Who are the Top 26 MLB Players in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?

No one will be asking themselves, “Which MLB stars are playing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?” Instead, they’ll be asking, “Which MLB stars aren’t playing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?” Yes, this tournament is absolutely stacked with MLB’s best. The games begin on Wednesday night and here are the 26 best players — positions players and pitchers — in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Note: Pitchers who are part of the Designated Pitcher Pool (e.g., Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo) aren’t included in this list. Players that are part of a team’s DPP (up to six pitchers) can be called up after the initial round. 26. Tampa Bay Rays 3B Junior Caminero (Dominican Republic) The 2025 season was Caminero’s first extensive time at the big-league level, and he made himself known to the masses. Launching 45 home runs, posting a .535 slugging percentage and finishing in the top-eight percent of MLB in average exit velocity (92.4 mph) and hard-hit percentage (51.4%), Caminero was among the most dangerous hitters in the sport, an All-Star and held his own at third base. Caminero is a future star, if he isn’t one already. 25. Boston Red Sox OF Jarren Duran (USA) Duran puts the ball in play with consistency, cranks out extra-base hits and is a steady, versatile presence on the outfield grass. Duran led the American League in triples in both 2024 and 2025, doubles in 2024 and posted 8.7 wins above replacement in 2024. Meanwhile, he has posted a combined 32 defensive runs saved in left field and center field since 2024. 24. Chicago Cubs 3B Alex Bregman (USA) Bregman is a proven commodity. The star third baseman is smooth at the hot corner and has a crisp swing from the right side of the plate. Bregman seldom strikes out, slugs at a plausible rate and remains a highly effective player. Last season, he totaled 18 home runs, 62 RBIs and 3.5 wins above replacement across 114 regular-season games with the Red Sox. 23. Los Angeles Dodgers C Will Smith (USA) Smith, an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, is among the elite catchers MLB has to offer. He’s a veteran behind the plate and has a sweeping swing from the right side. Smith is coming off arguably his best offensive season in the big leagues, posting a career-high in batting average (.296), on-base percentage (.404), slugging percentage (.497) and OPS+ (152) in the regular season. And, of course, he hit the go-ahead home run for the Dodgers in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. 22. San Diego Padres 3B Manny Machado (Dominican Republic) Machado is still raking. The star third baseman, who’s a two-time Gold Glover and three-time Silver Slugger, is a smooth presence at third base and a potent presence at the plate. Last season, Machado finished in the top-eight percent of the sport in average exit velocity (92.9 mph) and hard-hit percentage (51.5%). This will be the third World Baseball Classic that Machado competes in. 21. Philadelphia Phillies 1B Bryce Harper (USA) His production has dipped a bit in recent years, but Harper remains one of the most intimidating hitters in the sport. Harper, a four-time Silver Slugger who made a successful transition from an outfielder to a first baseman in recent years, possesses mammoth power from the left side, boasts a career .519 regular season slugging percentage and a career .596 career postseason slugging percentage. This will be the first World Baseball Classic that Harper plays in. 20. Arizona Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte (Dominican Republic) Marte, who has extensive experience playing second base, shortstop and center field, is among the best players of his generation. Just one season removed from hitting a career-high 36 home runs and posting 6.8 wins above replacement, the switch-hitting Marte is both a balanced and impact hitter who’s difficult to strikeout. A Silver Slugger in each of the last two seasons, Marte posted a .329/.380/.534 slash line for Arizona in the 2023 postseason en route to winning the NL pennant. 19. Arizona Diamondbacks SS Geraldo Perdomo (Dominican Republic) Perdomo is a burgeoning superstar. Already a stellar shortstop, it came together at the plate for Perdomo last season in emphatic fashion, with him totaling 20 home runs, 100 RBIs, 27 stolen bases and an NL-high 7.0 wins above replacement, while posting a .290/.389/.462 slash line. Defensively, he led the NL with 223 putouts and 84 double-plays turned. Perdomo finished fourth in National League MVP voting. He’s an all-around force who’s on the verge of being the face of the D-backs and challenging for the title of best overall shortstop in the sport. 18. Baltimore Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson (USA) Like the Orioles as a collective, Henderson is coming off a down season by his standards. Still, a “down” offensive year for Henderson (.274/.349/.438 slash line and 5.3 wins above replacement) is a quality year for the bulk of the sport. Henderson is an impact hitter who slugs at a high rate, swipes bags and is a reliable shortstop. In 2024, Henderson posted 9.1 wins above replacement and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. At his best, the 24-year-old Henderson is arguably a top-10 player. 17. San Diego Padres RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (Dominican Republic) When Tatis barrels up the baseball, it goes places. Last season, Tatis, a two-time Silver Slugger, finished in the top-five percent of MLB in average exit velocity (93.3 mph) and top-seven percent in hard-hit percentage (51.8%). Meanwhile, he posted 5.9 wins above replacement in 2025 and has won a Gold Glove in right field in two of the last three seasons (2023 and 2025). One of the faces of the sport in recent memory, Tatis is an explosive, right-handed hitter who has shown up in the postseason (career .317/.414/.700 postseason slash line). 16. Chicago Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong (USA) Crow-Armstrong gave a compelling glimpse of what’s to come in his MLB career in 2025. Showcasing power from the left side, flying around and creating havoc on the basepath and playing center field at a high level, the young Cubs’ star was among the individual storylines of the 2025 season; he totaled 31 home runs, 95 RBIs, 35 stolen bases, 6.0 wins above replacement and 15 DRS in center field. Crow-Armstrong, who earned a Gold Glove and an All-Star nod, has “future star” written all over him. 15. Seattle Mariners CF Julio Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) Rodriguez is a special talent. He has thumping power at the plate, moves well, has great range in center field and possesses a reputable arm. It’s all about him being consistent. Last season, Rodriguez, a two-time Silver Slugger and three-time All-Star who boasts a career 130 OPS+, totaled 32 home runs, 95 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, a career-high 6.8 wins above replacement and nine DRS in center field. In the postseason, he blasted four home runs. Rodriguez is a star player with superstar talent. 14. Philadelphia Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez (Dominican Republic) One could argue that Sanchez has become Philadelphia’s ace. The southpaw’s strikeout rate has increased in recent years, he’s pitching deep into games and coming off a breakout season. In 2025, Sanchez recorded a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 212 strikeouts, 176 ERA+ and an NL-high 8.0 wins above replacement, with him finishing as the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award. He then posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 12.0 innings pitched in two starts for the Phillies in the postseason. Sanchez is finding success while relying on three pitches: sinker, changeup and slider. 13. Boston Red Sox LHP Ranger Suarez (Venezuela) Injuries have been a hindrance to Suarez (he has never made 30 starts in a single season), but the left-hander is a force to be reckoned with when he’s on the hill. Suarez, who deploys a consistent, five-pitch arsenal (sinker, changeup, cutter, curveball and four-seamer), works out of trouble and has been spectacular in the postseason (Suarez has a career 1.48 ERA over 42.2 innings pitched in the postseason). After spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Phillies (2018-25), Suarez signed a five-year deal with the Red Sox in the offseason. 12. San Francisco Giants RHP Logan Webb (USA) Webb has been the rock for San Francisco’s pitching staff. He pitches deep into games, finds success with a sinker as his primary pitch and won a Gold Glove at his position last season. On that note, Webb posted an NL- and career-high 224 strikeouts in 2025, which also marked the third consecutive season that he led the NL in innings pitched and finished top-six in NL Cy Young Award voting. Webb, who owns a career 3.38 ERA, surrendered just one run across 14.2 innings pitched across two starts for the Giants in the 2021 postseason. 11. Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber (USA) If we’re ranking based on raw power, Schwarber is probably No. 1 in the sport. The Phillies’ slugger rips from the left side with his level, compact swing and is coming off the best statistical season of his career. In 2025, he totaled an NL- and career-high in home runs (56) and RBIs (132), while posting a .563 slugging percentage. Schwarber has ranked in the top-six percent of MLB in average exit velocity in each of the last four seasons and in the top-two percent in hard-hit percentage in three of the last four seasons. 10. Atlanta Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (Venezuela) Acuna is among the most gifted players in the sport. His exceptional talent has somewhat fallen under the radar in recent years due to him tearing his ACL in 2024. At full strength, Acuna is a dynamic force who has resounding power from the right side and wreaks havoc on the basepath. Still, across just 95 games last season (Acuna made his 2025 debut on May 23), he hit 21 home runs, posted a .518 slugging percentage and 3.0 wins above replacement. Acuna, a three-time Silver Slugger, won the 2023 NL MVP in a campaign that saw him reach the 40-40 mark (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases), while leading the sport with 217 hits and 73 stolen bases. 9. Seattle Mariners C Cal Raleigh (USA) Raleigh is arguably the best catcher in MLB. Totaling an AL-high 60 home runs — an MLB record for a catcher — and 125 RBIs, while posting a .589 slugging percentage, 169 OPS+ and 7.4 wins above replacement, Raleigh, a 2024 Gold Glover, led the Mariners to their first appearance in the American League Championship Series in 24 years last year. Raleigh, who was the runner-up for the 2025 AL MVP Award, does damage from both sides of the plate, was already a source of power pre-2025 (30.3 home runs per season from 2022-24) and is a linchpin behind the plate for Seattle. 8. New York Mets OF Juan Soto (Dominican Republic) Soto is money. He’s pound-for-pound as balanced and clutch as any hitter in the sport in both the regular season and postseason. An impact left-handed hitter, Soto drives the ball to all fields, works the count and stole an NL- and career-high 38 bases in 2025, his first season with the Mets. Soto, who has a career .531 regular season slugging percentage and .538 postseason slugging percentage, has finished in the top-one percent of MLB in hard-hit percentage in two of the last three seasons and top-four percent in average exit velocity in each of the last three seasons. He has hit 42 home runs per season from 2024-25. 7. Toronto Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic) Already a fearsome right-handed hitter with considerable power, Guerrero went off in the 2025 postseason. Guerrero, a five-time All-Star, totaled eight home runs and 15 RBIs, while posting a .397/.494/.795 slash line across Toronto’s 18 postseason games. The career-long Blue Jays’ infielder seldom strikes out, has a career 136 OPS+ and posted a career-high 8 DRS at first base in the regular season. Guerrero is one of the best all-around hitters in the sport and the 2025 postseason may have been his next step in entering the conversation as the game’s best player. 6. Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Japan) It took Yamamoto about six seconds to become one of MLB’s best starting pitchers. In his two years on the MLB scene (2024-2025), the Dodgers’ ace has been exceptional, logging strikeouts at a high rate, pitching deep into games and finding success with his four-seamer and split-finger fastball. Last season, Yamamoto recorded a 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 201 strikeouts and a 167 ERA+ across 173.2 innings pitched (30 starts). Then, he posted a mere 1.45 ERA and 0.78 WHIP across 37.1 innings pitched in the postseason (six appearances/five starts), highlighted by two complete games and pitching 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Game 7 of the World Series after already making two starts in the series. 5. Kansas City Royals SS Bobby Witt Jr. (USA) Witt has lived up to the hype and then some. The star shortstop has developed into one of the elite players at his position and one of the game’s elite hitters. Witt, a Silver Slugger and Gold Glover in each of the last two seasons, led the AL in batting average in 2024 (.332), hits in each of the last two seasons and doubles in 2025 (47). Meanwhile, he has averaged 8.3 wins above replacement per season from 2024-25 and 39.3 stolen bases per season from 2023-25. Witt does it all. He hits for contact and power, creates problems with his legs and is a well-rounded fielder. 4. Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (USA) One would never guess that Skenes has made just 55 MLB starts after watching him pitch one inning. The hard-throwing Pirates right-hander has been a formidable ace since making his MLB debut in May 2024. He owns a career 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 215 ERA+. Last season, Skenes posted 7.7 wins above replacement and 216 strikeouts across 187.2 innings pitched (32 starts), helping him win the 2025 NL Cy Young Award. Skenes dominates hitters with his four-seamer, makes them silly with his sweeper and split-finger fastball, among other pitches. 3. Detroit Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (USA) He’ll only make one start in the tournament, but Skubal is the best pitcher in the sport. The southpaw has won each of the last two American League Cy Young Awards, leading the AL in ERA, ERA+ and wins above replacement in both 2024 and 2025. Skubal finds success with a changeup and four-seamer and is coming off a monster season that saw him post a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, a 187 ERA+, 241 strikeouts and 6.5 wins above replacement in 31 regular-season starts (195.1 innings pitched). Then, Skubal surrendered just four runs while posting 36 strikeouts and an 0.68 WHIP in a combined 20.2 innings pitched across three postseason starts. 2. New York Yankees OF Aaron Judge (USA) Judge is the best pure position player in the sport and the best of his generation post-Mike Trout. The Yankees’ superstar has consistently hit at a historic level and been a comforting presence in the outfield, particularly in right field. Judge has won three of the last four AL MVP Awards, while hitting 50-plus home runs and leading the AL in wins above replacement, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and walks in each of those MVP seasons (2022, 2024 and 2025). He has a level, compact swing that generates overwhelming power. Evidence? Judge has finished in the top-one percent of MLB in average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage in eight of the last 10 seasons. He’s arguably the best player to suit up for the Yankees in the 21st century. 1. Los Angeles Dodgers DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani (Japan) He’s not pitching in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but, when playing both ways — like the Dodgers’ superstar did in 2025 — Ohtani, a four-time MVP, is the best overall player on the planet. Ohtani has tremendous power from the left side of the plate, can swipe bags at a high rate and became the first 50-50 player in MLB history in 2024 (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases). As a pitcher, Ohtani, who owns a career 3.00 ERA, finds success by primarily throwing his four-seamer and sweeper. The only comparable player to Ohtani in MLB history is Babe Ruth. That’s where we’re at. Ohtani is a generational and historical talent in professional sports.