The 2023 World Baseball Classic is officially underway and all four pools are in action. Pool A opened play and is the first to complete its group play. Israel and Canada are the last two teams in the tournament to play their first game.
The top two teams in each pool advance to the eight-team knockout bracket. The quarterfinals run March 15-18, the semifinals are March 19 and 20, and the championship game is on March 21 at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
Aside from advancement this year, pool play is important for the next World Baseball Classic in 2026. The teams that finish in third place and fourth place in each pool do not qualify for this year’s knockout bracket, but do qualify for the 2026 tournament.
Below are the standings for each pool. Teams that clinched a spot in the knockout bracket are highlighted by three asterisks (***). The pool tiebreakers after overall win percentage are as follows: