Wednesday marked the final day of pool play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and it was not short on excitement. The first two of the three-game slate were elimination games, while the final was a star-studded matchup between two already-clinched powerhouses. Here’s a look at how things finished up, and how we stand headed into quarterfinal play this weekend.
Pool A: Canada (3-1) 7, Cuba (2-2) 2
In a messy win-or-go-home contest down in San Juan, the Canadian squad made history by advancing past pool play for the first time with a win over
Cuba. The Cuban squad made history as well, as the loss kept them from advancing for the first time in the Classic. The Cuban squad simply made too many mistakes to overcome, as Canada took full advantage of it.
Beyond just taking advantage of mishaps from Cuba, Canada benefitted from a terrific start by Cal Quantrill. The 31-year-old tossed five innings in his start, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out five. The veteran Canadian came through in perhaps his country’s biggest WBC game to date.
The trouble started from the beginning for Cuba, as pitch clock violations and interference calls had them on the ropes in the first inning, though starter Livan Moinelo was able to escape unscathed. Canada did eventually get on the board in the third, when Owen Caissie hit a sac fly, before an Abraham Toro solo shot extended their lead to 2-0 in the fifth.
Cuba was able top remain in this game until the late innings, but their three errors and the big inning for Canada in the fifth sent them home. In that inning, RBI hits from Bo Naylor and Otto Lopez did the job, and another Caissie RBI in the ninth gave them all the insurance they needed. As mentioned, Canada advancing and Cuba being eliminated this early are firsts in the history of the World Baseball Classic. Could they also check off the “firs semifinal” milestone? They’ll duke it out with Team USA beginning tomorrow night.
Pool B: Italy (4-0) 9, Mexico (2-2) 1
It was all Italy in the final game of their perfect run through Pool B. It was a game that carried consequences not only for the two teams involved, but also the United States squad, whose fate depended on the outcome. If Italy won, the US was in, if Mexico won, it would be either the U.S. or Italy eliminated depending on the final score. Luckily for the Italians and the U.S., it was all bene.
On the offensive side, Vinnie Pasquantino undoubtedly led the charge for the Italian bats. He started his historic evening with a solo homer in the first inning, did the same in the sixth, and capped off his massive ballgame with another in the eighth. The big lefty, in the process of helping to save his own squad and the U.S., put together the WBC’s first ever three-homer game.
He was just one of five Italian batters to tally an RBI in the resounding win, but the pitching was excellent as well. Starter Aaron Nola struck out five batters in as many innings in his terrific outing, as he and the rest of the Italian pitching staff limited a Mexico lineup to just one run on five hits.
The win puts Italy alongside Japan and the Dominican Republic as the undefeated teams to this point in the tournament. It also eliminates a good Mexican team, while helping the United States advance into the quarterfinals, with plenty of hope in tow.
Pool D: Dominican Republic (4-0) 7, Venezuela (3-1) 5
Although the consequences for this game were not as dire as the previous two on Wednesday, the clash of talent here is hard to beat. Both squads had already punched a ticket to the quarterfinals, but this one wasn’t short on excitement, as the Dominican bats were loud to start things off, and those fireworks carried them to their 4-0 finish in pool play.
In the first three innings, home runs from Juan Soto, Ketel Marte, and Vlad Guerrero Jr. had loanDepot Park rocking and the Dominican Republic up early.
Venezuela was far from out of it, as big hits kept them within one run through three innings, thanks in part to a big double from WBC-loving Luis Arraez. An inning later, however, a booming three-run blast from Fernando Tatis Jr. put the D.R. squad firmly back in the driver’s seat, and sent the stadium into a frenzy once again.
The Venezuelan squad kept things interesting to the end, despite the lopsided feel of the game. They had the bases loaded with no outs int the ninth, and scored a pair of runs in the inning to close the gap, as Dominican pitcher Elvis Alvarado added to the pressure with a throwing error to second base as part of the rally. Nonetheless, the stacked Dominican Republic squad escaped with a win, and will enter quarterfinal play as perhaps the team to beat.
They will play Korea, while Venezuela draws defending champion Japan (and Yoshinobu Yamamoto). Elsewhere, the United States squares off with Canada, and Italy with Puerto Rico in an exciting slate of quarterfinal games that kicks off on Friday.
