Category: Baseball

Team USA was able to hold off Canada to reach the World Baseball Classic semifinals, and now Aaron Judge and Co. will take on the hard-hitting Dominican Republic – a squad that cannot stop launching dingers. 

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A big-time semifinal clash in Miami awaits us on Sunday between two tournament favorites.

But before we get to that, let’s recap Friday’s quarterfinals action at the World Baseball Classic. 

Dominican Republic Dominates Korea To Reach Semis

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The Dominican Republic is on a mission at the World Baseball Classic. And it’s happening via the long ball.

With Friday’s 10-0 rout of Korea, the Dominicans are 5-0 in the tournament. They have outscored opponents 51-10 while batting .312 and with 14 homers, which ties the WBC record set by Mexico in 2009.

Austin Wells hit a walk-off three-run homer in the seventh inning that ended the game under a tournament rout rule. Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in two runs and has 11 RBIs in the tournament. He is tied for third in a single WBC, trailing only Masataka Yoshida’s 13 for Japan in 2023 and Wladimir Balentien’s 12 for the Netherlands in 2017.

Backed by three runs in the second inning and four in the third, winner Christopher Sánchez struck out eight in five innings of two-hit ball.

USA Outlasts Canada To Reach Semifinals

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Team USA keeps playing with fire, but they’re at least in the semifinals thanks to a win over Canada in Houston. 

Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper scored on an error in the third inning, which was followed by a two-run inning in the sixth thanks to back-to-back singles by Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong. 

The Canadians responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, which included a two-shot by Bo Naylor. Canada had the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning, but David Bednar escaped the jam and the United States closed with win with Mason Miller.

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

What’s better than watching baseball? Watching baseball and winning money!

You can partake in the best of both worlds while watching the MLB World Series this weekend with our free-to-play FOX Super 6 game.

How do you play? Enter the World Baseball Classic Super 6 contest by predicting the correct answers to six questions before the games start for your chance at weekly cash prizes. 

All you have to do is finish in the top six to win a prize.

It really is that simple, and again, it’s free.

And if you need a little help before heading to the app to make your picks, we have you covered this week.

Read below for our thoughts on the playoffs, which can be seen on FOX and the FOX Sports app.

Let’s dive into the questions and predictions below.

1. Which player will score the MOST RUNS in the Knockout Stage?

Fernando Tatís Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Seiya Suzuki, Roman Anthony

Acuña leads the tournament with eight runs scored, batting .308 with four hits and a home run. Venezuela takes on Japan in the quarterfinal which should be a good test for the five-time All-Star, but we’ll go with the hot hand here. Team Japan has also yet to face a team like Venezuela, having gone 4-0 in Pool C against South Korea, Australia, Chinese Taipei, and Czechia. 

Prediction: Ronald Acuña Jr.

2. Rank the players by who will have the MOST HITS in the Knockout Stage (highest to lowest):

Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Luis Arráez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

While Arráez leads this group with seven hits through the first four games of pool play, Ohtani and Guerrero Jr. aren’t far off with five and six, respectively. Judge has four hits in sixteen at-bats, but he should get it going against Canada in the quarterfinals. Expect the stars to shine when it matters most.  

Prediction: Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Aaron Judge, Luis Arráez

3. Which player will have the MOST RBI in the Knockout Stage?

Kyle Schwarber, Matsaka Yoshida, Junior Caminero, Vinnie Pasquantino

Despite only having four RBI in pool play, it’s tough to pick against Schwarber. He led MLB this past season with 132 RBI to his name, and was also the only player to eclipse the 130 mark. Vinnie Pasquantino is also a solid choice here, as he had 113 this past season— good for sixth-best among all players in the league.

Prediction: Kyle Schwarber

4. How many RUNS WILL BE SCORED in the WBC Championship Game?

0-13+, 0-10, 0-7, 0-4
4-7, 7-10, 10-13+
7-10, 10-13+

Three of the five WBC Championship games all-time exceeded eight total runs, and four of them exceeded five. The only final that saw less than five runs was the 2013 edition in which the Dominican Republic beat Puerto Rico 3-0. This game should see at least five runs. 

Prediction: 4-7

5. Which trio of players includes the 2026 World Baseball Classic MVP?

Judge, Schwarber, Witt Jr.
Guerrero Jr., Soto, Tatís Jr.
Ohtani, Yoshida, Suzuki
None of the above

This pick depends on who you think will win it all. Assuming the DR and USA each take care of business in the quarterfinals, the winner of that heavyweight matchup in the semis will likely win it all. Team Dominican Republic has looked incredibly sharp all tournament, going 4-0 in pool play behind the likes of superstars Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatís Jr.

Prediction: Guerrero Jr., Soto, Tatís Jr.

6. Which pitching staff will have the MOST STRIKEOUTS in the Knockout Stage?

USA, Japan, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico 

Because we have the DR taking it home, they’ll end up playing in the most games which would likely result in them having the most strikeouts of any team on that side of the bracket. On the other side, Japan is the favorite to advance to the final. We’ll go with the DR again, as they boast the likes of aces Cristopher Sánchez and Sandy Alcantara.

Prediction: Dominican Republic

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

DAIKIN PARK (Houston) – Team USA has kept its hopes of avenging that loss to Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic Championship Game. It has work to do to get back to that point, though, starting against a Canada team that has a different defeat to avenge. 

Tonight’s WBC quarterfinals bout at the home of the Houston Astros will be the latest round of the countries’ sports rivalry that saw the USA beat Canada in both the Olympic gold-medal men’s and women’s hockey games last month.

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“I think it would be great to avenge it,” said Team Canada baseball manager Ernie Whitt. 

“Obviously, we’re all aware of it,” added Team Canada starting pitcher Michael Soroka. “We all took a lot (of flak) in the clubhouses during that game, the day after especially, and it would be nice. But, again, we’re not chasing results. We’re not chasing a story. We’re just going to go out there and play our brand of baseball and let everything fall as they may.”

Canada will be heading into Friday’s game after advancing into the WBC quarterfinals for the first time in the country’s history. The U.S. meanwhile, will be trying to demonstrate that its last game was just a blip. 

Team USA’s loaded roster nearly didn’t make it out of pool play after losing to Team Italy, but that same Italian club also pushed the U.S. through to the next round by taking care of Mexico in its final game of Pool B. 

“Hats off to them,” said USA manager Mark DeRosa about Italy. “They bailed us out.” 

Team USA’s coaching staff watched that Italy-Mexico game from pitching coach Andy Pettitte’s house in Houston, while many of the players gathered in a conference room in the hotel. An early onslaught by Italy led to high-fives and fist-bumps, giving the U.S. “a new lease on life,” as DeRosa described it. 

If that’s not motivation enough, Team USA also received a message from Team USA hockey hero Jack Hughes, who tried to fire the group up. 

Now, the U.S. has to take advantage. 

“Not the situation we wanted to be in,” said Team USA pitcher Logan Webb, who is slated to start the quarterfinal game against Soroka. “But here we are, on to Canada. And we got three more to win.” 

Webb will be making his second start of the WBC after allowing one run and striking out six over four innings in USA’s opener against Brazil. This time, the bullpen behind him will take on a different look. 

Roster changes are afoot for USA’s pitching staff. Relievers Will Vest, Tyler Rogers and Tim Hill will be joining the team in place of Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Wacha and Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who made one start for Team USA before returning to Detroit. 

In addition, pitching duo Matthew Boyd and Clay Holmes are both expected to return to the Cubs and Mets, respectively, as they build up for the season. Neither was slated to be a starter in the tournament, and DeRosa couldn’t guarantee them innings the way he could in pool play. 

“Trying to weave our way through it from a pitching standpoint, all bets are off now,” DeRosa said. 

Following the quarterfinals, Twins All-Star Joe Ryan is expected to sub in for Clayton Kershaw and is lined up to pitch at some point along with Nolan McLean, should the U.S. reach the final.

Canada has not beaten the U.S. in the WBC in 20 years, but the memories of that 2006 victory are still at the forefront. 

“What I remember is the highlights that they play every year at the Baseball Canada banquet,” Soroka said. “I get to see those over and over again, and they don’t get old.” 

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

We are less than one week away from Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season, and today I would like to focus on the Los Angeles Dodgers from a betting perspective. 

According to some, they are the team that is ruining baseball, while many others commend them for being fully invested in fielding the best team possible. 

After winning two straight World Series titles, the Dodgers still viewed this offseason as a chance to improve, adding four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker via free agency. 

As the Dodgers attempt to become the first MLB team to 3-peat since the 1998-2000 Yankees, oddsmakers have set the win total for the defending champs at 103.5.

As loaded as the Dodgers are, winning 104 games is a lofty proposition. 

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Going 93-69 last season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed in interviews this winter that the team was essentially pacing itself in the 2025 regular season. Starting pitchers Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have all battled arm issues in the past, so Roberts and the Dodgers prioritized doing whatever was necessary to have them healthy for October.

That strategy yielded L.A. a championship last season, so I expect it to have a similar approach in 2026. While the Dodgers are stacked with talent and are the rightful favorites to win yet another World Series, it’s worth mentioning that future Hall of Famers Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts will turn 37 and 34, respectively, by the end of the season. 

For those that assume it’s inevitable that the Dodgers will have another parade come the fall, keep in mind they were on the right side of a miraculous Game 7 finish in last year’s Fall Classic in Toronto. Also, in 2024, they trailed in the NLDS 2-1, staving off elimination twice to eliminate the Padres. 

Yes, the Dodgers are awesome, and betting the Under on their win total might not be a fun way to spend your summer. But, with an approach that’s geared more toward winning games in October rather than June or July, the play here is Under.

PICK: Dodgers Under 103.5 Regular-Season Wins

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Would you rather win the World Baseball Classic or the World Series? For Seattle Mariners and Dominican Republic star Julio Rodriguez, it’s a simple answer.

“Being honest, I love the Mariners. They know I give my best for them every single time that I step on the field, but winning the World Baseball Classic would be top of the list,” Rodriguez said in an interview on “Foul Territory” when asked whether he’d prefer to win the World Baseball Classic or the World Series.

“This is for my country; this is for my town; this is for my people, my neighborhood, everybody in the Dominican Republic, so I would say winning the World Baseball Classic would be No. 1.”

Rodriguez, an All-Star in three of his first four seasons with the Mariners, is currently playing for the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Across 11 at-bats, Rodriguez has totaled one home run and three RBIs, while posting a .273/.385/.545 slash line.

– ‘Like A Big Family:’ J-Rod Talks Love For Team D.R.

Rodriguez and the Dominican Republic finished first in Pool D at 4-0 and will now face off against the Republic of Korea in the quarterfinal round of the tournament on Friday afternoon (6:30 p.m. ET on FS2 and the FOX Sports app).

As for his MLB team, Rodriguez and the Mariners are coming off both their first AL West division title and AL Championship Series appearance since 2001. Granted, Seattle blew a 2-0 series lead and then a 3-2 lead to the Toronto Blue Jays.

In the regular season, Rodriguez, a two-time Silver Slugger, totaled 32 home runs, 95 RBIs, 30 stolen bases and a career-high 6.8 wins above replacement, while posting a .267/.324/.474 slash line. He posted nine defensive runs saved in center field. Then, in the postseason, Rodriguez hit four home runs.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

It’s not surprising to see Japan and the Dominican Republic emerge from World Baseball Classic pool play undefeated. The third unbeaten squad, though? It’s not who anyone would’ve expected. 

The 20-team field is down to eight, and while pool play didn’t go the way Team USA would’ve envisioned, the dream team survived thanks to Italy’s extraordinary 4-0 run through Pool B. Now, the top four favorites from our initial World Baseball Classic power rankings still remain standing, but Italy looks capable of taking any team down. 

Before the quarterfinals begin Friday night in Houston and Miami, here are the countries still vying for a championship — ranked from eight to one — along with a player to watch and an X-factor for every team. 

– WBC Standings, Bracket, Schedule: How To Watch

8. Korea (2-2, Pool C Runners-Up)

This is already a step forward for Korea, which failed to advance out of the first round of the last three tournaments. But this is also the only team in the tournament with multiple losses. Korea moved on over Australia and Chinese Taipei, who were also 2-2, due to tiebreaker rules. Every run mattered in a 7-2 Korea victory over Australia in a tense finish to the pool. A much tougher test awaits against the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinal. Considering Korea’s best attribute is its hitting — not a pitching staff that has a 4.50 ERA this WBC (and tallied a 7.55 ERA in the last one) — a tall task awaits against one of the scariest lineups in the tournament. 

Player to Watch: Do Yeong Kim 

Kim only has four hits in the tournament, but he has made them count. The 2024 KBO MVP hit a go-ahead two-run home run against Chinese Taipei (and later tied the game in the eighth with an RBI double in a game Korea ultimately lost in extra innings) and contributed an RBI single in the Australia win. There are MLB players on this roster, but both Kim — who became the youngest player in KBO history two years ago to join the 30-30 club as just 20 years old — and reigning KBO Rookie of the Year Hyun Min Ahn, whose sacrifice fly against Australia made the difference in advancing, also bring a lot of firepower to this lineup. 

X-factor: Bo Gyeong Moon 

The 25-year-old KBO slugger hit more than 20 home runs each of the last two seasons and has been the team’s top hitter this tournament. He knocked in four runs in the deciding game against Australia and leads all players in the WBC with 11 RBI. 

7. Canada (3-1, Pool A Winners)

Canada has advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in the country’s history and has an argument to be one spot ahead here, especially considering its victory against Puerto Rico in Pool A. But a cruel reward awaits for its pool-play success with a date against Logan Webb and Team USA. Will Canada avenge its Winter Olympic gold-medal hockey losses on the diamond? It won’t be easy, but every player in the lineup has big-league experience and the pitching staff has allowed just six earned runs in the tournament. 

Player to Watch: Owen Caissie

The Canada lineup features a 2024 All-Star in Josh Naylor among many MLB veterans, but one of the stars of the show is still making his name. Owen Caissie, Miami’s top position player prospect, is 7-for-14 with three doubles and a home run. He started and ended the scoring in the game against Cuba that sent Canada through to the quarterfinals by knocking in two runs. 

X-factor: Michael Soroka

One former MLB All-Star already shut down the U.S. roster, when Team Italy’s Michael Lorenzen fired 4.2 scoreless innings in an upset win. Will Soroka make it a second? The 2019 All-Star allowed one run in three innings in a win against Colombia earlier in the tournament, and Canada will surely need Soroka to give the club length against USA’s lineup if it wants a chance of advancing. 

6. Puerto Rico (3-1, Pool A Runners-Up)

The home-field advantage is gone as the club travels from San Juan to Houston. Puerto Rico didn’t win its pool, but it did put on a show for its fans, particularly with a 10-inning walk-off victory against Panama that provided one of the most memorable highlights of the tournament. The insurance issues hit this country hard, particularly on the offensive side. The team is batting just .211 with one home run in the tournament, but Puerto Rico’s pitchers have the lowest ERA in the WBC (1.22). 

Player to Watch: Nolan Arenado

He has made some fantastic plays in the field this tournament. He had a slow start to the tournament offensively, but perhaps his 3-for-4 day against Canada will get him going. 

X-factor: Darell Hernaiz 

With no Francisco Lindor or Carlos Correa, Puerto Rico needed another infielder to step up. Enter Hernaiz, who took advantage of the opportunity. It was Hernaiz’s walk-off homer that sent Hiram Bithorn Stadium into a frenzy. Does he have more magic in his bat? 

5. Italy (4-0, Pool B Winners)

This team is the story of the tournament. In a pool that included the best U.S. team ever assembled and a Mexico squad that nearly made it to the 2023 finals, it was Italy that emerged undefeated. The young squad, composed primarily of prospects and recent MLB call-ups, has the country believing. 

Player to Watch: Vinnie Pasquantino

Pasquantino is the heart and soul of this squad. The captain played a vital role in recruiting the players on the roster, and while his value primarily came from his leadership and defense through the first three games of the tournament, the Royals slugger finally broke out against Mexico with the first three-homer game in WBC history (and his life). 

X-factor: Dante Nori 

On any night, any number of prospects on this team can carry the offense. But the best hitter of that group so far has been Nori, the Phillies’ 2024 first-round pick, who’s 6-for-12 with two homers and a double to start the tournament. That offensive production will be all the more important with standout catcher Kyle Teel out for the rest of the tournament with a hamstring injury. 

4. Venezuela (3-1, Pool D Runners-Up)

Venezuela already punched its ticket to the quarterfinals before its final pool-play game against the Dominican Republic, but that game still had major implications. Because Venezuela lost that game — despite a spirited ninth-inning charge — it finished as the runner-up of Pool D, which means a meeting against Japan and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto awaits. Can Venezuela’s high-powered offense knock off the reigning champs? It certainly has a chance, even though the country has only advanced to the semifinals once before.

Player to Watch: Luis Arraez 

On a team featuring Ronald Acuña Jr., William and Willson Contreras and 2025 All-Star Maikel Garcia, it’s hard to imagine another player rising to the top. But that’s what Arraez has done this tournament — not only with his bat-to-ball skills but also surprisingly with his power. He leads all players in the WBC with six extra-base hits after starting the tournament 7-for-14 with two home runs, four doubles and nine RBI. 

X-factor: Jackson Chourio

After getting hit in the hand by a pitch during an exhibition, Chourio missed Venezuela’s first two games. He hasn’t gotten his bat going in the two games since returning, but the precocious Brewers outfielder — who just turned 22 on Wednesday — has been a 20-20 hitter each of his first two big-league seasons and could get going at any point. If he does, that could be the difference. 

3. Japan (4-0, Pool C Winners)

Japan went undefeated through pool play, as expected. But the three-time champs didn’t exactly bulldoze their way to this point, eking out an 8-6 win against Korea in the late innings and barely surviving a 4-3 victory against Australia. Still, Samurai Japan ranks in the top three in both OPS and ERA in this WBC — showcasing the talent both in the lineup and pitching staff — and remains the king of international competition until proven otherwise. 

Player to Watch: Shohei Ohtani

There won’t be an Ohtani vs. Trout teammate-on-teammate matchup to end this WBC. Ohtani is only hitting during this competition, and boy, has he. The four-time MVP put on a show in the Tokyo Dome, starting the tournament 5-for-9 with two homers and a double, and he tends to rise to these sorts of occasions. 

X-factor: Masataka Yoshida 

On a team with Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and NPB Central League MVP Teruaki Sato, who leads the group so far in hits? That would be Yoshida, who’s 6-for-12 with two home runs. Yoshida was a below league-average hitter last year for the Red Sox, but he excelled in the 2023 WBC, and he’s doing so again — an encouraging sign for both Boston and Japan’s unrelenting lineup. 

2. Dominican Republic (Pool D Winners, 4-0)

There’s a strong argument to be made that Team D.R. should be the favorites. Three years ago, it was a massive disappointment when a loaded Dominican roster somehow failed to advance out of pool play, but this group looks more motivated and cohesive, and the 4-0 record so far is evidence. The Dominican players seem to be having a blast — quite literally. Eight different players in the lineup have already homered (often epically), and five have gone deep multiple times. The offense leads all teams in the WBC in runs, home runs and every slash-line category. When this lineup is clicking, there isn’t one better, and it’s hard to envision Korea’s pitchers holding it down. This group has a real shot to win the tournament for the first time since 2013. 

Player to Watch: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.? Juan Soto? Fernando Tatis? 

I mean, take your pick here. They’re all destroying the baseball. The trio of superstars have combined to hit .425 with six home runs. Against Venezuela in the Dominican Republic’s toughest test so far, Soto started the scoring with a homer in the first. Kete Marte and Guerrero followed with homers in the third. Tatis broke the game open with a three-run shot in the fourth. There’s nowhere for opposing pitchers to breathe. 

X-factor: Junior Caminero 

On a team full of Dominican luminaries, this feels like the official arrival of Caminero as one of the dudes. The 22-year-old’s earth-shattering home runs — and electric reactions — aren’t to be missed. The two he has launched this tournament both left his bat at more than 111 mph and traveled more than 400 feet. He seems built for this spotlight. 

1. USA (3-1, Pool B Runners-Up)

Considering the U.S. nearly didn’t even make it to the final round of eight, it’s fair to wonder if this dream team of All-Stars, MVPs and Cy Young Award winners is still worthy of the top spot. Even as it stormed its way through the first three games of the tournament, there were some surprising stretches of ineffectiveness for both the juggernaut offense and the electric arms on the most gifted baseball roster ever assembled. Still, this roster is just too talented to put anywhere else. If the U.S. can rebound from here and finish the job — as it was built to do — the stunning pool-play loss to Italy and the near exit that followed will just be a footnote in its WBC story. 

Player to Watch: Aaron Judge 

For all the boppers on this roster, the three-time MVP is the captain for a reason. Two of Judge’s four hits this tournament have left the yard, including a two-run shot that started the scoring in a crucial victory against Mexico, and his arm in right field has made a difference. He could have been the hero against Italy, too, but he struck out to end the game while representing the tying run. Now, how will he rally the troops and respond? 

X-factor: Brice Turang 

On a team filled with All-Stars and more decorated hitters, Turang has been a standout. The 2024 National League Platinum Glove Award winner is primarily on the roster for his defense, but he leads the team with four doubles and has an OPS over 1.000 in the tournament. Another name to watch is Twins starter Joe Ryan, who isn’t on the roster yet but is expected to join Team USA after the quarterfinal and would be lined up to make his WBC debut in the championship game.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Team USA needed some help, but the star-studded lineup led by Yankees superstar Aaron Judge and Pirates ace Paul Skenes can turn their attention to the quarterfinals at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.  

The USA finished as Pool B runner-up after a shocking loss to Italy. Prior to that defeat, the USA had defeated Brazil, dominated Great Britain, and got past Mexico. It now comes to Saturday’s quarterfinal game against Pool A winners Canada at Daikin Park, home of MLB‘s Houston Astros. 

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The game will be Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. 

How to Watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic

FOX is your exclusive home to the WBC with games spread across the FOX family of networks. 

FOX will have two quarterfinals games and the World Baseball Classic Championship Game on Tuesday, March 17 from Miami’s loanDepot Park. There will be one quarterfinal and two semifinals on FS1, with FS2 airing one quarterfinal game.  All games will be available for streaming on the FOX Sports app and FOX One. Catch the action on the following streaming options:

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• FOXSports.com and FOX Sports app
• FOX One

Canada vs. USA: Starting Pitchers

San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb is expected to start against the Canadians on Friday. In his first start against Brazil, Webb (1-0, 2.25 ERA) had four innings of shutout work, while striking out six and giving up just one hit and one walk.

The Canadians will likely go with Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Micheal Soroka, who is 1-0 with two strikeouts. Soroka earned the win against Colombia.

Canada vs. USA: Starting Lineups

The teams have not officially announced their lineups for Saturday’s game. For Team USA, Aaron Judge and Pete Crow-Armstrong both have two home runs so far. Roman Anthony leads the team with six RBI, with Judge and Crow-Armstrong with five each. Kyle Scwharber leads the team with six hits at the tournament. 

Canada’s offensive leaders have been Owen Caissie and Abraham Toro. Each has seven hits and five RBI each. 

WBC Schedule

Friday, March 13

• Korea vs. Dominican Republic (6:30 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FS2)
• USA vs. Canada (8 p.m., Daikin Park in Houston on FOX)

Saturday, March 14

• Puerto Rico vs. Italy (3 p.m., Daikin Park in Houston on FS1)
• Venezuela vs. Japan (9 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FOX)

Semifinals

Sunday, March 15

• QF 1 winner vs. QF 2 winner (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FS1)

Monday, March 16

• QF 3 winner vs. QF 4 winner (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FS1)

Final

Tuesday, March 17

• SF 1 winner vs. SF2 winner (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FOX)

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

DAIKIN PARK (Houston) – Months before he was distributing espresso shots and cheek-kisses to home-run hitters in the dugout and handing out bottles of wine to the players on the best team in Italy’s baseball history, Vinnie Pasquantino was bored on Thanksgiving. 

So, the country’s best baseball recruiter used the holiday to reach out to prospective players, as he had done for much of the year after committing to the team for the World Baseball Classic in early 2025. 

“It was kind of messed up thinking about it, but… I didn’t have a whole lot going on, and I was like, ‘Oh, this would be a good day to hit everybody’s Instagram DMs,’” Pasquantino recalled to reporters.  “So, there was a lot of DM’ing that day. That’s when the WhatsApp was created for the group. It’s been a lot of fun trying to help create this team.”

The seeds were being planted for what would become the WBC’s improbable juggernaut, a group consisting primarily of prospects and novice MLB players who quickly blossomed into the tournament’s success story by stunning much more experienced and decorated rosters along the way with their own distinctive panache. 

The Italians left the best U.S. roster ever assembled dumbfounded in an upset victory on Tuesday. One night later, they bulldozed a Mexico squad that nearly made it to the WBC finals three years ago. That capped the Azzurri’s perfect 4-0 start to the competition to win Pool B and advance to the quarterfinals. 

“I’m, like, weirdly emotional tonight, to the point I’m thinking about crying,” Pasquantino said in his postgame press conference after his three-homer performance over Mexico helped send Italy through to the next round, “which is funny for a tournament in March.”

Really, though, this represented so much more than normal March baseball for the team’s captain, who was so moved by his experience playing for Italy in 2023 — and his trip to the country before that WBC — that he spent the better part of the last year doing whatever he could to help the Italian Baseball Federation field the best roster imaginable for this tournament. The near-catharsis was the culmination of all the effort that led into Wednesday night. 

“I committed in what would have been spring of last year, right at the beginning of spring training, letting them know that I was in,” Pasquantino told me before Italy’s win over Mexico. “From there, it was, ‘All right, who do we need to go get? Send me phone numbers. I’ll make cold calls, whatever I need to do.”

After receiving a target list of players to call from Italy’s coaches and staff, the Royals’ gregarious first baseman hit the recruiting trail. 

“I think they know I have a bigger personality, so it was more from their end, ‘If we really need a guy, will you call him?'” Pasquantino explained. “And I think from my end, it was like, ‘Why don’t I just call everybody?’”

“I think he reached out to everyone,” Italy infielder Andrew Fischer confirmed. “He took this team by the reins, brought us together.”

“You’ve got to find out who’s eligible and things like that,” Pasquantino added, “but once we were able to find out different things about guys, that’s when the phone calls really started.” 

Some pitches, like the one to Pasquantino’s Royals teammate Jac Caglianone, were easier than others. Others fell short, like the one to Red Sox standout Roman Anthony. Pasquantino had a conversation with the 21-year-old talent, but it never got far. Anthony told me he had no plans to participate for any team in the World Baseball Classic, and was set on staying in Boston’s camp, until USA manager Mark DeRosa called. His Red Sox manager, Alex Cora, thought that was an opportunity he wouldn’t want to miss.

In other cases, Pasquantino’s perseverance paid off. He pestered veteran pitcher Michael Lorenzen about joining the squad for years.  

“When Vinnie asked me if I wanted to play, I did tell him I would only do it if I was a two-way player,” Lorenzen said.

That hasn’t happened, at least yet. For now, Italy is just happy to see Lorenzen thriving on the mound, where the veteran MLB pitcher blanked USA’s star-studded lineup for 4.2 scoreless innings in the upset victory that Italy manager Francisco Cervelli described as one of the best days of his life. 

“Everybody in Italy should see this,” Cervelli said. “We’re doing it for them, for the kids. It can happen. It’s possible.”

Anthony was in the losing dugout of that Italy win, one that threatened to end USA’s run before it could ever really get going. Maybe it ends up being a catalyst for Team USA, which is still fully capable of avenging its 2023 finals defeat and going all the way, thanks to Italy’s win against Mexico on Wednesday. 

To this point, though, it’s been Italy having all the fun. 

“It’s unbelievable how close this group has gotten in such a quick timeframe,” said MLB veteran Jon Berti, who played for the Cubs last season. “Vinnie gets a huge credit for that. He set the tone early for us. He’s an awesome leader, very fun to be around and kind of drew everybody in and together.”

Pasquantino was also responsible for the professional manner in which Italy handled the biggest baseball win in its country’s history. 

In the aftermath of avenging a 2023 loss to Mexico, Team USA stayed back hours after the win sharing stories and sipping drinks together in the clubhouse. 

“There’s some guys dragging today,” DeRosa explained to reporters the following day, hours before suffering one of the most surprising defeats in WBC history against an unafraid, unyielding, undefeated Italy squad. 

Pasquantino knew that a 3-0 start wouldn’t mean much if Italy turned around and had a similar letdown the next day against Mexico. So after the win against Team USA, he told his group that once midnight hit, it was time to turn the page. 

“We had a good time in there,” Pasquantino told me, “but nobody’s dragging over here today.” 

The results of a 9-1 win against Mexico backed that up. 

‘This Team Might Be Different’

Three years ago, Pasquantino was part of an Italy roster that advanced out of WBC pool play without hitting a single home run. This time — an example of the strides the country has taken since then — it has already launched 12. 

Italy’s offense ranks second in the tournament in both home runs and OPS, despite lacking the established MLB talent that other rosters possess. It does, however, have the best arms it has ever taken to the tournament in Lorenzen and Aaron Nola, a plethora of intriguing young MLB talents in Pasquantino, Caglianone, White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee and Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone and promising prospects in Fischer, Aldegheri, Dante Nori and Sam Antonacci. 

Pasquantino knew for Italy to succeed, he had to foster the right environment for the youthful group to feel comfortable. 

Quickly, he noticed the unusual confidence the team’s recent draft picks already possessed. 

“The first day we had a workout, Andrew Fischer talked a bunch of crap about the music I was playing,” Pasquantino said, “and I was like, ‘All right, you take it.’ I was just playing simple EDM music. But that’s when I kind of knew, all right, this team might be kind of different.

“These guys just aren’t scared, and that’s the coolest part, and that’s where I feel like it’s my job to let them know, like, yeah you shouldn’t be scared, this is what you should be doing, having a good time, having a blast, playing with your chest out.”

Their fearlessness has been evident throughout the tournament. 

Aldeghiri, a 24-year-old Angels prospect, threw 4.2 scoreless innings in his lone start. Nori, a 2024 first-round pick of the Phillies, is 6-for-12 with two homers. Antonacci, one of the top position player prospects for the White Sox, has two extra-base hits. And Fischer, a first-round pick of the Brewers last year and the Energizer bunny personified, is 3-for-8 with a home run. 

“My personality, sometimes, is not really easy to work with,” Fischer told me. “I’m an extrovert. I’m from Jersey. I don’t really care a lot of the time what some guys think of me…but I just come in with a very loud personality, and fortunately enough, they took me in with open arms. 

“Vinnie’s done a great job kind of taming me back but also letting me be myself,” Fischer continued. “There’s been times I wasn’t sure how he’d react, and I see he has my back, and I feel very good about it, and other times that I’m not sure how he would react and he puts me in my place, and I respect him because he’s been in the game a long time. So, he’s a great leader, great captain.”

‘I Wish My Grandfather Was Still Around’ 

Even when Pasquantino started the tournament 0-for-12, Antonacci described the captain as the team MVP because of the way he made his teammates feel so comfortable. 

The slow start offensively did bother Pasquantino, who told Cervelli he would understand if he got dropped from the clean-up spot in the order, but he also knew the value he was providing outside the batter’s box. 

“I’ve been dog s— at the plate,” he said Wednesday afternoon, before his breakout performance. “I’m not hiding from that. It doesn’t feel the best right now. But… what I see the captaincy being, it’s not about performance in my opinion, it’s about what you can bring to the team. I know these guys are looking to me for mostly offense, which I haven’t been able to provide, but showing them, like, ‘Look, guys, it’s not going well for me right now, that doesn’t mean it can’t go well for the team. That’s what this game’s all about. 

“I’m not going to have it every night, and I haven’t had it the first three games. It doesn’t mean I won’t have it tonight.”

On Wednesday against Mexico, he found it. 

In his first at-bat, he snapped his skid with a solo homer to start the scoring. Then came another in the sixth, and another in the eighth, all pulled out to right field at Daikin Park. Three homers meant three espresso shots awaiting in the dugout. Finally, he was downing the coffee and not just handing it out. It was the first time at any level of baseball that Pasquantino could remember homering three times in a game. 

“The Hall of Fame reached out,” Pasquantino said. “It’s the first time they’ve ever reached out for something of mine. … They liked the bat. I said, ‘I need the bat for a few more days.’” 

One day, Pasquantino’s goal is for Italy’s roster to be composed of actual Italy natives. There are only three on the roster in pitchers Aldegheri, Gabriele Quattrini and Claudio Scotti. 

For now, though, the focus is on growing the game in the country and showing kids in Italy what is possible. And the best way to do that is by winning games with this group of primarily Italian-Americans. 

It seems to be working. 

“Someone sent me a clip. [Italy’s] prime minister gave us a little bit of a shout-out this morning,” said Berti, an eight-year MLB veteran who grew up in Michigan. “I wish my grandfather was still around. He would be loving this.”
 

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George M. Steinbrenner Field (Tampa) – Brian Cashman walked into his office at the spring training facility for the New York Yankees and pulled up a TikTok video on his iPad. He had already seen this video but thought it was funny enough to watch it again.

The team’s general manager laughed as the clip showed two men arguing with each other, before one of them threw his Big Gulp cup at a car. The liquid from the cup smothered the car windows, the men continued yelling, and the video ended.

Watching inherently silly TikTok videos is “a nice diversion from the noise,” Cashman told me when we sat down in his office to discuss what it’s like being the longest-tenured GM in Major League Baseball. 

When he’s not scrolling, he’s busy building a championship-caliber roster, modernizing the organization with wide-ranging changes, and fine-tuning his baseball operations department.

The noise, in this case, is a relentless stream of criticism and title expectations. Cashman, too, said he has a ticking clock in his head, reminding him that the Yankees haven’t won a championship since 2009. Due to that drought, criticism of Cashman has become as predictable as October in the Bronx. Every roster decision by the Yankees GM is dissected. Every postseason exit is used as evidence that the architect of baseball’s most successful and scrutinized franchise has lost his touch.

Debate around Cashman has played out forcefully in New York. He’s anatomized on talk radio, across social media, and in the stands at Yankee Stadium. The argument is familiar: the Yankees should win more and spend more, and they should think differently. Cashman hears it all, even when he’s no longer trying to, even if he barely responds anymore. What the public sees, though, is only part of the story.

“I’m pretty simple,” Cashman said. “The reason we’re able to adjust and change is because I am very open-minded, and I challenge our staff to be the same way. If someone’s doing something better than we are, we have to figure that out as fast as we possibly can, and then adapt and adjust and grow because of it.”

Inside the organization’s walls and across major-league front offices, Cashman is revered as a brilliant executive who has survived multiple baseball eras and worked under two different ownership styles with aplomb.

“It is next to impossible to have the longevity he’s had for any team,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “To do it in New York makes it kind of unthinkable in this day and age. I think it speaks to his talent. I think it speaks to his leadership capabilities. It has to speak to his ability to compartmentalize and focus on what is important to do his job, and he’s done it incredibly successfully. Whenever he decides he’s had enough, we’ll all be celebrating in Cooperstown shortly thereafter.”

Cashman started as a Yankees intern in 1986 in the minor-league scouting department. After he graduated from college, the team offered him a full-time job as a baseball operations assistant. Back then, analytics departments were tiny, sports science barely existed, and the game’s most famous franchise operated largely on instinct and tradition. Cashman took over as general manager in 1998 and has overseen four World Series titles and 23 postseason appearances.

Since then, the Yankees have produced a winning record for 33 consecutive seasons, second longest in MLB history behind the team’s 39-season streak from 1926-1964. Cashman believes everything from the aesthetics of the Yankees clubhouse to the recent renovations inside the spring training facilities to the tireless work of his staff has played a significant part in making the organization a well-oiled winning machine. Plus, he’s constantly drawing inspiration from other marquee sport franchises.

​”It’s not like I can intimately get behind the scenes of the Cincinnati Reds and see what they’re doing,” Cashman said. “But I can do that with the University of Kentucky. I can do that with the New York Giants or the Brooklyn Nets or Alabama football or, the New Zealand All Blacks or Manchester City or Arsenal or what have you. We can do that with a lot of different other environments or even businesses that aren’t sports related, and we try to engage and find out what drives their culture.

“How do they manage their processes and why? And if they’re successful, why? Is it just because they have great leadership? Is it because they got lucky? Is it because they rely on certain core principles?”

Cashman’s Constant Change: Key To Success?

Twenty or thirty years ago, Cashman struck up a conversation with a bartender at a Ritz-Carlton during a Yankees road trip and learned about their official Code of Conduct, a sheet of paper that every employee had to carry in their pocket at all times. It outlined ethical and behavioral guidelines for all employees of the luxury hotel brand, including management. Cashman doesn’t remember if he took a picture of the sheet or the bartender gave him a copy of one, but he took it home to study it. He found ways to embody those guidelines as a part of his own leadership styles.

Through the years, Cashman has developed relationships with various sports executives, everyone from the Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien Brisebois to the Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman. They send each other articles on leadership and exchange ideas on how to improve. Cashman is still curious about outside ideas and finds ways to incorporate them into his baseball operations. Sometimes, that inspiration arrives in unusual ways.

Recently, he went down an escalator at the newly renovated LaGuardia Airport and snapped photos of a design he liked. He shared it with his staff and Yankee Stadium operations, and they worked to incorporate the design into the ballpark.

“Brian has tried to keep the Yankees more relevant and more current and modern,” former Yankees manager Buck Showalter told me. “And, all the while, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. I got a lot of respect for him, he started on the ground level and worked his way up.”

Cashman learned from Showalter that altering the atmosphere in little and big ways prevents the environment from becoming stale. He believes part of the reason the Yankees went to the World Series in 2024 is because of the renovations he helped initiate at their Tampa facility that year.

Cashman said that those multimillion-dollar upgrades, including a health and wellness center, extended batting cages, and a player lounge, compelled players to spend more time at the ballpark. His incessant hunt for fresh changes and ideas are all designed to help the on-field product produce more wins and have fun doing it. Netflix recently shared its company values with the public, and Cashman absorbed it like a sponge.

“Constantly trying to change and remake yourself is important,” Cashman said. “I just want to find out what’s underneath the hood and what makes somebody or some company or some sports entity tick. And if they’re having success, there are reasons behind it.”

Micro-Manager? ‘I’m The Opposite’

The public perception is that Cashman is stubborn. The fanbase’s disapproval of him reached an all-time intensity after the 2023 season, when the Yankees missed the playoffs and came under fire for their analytical approach. Cashman was on way to the annual GM Meetings that offseason when Yankees media relations tried to warn him about the brutal line of questioning headed his way. The heat was going to be turned all the way up, but Cashman wasn’t interested in mincing his words.

In a lengthy scrum with the media, Cashman defended his front office in a curse-laden rebuttal of the perception that the Yankees should clean house because their baseball ops had become ineffective. The GM, criticized for protecting manager Aaron Boone and the rest of his coaches, analytics and player development staff, believes the negative public perception and the internal success of his baseball ops is worlds apart. The following season, the Yankees went to the World Series. He doesn’t regret a single word he said in that infamous scrum.

“I’m definitely not a micro-manager,” Cashman told me. “I’m the opposite. I am someone that will hire people I consider smarter than me and that have expertise in that area. And then I empower you to do your job. I will support you every step of the way, including in that scrum, defending you to the hilt, because you still might not be on top. But if you’ve done everything you possibly could do, and you’re really good at what you do, then I’m gonna have your back no matter what.”

Part of the reason that eruption from Cashman went viral was because he doesn’t say much these days. He also doesn’t read or listen to what people are saying about him. He doesn’t have social media on his phone anymore, besides TikTok. It’s a complete reversal of how he used to start his days, by returning calls from reporters and appearing on the field pregame to answer any questions and divulge his processes. In recent years, the GM has learned that explaining decisions rarely quiets criticism. It only fuels it.

“The media coverage is completely different,” Cashman said. “To the point where now, I’m very reclusive.”

While the debate about the Yankees’ direction continues outside, Cashman has increasingly stepped back from the conversation, focusing instead on the work inside the organization he has spent nearly three decades shaping. That’s not to say he’s at peace with the fan base’s perception of him. He knows a large segment of Yankees fans are frustrated that Cashman is running back the same roster this year as the one they ended with last season.

“Stuff like that bothers me,” he said. After all, last year’s team tied the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record in the American League East before it lost to the Blue Jays in the AL Division Series. Plus, ace Gerrit Cole will return from injury this year. So it won’t be the same team as last season, he said. People are getting that wrong.

Why, then, doesn’t he speak up more?

“I’ve learned over the course of time, it doesn’t matter what you say,” Cashman said. “What do you do? I can try to fight like Don Quixote with the windmills out there and all those battles all the time. But is that a really efficient use of my time?

“Like at the end of the day, I know all that’s going to matter is if we’re winning games. And even when we are winning games, it still won’t matter. Because there’s a lot of narratives out there that just aren’t the case. Like, to this day, I’m definitely frustrated with the one narrative that the manager is the puppet and we’re dictating his moves. None of it’s true.”

Cashman has tried to refute a long-believed narrative that Boone doesn’t make any decisions, including lineup construction and in-game bullpen management, and that the GM maps out a game plan for the manager ahead of time. For years, he’s seen his comments get pulled apart, misinterpreted and weaponized. Cashman realized it was unhealthy for him to spend time fighting battles against false narratives. So he stopped, for the most part.

“I’d rather people be right,” he said. “But I’ve gotten to a level, too, where it’s almost like I accept it. I can’t change people’s minds. They want to believe what they want to believe no matter what. It’s like politics and conspiracy theories. You can try to prove it scientifically, prove it with people testifying under oath or like, I can roll out former managers, you can ask those guys. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mean anything. People still say it. So it’s like, well, then what am I going to do?”

Boone On His Admiration for Cashman

Boone, sitting in his desk chair in his office at George M. Steinbrenner Field, leaned back and smiled as he recounted day-to-day instances of Cashman being a “practical joker.”

One time, Boone was upset about something, and Cashman called the manager’s office phone and disguised his voice. Other times, he’s carried in his pocket some paper snappers, which produce a loud exploding pop when thrown, to mess with people.

“​​He takes something that happens in our day-to-day, something serious, and he’ll lean into it and make it humorous,” Boone said.

“But what I really admire about him is his consistency. He’s funny, but ​​he’s willing to have any difficult conversation and hold people to the fire. To do it with the excellence he’s done, for as long as he’s done it, it’s remarkable. It takes a very special talent, evaluator, and vision to have that sustained excellence. Even though we haven’t won, he’s putting together a championship-caliber program all the time. I think he’s a Hall of Famer.”

There is no job in baseball where success is defined so narrowly as the one Cashman holds with the Yankees. In most cities, consistent playoff appearances would be celebrated. In the Bronx, trips to October are treated as disappointments without, at the very least, a World Series appearance. That dynamic has made Cashman one of the most criticized executives in the sport — and one of the longest tenured.

Cashman’s tenure is defined by a remarkable absence of losing seasons, a high level of sustained success, a lengthy championship drought and a heavy dose of frustration. It’s complicated. He finds it excruciatingly difficult to reflect on his career, particularly because he’s not done. He wants to change the narrative, and he knows the only way to do that is by winning.

“Reggie Jackson was one of the most prolific home run hitters of all time,” Cashman said. “But he was also one of the most prolific strikeout leaders of all time. As the game is playing out, he might’ve had three strikeouts his first three at-bats. But he could always change the narrative with one swing.

“So, I’m still swinging.”

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HOUSTON — Buongiorno, buon pomeriggio, buonanotte.

One night after upsetting Team USA for the biggest victory in Italy baseball history, there was no letdown Wednesday for Italy (4-0) as it finished off a remarkable undefeated run to win Pool B and — finally, officially — help punch USA’s (3-1) ticket to the quarterfinals by beating and eliminating Mexico. 

Here are my takeaway’s from Italy’s 9-1 win over Mexico.

1. Undefeated Italy is the story of this tournament

Italy made noise in the last World Baseball Classic, securing wins against Cuba and the Netherlands in pool play to get to the quarterfinals for the second time in the nation’s history. The Italians advanced that year despite not hitting a single home run until the quarterfinals. 

This time, an entirely different, more superior, more complete, more overpowering version of Italian baseball has taken the WBC by storm, following wins against Brazil and Great Britain by upsetting USA’s best roster ever on Tuesday and annihilating a Mexico team that nearly made it to the WBC finals three years ago on Wednesday. 

A youthful, exuberant, confident Team Italy lineup launched 12 home runs during pool play, the second-most of any team in the tournament, trailing only a Dominican Republic roster teeming with MLB superstars, and looked unintimidated by some of the sport’s best arms. The rotation, featuring MLB veterans Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen at the top, combined to tally a 1.00 ERA over four games. 

The end result: a spectacular juggernaut that outscored its pool-play opponents by 21 runs and deservedly captured a pool that most thought unconquerable. 

2. Italy saves USA’s pancetta

All Team USA had to do on Tuesday was beat Italy to secure its spot in the WBC quarterfinals. Instead, the Italy offense teed off to take an early 8-0 lead and held on late, putting USA’s dream team in a precarious position. 

If Italy didn’t beat Mexico, or if Mexico won while scoring four runs or fewer, the U.S. would have been eliminated. It would have been an embarrassing catastrophe. 

Instead, thanks to Italy’s work on Wednesday, USA’s shocking pool-play defeat might now just be a footnote in its 2026 WBC journey. 

3. Pasquantino breaks out to make WBC homer history

Vinnie Pasquantino, who participated in the 2023 WBC and has spent much of the last year helping recruit players to the 2026 squad, is the captain, heart and soul of Team Italy. Even when he wasn’t producing offensively — he was hitless through the first three games of the tournament — teammates gushed about his defense, his leadership and his ability to make players around him feel comfortable. 

“That’s what I see the captaincy being,” Pasquantino told me before Wednesday’s game. “It’s not about performance, in my opinion, it’s about what you can bring to the team. And I know these guys are looking to me for mostly offense, which I haven’t been able to provide, but showing them, like, ‘Look, guys, it’s not going well for me right now, that doesn’t mean it can’t go well for the team.’ That’s what this game’s all about.”

On Wednesday, though, he brought more than good vibes.

After an 0-for-12 start to the tournament, Pasquantino started the scoring Wednesday with a solo shot off Javier Assad on his first at-bat of the game. Two at-bats later, the Royals slugger added his second home run of the night, a positive sign going forward for an Italy team that had gotten to this point without its best hitter producing. 

And he still wasn’t done. 

In the eighth, Pasquantino launched his third home run of the game, becoming the first player in WBC history to accomplish the feat. 

4. Nola helps out his Phillies sluggers 

Aaron Nola’s Phillies teammates, USA sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, might need to send him a gift basket. 

Beyond the young talent throughout the lineup, what separated this Italy team from past iterations — and what made it such an interesting sleeper in the tournament — was the presence of the best arm it had ever taken into the WBC. 

On Wednesday, Nola lived up to the billing as the team’s ace, following Michael Lorenzen’s 4.2 scoreless innings of work against Team USA by delivering five scoreless frames against Mexico. 

4 ½. What’s next? 

The stage is now set for the quarterfinals in Houston, with the USA and Canada playing Friday at 7 p.m. CT and Italy facing Puerto Rico on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.

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