The World Baseball Classic is a spectacle for pitching lovers. In terms of fashion, it is a catwalk where the participating teams show off their best arms. It is a showcase that allows fans to enjoy international pitchers of great quality.
Some contemplate strength, others speed and many more serenity to strike out opponents in moments of high tension. For this edition, the focus is mainly on Japan, the team that arrives as champion after having conquered the crown in 2023 with pitchers such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.
But it is not the only roster that steals the attention. There are high expectations in the United States, with a team that arrives with a roster that includes young Paul Skenes, Cy Young Award winner, who has a promising future in Major League Baseball.
Top 5 pitching performances in the World Baseball Classic
United States
Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are the sensational duo. They are the two reigning Cy Young winners, a well-deserved award for the extraordinary performances they had in the 2025 season. They are joined by Logan Webb and Clayton Kershaw, a luxury pitcher who won the Cy Young Award three times. As if that wasn’t enough, Mason Miller is a guarantee in the rotations
Japan
Although Shohei Ohtani will not take the mound for Japan this time, the Japanese team still has a remarkable rotation, led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. There is also Tomoyuki Sugano and Yusei Kikuchi, Major League level players who can handle any kind of pressure.
- Hiromi Itoh and Koki Kitayama are the most sought-after relievers in the tournament. Their averages are an ERA of 2.52 in almost 200 innings and an ERA of 1.59 in 158.2 innings respectively
Dominican Republic
Outside of Sandy Alcantara and Cristopher Sanchez, their starters are discreet, but that does not mean they are bad. They are simply not as spectacular as the American and Japanese pitchers. Camilo Doval, Carlos Estevez, Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez are the key men for the Dominican team because they carry on their shoulders the responsibility of closing the games. The latter are the strong suit of this team.
Mexico
It lacks MLB-profile pitchers; however, it has a solid bullpen led by Andres Munoz, who posted a 1.73 ERA with 38 saves for the Seattle Mariners in 2025, and Victor Vodnik, a Colorado Rockies pitcher who came close to finishing with an ERA below 3.00. Javier Assad is an unknown because he is coming off an injury. If his body plays in his favor, his presence will be of great weight.
Canada
James Paxton, Jameson Taillon, Cal Quantrill and Michael Soroka are experienced pitchers who make up a balanced bullpen in the rotations. It is a team limited in terms of stars and names, but it makes up for it with pitchers who dominate their timing on the field.
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