Al YellonFri, February 6, 2026 at 1:30 AM UTC·2 min readxx Cubs will leave the Sloan Park complex in early March to take part in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Here are all the North Siders who will participate.
Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong heads a three-player Cubs delegation to the USA team for the World Baseball Classic. New Cub Alex Bregman will also play for Team USA, as will left-handed starter Matthew Boyd. Former Cub Brad Keller is also on the USA team. And, former Cubs manager David Ross will be the bullpen coach for Team USA.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOther Cubs who will play in the WBC:
Seiya Suzuki will join Samurai Japan. Shōta Imanaga, though, will not pitch for his home country in this year’s WBC. Imanaga, as you might recall, started the 2023 WBC championship game for Japan against Team USA. Instead, Imanaga will stay back in Cubs spring camp, so he can take regular turns in the Cubs spring rotation.
Jameson Taillon will pitch for Team Canada. Both of Taillon’s parents were born in Canada, though the Cubs right-hander was born in Florida. Former Cub Owen Caissie, a native of suburban Toronto, will also be on the Canadian team.
Cubs minor leaguer Jonathon Long, who was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2025, will play for Chinese Taipei. Long’s mother is Taiwanese.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe right-hander most likely to be the Cubs closer this year, Daniel Palencia, will be part of the pitching staff for Venezuela’s WBC entry.
Javier Assad, who was a star for Team Mexico in the 2023 WBC, will pitch for his home country again. This season, though, he might wind up starting the year at Triple-A Iowa.
Cubs minor leaguer BJ Murray, who played for Double-A Knoxville in the Cubs system last year, will take the field for Great Britain’s WBC team. Murray was born in the Bahamas, part of the British Commonwealth.
There had been some rumors that Anthony Rizzo might play for Italy, but that’s not going to happen. Former Cub prospect Alex Maestri, who was in the organization from 2006-10 and went on pitch several seasons in Japan and Korea, will be Team Italy’s pitching coach. Team Italy will play an exhibition game against the Cubs March 3 at Sloan Park before heading to pool play in Houston.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRight-hander Yacksel Rios, who the Cubs signed to a minor-league deal this offseason, will pitch for Puerto Rico in the WBC. He pitched for the Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, A’s and Mariners from 2017-23.
Lastly, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya will compete for his home country, Panama.
You can find all the info about the WBC here, including pool groups and schedules. It all begins March 4. Personally, I’m excited. I love the WBC and so does Josh and he and I will have extensive coverage of this tournament.
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