrada - to cut the gap to one. RF Cheng-Jui Sung made a diving catch on SS Edison Valerio's liner to prevent it from being worse.

In the second, LF Wun-Jie Chen singled and was bunted over by C Shao-Hung Chiang. #9 hitter Sung singled and Wang drew a walk to load the bases. Rosso was lifted in favor of 2023 Qualifiers star Yeudy García. He walked 2B Tzu-Wei Lin on six pitches to force in a run and make it 3-1 but got the next two outs, striking out Chang with the bases loaded to end the inning. 2B Carlos Colmenarez opened the bottom of the inning with a hit and C Gabriel Lino got hit. LF Frank Hernández bunted them over and RF Andrés Angulo hit a sacrifice fly to again make it a one-run game, 3-2. Zhuang intentionally walked Beltre then retired Encarnación.

Things quieted down for a while as García threw three shutout innings and was matched by Zhuang and Jo-Hsi Hsu. Wun-Jie Chen singled to begin the 6th then stole. Chiang laid down a bunt and an error by Encarnación let in a run for a 4-2 Taiwanese lead. Sung also bunted and again Encarnación made a run-scoring error. In the bottom of the sixth, Estrada homered off Hsu to make it 5-3 but it would be the final run for Spain. They did challenge in the 7th. Encarnación drew a one-out walk from Hsu and Yi-Lei Sun relieved. He walked 1B Jesús Ustariz and Estrada singled for his third hit. Sun then whiffed both Valerio and Colmenarez to escape the jam.

In the 8th, Vicente Campos plunked Sung with one out. He stole, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a fly from Lin for the game's last run. Jyun-Yue Tseng closed it out in style, striking out the side in the 9th against Edgar Rondón, Ustariz and the red-hot Estrada.

Qualifying Group B: March 2 to 6, 2025[edit]

In Tucson, AZ: Brazil, People's Republic of China, Colombia, Germany
- Venue: Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium
- Umpires: Tanner Moore (USA), Alan Izaguirre (MEX), Harley Acosta (DOM), Alessandro Spera (ITA), Trevor Dannegger (USA), Casey James (USA), Wilfredo Montoya (NIC)

March 2[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
People's Republic of China	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	9	4
Germany	0	2	0	2	2	0	6	12	8	0
WP: Markus Solbach (1-0), LP: Alan Carter (0-1)
Home Runs: DEU Donald Lutz Attendance: ??

Germany started off with a strong win, the first mercy rule win of the qualifiers. 2B Simon Baumgardt scored three runs, 1B Donald Lutz reached every time up (including a two-run homer) and CF Lucas Dunn had two runs and two RBI. Markus Solbach and Jordan Martinson combined to hold China for two runs, both by CF Pei Liang, who had a three-hit day. China's hurlers issued ten walks.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brazil	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1
Colombia	0	1	1	0	0	2	1	0	x	5	10	1
WP: Julio Teherán (1-0), LP: Bo Takahashi (0-1)
Home Runs: None Attendance: 2,332

The pool favorites start off on a strong note. Julio Teherán allows only one hit in six shutout innings, walking none, and Ezequiel Zabaleta, Reiver Sanmartin and Pedro García complete the shutout. They are supported by a solid balanced offensive attack, with DH Dilson Herrera and CF Brayan Buelvas each reaching three times.

March 3[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brazil	0	0	0	4	0	1	2	1	1	9	9	1
Germany	0	0	0	1	1	0	3	2	0	7	7	1
WP: Enzo Sawayama (1-0), LP: Jaden Agassi (0-1), SV: Eric Pardinho (1)
Home Runs: None Attendance: 2,193

The two teams both went to 1-1 in the first close game of the pool. Germany threatened in the first when they loaded the bases against Enzo Sawayama but RF Yannic Walther flew out to end the inning. Through three, neither Sawayama nor Tommy Sommer had yielded a run. In the 4th, the scoring began and it kept up from there. After 12 scoreless innings in these qualifiers, the 13th was not unlucky for Brazil. After Jaden Agassi replaced Sommer, DH Gabriel Gomes walked and RF Lucas Ramirez singled him to third. Agassi lobbed a wild pitch to score Gomes then walked 3B Leonardo Reginatto. 1B Dante Bichette Jr., like Agassi the son of a famous father, hit into a force. Agassi served up a RBI double to 2B Lucas Rojo and LF Victor Mascai singled in a pair.

Germany got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Sawayama hit 1B Donald Lutz with one out and issued two-out walks to SS Alex Schmidt and 3B Eric Brenk. Oscar Nakaoshi replaced the wild Sawayama and was just as erratic, walking LF Lou Helmig to force in Lutz. Brazil's pitchers walked 11, hit two and threw a wild pitch today, meaning their offense had to contribute a lot.

In the 5th, 2B Simon Baumgardt had a leadoff single and Walther had a one-out single. Nakaoshi walked C Vincent Ahrens with two away. Tiago Da Silva, 24 years after his Brazilian team debut, relieved and kept up the wild streak, walking Schmidt to make it 4-2; both German runs had scored on bases-loaded walks so far. The next inning, Brazil made up the run as Bichette doubled off Sven Schüller, who then made an error on a Rojo bunt. Mascai hit into a run-scoring double play for a 5-2 lead. Gomes, Ramirez and Reginatto hit back-to-back-to-back doubles off countrymate Christian Pedrol in the 7th to make it 7-2.

Germany closed the gap in the bottom of the 7th. Simon Bäumer had a pinch-hit single off Da Silva and Walther hit into an error by Reginatto. Lutz greeted reliever Hugo Kanabushi with a RBI double and Ahrens grounded in another for a 7-4 game. Schmidt's sac fly put it at 7-5; only one of Germany's five runs so far had scored on a hit!

Mascai began the 8th with a double off Sascha Koch but was injured and had to leave the game. C Gabriel Do Carmo grounded over PR Daniel Yonemura and he scored on a grounder by CF Gabriel Maciel. Germany came right back in the bottom of the 8th. Helmig's double chased Kanabushi in favor of Eric Pardinho. He walked CF Lucas Dunn then got two outs. Control again plagued Brazil as he walked RF Finn Bergmann, Lutz and Ahrens to close it to 8-7. The combination of Brazilian wildness and German plate discipline had led to four bases-loaded walks! Schmidt lined out to end the inning, though.

In the 9th, Nick Wittgren walked Gomes, who advanced on a grounder. He then left for PR Tiago Nishiyama, who raced home on a Reginatto single. Pardinho had a rare 1-2-3 inning today to wrap up the game, getting Brenk, Helmig and Dunn to save a wild game.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Colombia	0	3	0	2	2	0	1	0	0	8	11	1
People's Republic of China	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1
WP: Rio Gomez (1-0), LP: Haizheng Wu (0-1)
Home Runs: COL Jesús Marriaga Attendance: 1,259

Colombia again pulled off a rout, China again got routed. 2B Michael Arroyo reached three of four times and produced three runs, while RF Jesús Marriaga drove in four. Víctor Vargas, Jean Herrera, David Lorduy and Carlos Ocampo ended the game with six shutout innings, allowing only one hit. 2B Tianyuan Hu has two of China's three hits.

March 4[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
People's Republic of China	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	4	2
Brazil	6	2	3	0	0	0	1	12	15	0
WP: Pedro Lemos (1-0), LP: Xiang Wang (0-1)
Home Runs: None Attendance: 3,566

After having competed in the first five Classics, China was wiped out in this year's qualifiers, getting swept and taking mercy rule losses in two of those three games. 2B Lucas Rojo had four hits and four runs produced, RF Victor Mascai drove in three and SS Vítor Ito had three hits. Xiang Wang failed to retire any of the six batters he faced. A triple by C Shuai Wang was the brightest spot for China.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Germany	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2
Colombia	5	0	2	2	0	0	1	10	15	0
WP: Adrián Almeida (1-0), LP: Mark Harrison (0-1)
Home Runs: None Attendance: 2,137

Unlike China, Colombia retained its spot in the WBC by sweeping the field. DH Dilson Herrera went 4-for-4 and CF Brayan Buelvas drove in three. Adrián Almeida, Luis Escobar, Danis Correa, Yapson Gómez and Ezequiel Zabaleta combined on the four-hitter. CF Lucas Dunn and 1B Simon Bäumer each had two hits, while their teammates had zero.

March 6[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Germany	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	4	8	1
Brazil	2	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	x	6	9	1
WP: Pedro Lemos (2-0), LP: Niklas Rimmel (0-1), SV: Murilo Gouvêa (1)
Home Runs: None Attendance: 2,247

The only close match of this pool repeated in the finale, with Brazil again prevailing by two runs over Germany. That made teams from the Americans 8-1 in this year's qualifiers, with the only loss coming when two such teams squared off, making teams from the Americas 7-0 against everyone else. 3B Eric Brenk opened with a hit off Tiago Da Silva, the first of his three hits today, and advanced on a grounder by LF Lou Helmig. With two away, 2B Simon Baumgardt singled in Brenk. The lead was short-lived - in the bottom of the first, LF Gabriel Gomes singled off Niklas Rimmel and advanced to third on a hit by RF Lucas Ramirez then scored on a grounder by 3B Leonardo Reginatto. 1B Dante Bichette Jr. singled home Ramirez; like Brenk, he had a three-hit day.

In the third, Helmig hit into a three-base error by Gomes with one out. CF Lucas Dunn brought him in with a sacrifice fly to tie it, then Pedro Lemos replaced Da Silva. He let the next two on but escaped the inning; he would get the win despite retiring only one batter. With two away in the bottom of the third, Reginatto doubled and Bichette singled him in. 2B Lucas Rojo tripled for a 4-2 lead, chasing Rimmel in favor of Tommy Sommer Sommer uncorked a wild pitch and Brazil now led, 5-2. They made it 6-2 in the 4th when C Gabriel Do Carmo drew a walk and later came around on a Ramirez single. Nick Wittgren silenced Brazil's bats over the final four innings, but the damage had been done.

SS Alex Schmidt opened the 7th with a hit off Oscar Nakaoshi, who had pitched scoreless ball from the 4th through the 6th. Brenk doubled in a run and advanced on a Helmig grounder. Daniel Matsumoto summoned Murilo Gouvêa, who got Dunn on a run-scoring grounder to close the gap to 6-4. He faced the minimum over the next two innings to save the win. Reginatto had played in all four WBC qualifiers to date and had hit .500 in them, with a record 26 hits!

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