Main League Baseball introduced the 4 venues for the 2026 World Baseball Basic on Thursday.
Miami’s loanDepot Park will host video games in all three rounds of the event for a second straight season. Japan’s Tokyo Dome, which has been part of all 5 earlier WBCs, will host first-round video games in 2026. Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium will host first-round video games as effectively — the primary time video games have been hosted in Puerto Rico since 2013. And, for the primary time, Houston’s Minute Maid Park will host WBC video games — making the Astros the eighth MLB workforce to see their dwelling venue host a portion of the occasion.
“We’re excited and honored to be internet hosting World Baseball Basic matchups for the primary time,” Astros proprietor Jim Crane mentioned in an announcement. “Houston is a world metropolis with one of the best baseball followers, and we’re proud to welcome followers from throughout the globe to look at worldwide competitors at Minute Maid Park. Thanks to MLB, the MLBPA and the Metropolis of Houston for his or her help – we’re trying ahead to an thrilling event in 2026.”
Every of the 4 venues will play host to one among 4 swimming pools within the first spherical of play. Minute Maid Park and loanDepot Park will then host the quarterfinals, with the ultimate levels of the event taking part in out at loanDepot Park in Miami.
The 2023 World Baseball Basic, which noticed Japan topple the USA within the finals, was the primary through which the sector of groups expanded from 16 to twenty. The 16 that completed top-four of their 2023 swimming pools will return to take part within the 2026 WBC. 4 further groups will be part of the sector by means of a collection of qualifying occasions scheduled to happen in 2025.
