What we know
Houston was selected as a host city for the sixth installment of the classic tournament in May, a few months after the city won its bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Daikin Park, formally Minute Maid Park, will serve as a host for the World Baseball Classic for the first time in its history. The ballpark will be the ninth different Major League ballpark to host the classic contest, joining others such as Chase Field in Phoenix, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Rogers Center in Toronto, Canada.
The Houston Astros will host matchups for Pool B at Daikin Park, according to the news release, featuring teams such as Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, the United States and Brazil.
The tournament will be held March 3-11, with the two second round quarterfinal matches on March 13 and 14.
Something to note
According to the MLB website, this will be the second World Baseball Classic with a 20-team field, creating four pools of five teams.
The teams coming to Houston rank as follows from the 2023 season finals:
- USA: 2nd, lost to Japan in the finals
- Mexico: Tied 3rd place with Cuba, lost to Japan in semifinals
- Italy: Tied for 5th place, lost to Japan in quarterfinals
- Great Britain: 4th place in Pool C
- Brazil: Did not advance from qualifiers
Stay tuned
Full ticketing information for the tournament is anticipated to be announced at a later date. The roster for the USA team, as well as the other countries, is expected to be announced closer to the tournament start date in early 2026, according to the MLB.
