World Baseball Classic 2026 Odds: Ohtani Leads Japan Back to Gold?

USA (+225)

It’s too early to solidify Team USA’s roster, but we can make some pretty good assumptions. Locks to make the team include Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, and Kyle Tucker. Corbin Carroll is a top prospect to play centerfield instead of Mike Trout.

Aaron Judge's go-ahead grand slam against the Red Sox in 2024 was pure ELECTRICITY⚡️#Yankees pic.twitter.com/oCzWQHrJ5G

— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) January 9, 2025

Injuries are of course important, so Trout is a question mark for the Americans. He will be 34 years old for the World Baseball Classic, and even if he’s healthy enough to play, Trout may opt to prepare for the MLB season.

Nevertheless, the USA will be stacked with power hitters in the lineup. Harper and Judge on the same roster is enough to send fear to opposing pitchers. However, a similar strong offense failed to crack Japan’s pitching in the 2023 WBC.

There are concerns that the American pitching staff can’t match Japan’s in 2026. The main uncertainty is whether Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale are interested. Skubal, who won the 2024 AL Cy Young, may opt-out heading into a contract year. Sale didn’t play in the 2023 WBC, so he’s questionable to participate.

Nevertheless, Paul Skenes offers the USA a top-flight ace in the rotation. Aside from Skenes, I don’t know if veterans such as Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Zack Wheeler will be interested, so we’ll wait on them. Logan Webb and Cole Ragans might be waiting in the wings otherwise.

Japan (+225)

Japan will be gunning for their second consecutive WBC title and fourth overall. They’ve won the championship in 2006, 2009, and 2023, for the most in WBC history. The World Baseball Championship 2026 betting odds suggest that they’re evenly matched with the US, though.

The USA and Dominican Republic have each won one championship, so they will hold their lead regardless of what happens in 2026. The Japanese players and fans back home treat the tournament as a source of pride. If their top players are healthy to play, they’ll be on the field.

The Japanese team will have the best player in baseball on their side. Barring injuries, Shohei Ohtani is the centerpiece for Team Japan. The future Hall of Famer didn’t pitch in 2024 but still won the NL MVP award for creating the 50-50 club. With a .310 average, 130 RBIs, 54 home runs, and 59 stolen bases.

6-FOR-6
THREE HOME RUNS
10 RUNS BATTED IN

SHOHEI OHTANI HAVE MERCY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VMJp9OqgjZ

— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024

Ohtani is expected to be joined by fellow Dodgers, Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Additionally, Kodai Senga, and Shota Imanaga are strong options to represent Japan’s pitching staff in the 2026 WBC. It isn’t certain Ohtani pitches, but if Japan needs him, he will likely step onto the mound.

25-year-old third baseman Munetaka Murakami is expected to make the leap across the pond to the Majors next year. He is the next great Japanese player to go from the NPB to MLB. Look for Murakami and Ohtani to be the corner piece of Japan’s offense at the dish.

Passion and motivation for Japan to win the WBC can’t be matched. They always have an extra gear in international tournaments, so Japan should be strong consideration for your 2026 World Baseball Championship betting picks!

Dominican Republic (+450)

Do not underestimate Dominican Republic baseball in international formats! There is too many power hitters from the country to discard their potential in the 2026 WBC.

The Dominican Republic should field a roster that has Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Marcell Ozuna, Rafael Devers, Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, and Jose Ramirez. Oh yeah, I didn’t forget about Manny Machado and Teoscar Hernandez, either!

Vladdy Jr. gave his former teammate Teoscar Hernández the 2024 Home Run Derby Chain 💎

Vlad, who won the #HRDerby last year, is wearing Hernández's old Blue Jays jersey pic.twitter.com/i6TZijXhA4

— MLB (@MLB) July 16, 2024

It’s an incredibly stacked roster that can put up double-digits on the board if an opposing pitching staff isn’t on point. On paper, the Dominican Republic offense is the best in this tournament. However, it doesn’t always translate to results on the baseball field.

They also had plenty of power at the 2023 WBC but fell well short of expectations. That being said, a lot of this talent has had time to develop since then, so I put the 2026 roster ahead of three years ago. The pitching isn’t as potent as the hitters, but no slouches in my mind.

Reynaldo Lopez was a beast for the Atlanta Braves in 2024. He is expected to start alongside Freddy Peralta and Framber Valdez. Not great as opposed to Japan and the USA, but certainly not that far off as some pundits would like you to believe.

Power, power, power is the name of the game for the Dominican Republic. If they are motivated to wash away the disappointment from 2023, this is a dangerous team poised to capture the WBC 2026 title!