Sports

2026 World Baseball Classic Predictions: Dominican Republic Spoils Team USA's Party

March 2, 2026

Story by1 / 12026 World Baseball Classic Predictions: Dominican Republic Spoils Team USA's Party1 / 12026 World Baseball Classic Predictions: Dominican Republic Spoils Team USA's PartyJason WilsonMon, March 2, 2026 at 2:55 PM UTC·5 min readWant to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The 2026 World Baseball Classic kicks off this week with games in Japan, Puerto Rico, and throughout the United States. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTeam USA is the betting favorite to win the tournament, but the competition will be fierce, particularly from Japan and the Dominican Republic. We're looking into our crystal ball to bring out the best World Baseball Classic picks and predictions below for the tournament champion and Most Valuable Player before the final on Wednesday, March 17.2026 World Baseball Classic predictionsTeamUnited States-105Japan+380Dominican Republic+460Venezuela+850Puerto Rico+1900Mexico+1900Canada+6000Italy+7500Korea+8000Cuba+10000Netherlands+10000Colombia+10000World Baseball Classic outright winner prediction Pick: Dominican Republic (+460 at FanDuel)The United States is listed at -110, which I can't get behind. For one, the Americans have won the WBC just once in five tournaments dating back to 2006.

Credit: Yahoo

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You'd think they'd dominate America's Pastime on the international stage, but that hasn't been the case.
In fact, they've reached the finals only twice. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn theory, having a pitcher like Tarik Skubal on the roster gives the USA a major advantage.
However, the two-time American League Cy Young winner will only pitch in one game during the group stage before returning to spring training. Joe Ryan is injured, Clayton Kershaw is retired from MLB, and Nolan McLean is a rookie (with admitted upside).
Obviously, Paul Skenes and Logan Webb present enough talent from a starter's perspective to get the job done, but the value lies elsewhere. Japan (+380) is a logical alternative, having won three WBC tournaments, but I like the odds on the Dominican Republic at +460.
The Dominicans won it all in 2013 (with obviously a completely different roster) and haven't reached the finals again since.

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2026 World Baseball Classic Predictions: Dominican Republic Spoils Team USA's Party

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2026 World Baseball Classic Predictions: Dominican Republic Spoils Team USA's Party

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