Pool play at the 2026 World Baseball Classic has officially concluded. As expected, there were some dominant performances from MLB players during the opening round of the tournament, such as Italy slugger Vinnie Pasquantino’s three-homer game against Mexico on Wednesday night, or Shohei Ohtani’s grand slam in Japan’s first game.
It wasn’t only MLB players who were turning heads during pool play, however. What makes the WBC so special is the chance to see players from various different countries and leagues compete against one another. There were some standout performances from players not currently in MLB who were able to leave their mark on the tournament.
