Japan seems to have already passed the group qualifying round for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Will Korea be able to pass the group qualifying round for the upcoming World Baseball Classic event and board a plane bound for the U.S..메이저사이트
“Will the team play the Dominican Republic or Venezuela in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the upcoming 2026 WBC competition? And will it face the U.S. again in the final?” Japanese media The Digest reported recently. “However, the Japanese national team’s victory must have become more difficult.”
A total of 20 countries will participate in the 2026 WBC competition. They are divided into groups A, B, C, and D of five countries each. Korea belongs to Group C along with Japan, the Czech Republic, and Australia. Additional countries that will pass the preliminary rounds will be added.
Once they rank within the top two in the preliminary round of Group C, they can advance to the second round (the quarterfinals) in the U.S. The second round will be held at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida, and Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The semifinal and final rounds of the championship will be held at Rondipo Park.
If Korean and Japanese teams from Group C advance to the quarterfinals, they will face off against the teams from Group D. The top-ranked team in Group C will face off against the second-ranked team in Group D, while the second-ranked team in Group C will face off against the first-ranked team in Group D. Strong teams from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, and Israel belong to Group D. Like Group C, a team that passed the preliminary rounds will join the team to compete for their own achievements.
“The Dominican Republic and Venezuela are strong teams that produce many major league superstars,” The Digest said. “In the Dominican Republic, Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), Elie de la Cruz (Cincinnati Reds), Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks), Rafael Devers (Boston Red Sox), and Teoscar Hernandez (LA Dodgers) are playing. There are also talented players in Venezuela, including Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves), who recorded his first 40 home runs and 70 steals last year, Jose Altuve (Houston Astros), Luis Arraez (San Diego Padres), William Contreras (Miladelphia Brewers), and Pablo Lopez (Minnesota Twins).”
“If we pass the group qualifying round, we will face these two teams (Dominica Republic or Venezuela) in the quarterfinals or semifinals,” the media said. “In the meantime, Japan has always been able to play in a blessed group. Strong teams such as the United States, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and Puerto Rico played the first round unconditionally at venues in the U.S. and Latin America. On the other hand, other countries participated in Asia, most of which were below Japan. In the last tournament, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico gathered in Group D, and the Dominican Republic was eliminated early at that time.”
Indeed, Japan was able to advance to the semifinals thanks to home ground spectators’ ardent support through the quarterfinals in Tokyo. Moreover, Japan was not facing the Latin American powerhouses mentioned earlier. However, the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and finals will all be held in the U.S. starting from the 2026 WBC competition. He is also more likely to encounter a strong team directly from the quarterfinals. “For Japan, the road to victory must have become more difficult,” the Japanese media said. “However, as the number of strong teams increases, both the WBC competition and Japanese baseball will develop further. If Japan wins the semifinals and the U.S. again in the final, Japanese baseball officials and fans will feel a sense of accomplishment from winning three previous competitions.”
Meanwhile, Group A includes Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada and Panama, while Group B includes the U.S., Mexico, Italy and the U.K. In addition, there will be one more team to pass the preliminary round in each group.