By Merv Moore
Sports Director & Head Baseball Coach
From little league games to international tournaments, I’ve learned one universal truth about baseball: it’s a game built on momentum.
Right now, three years after that unforgettable strikeout in Miami, the momentum for the 2026 World Baseball Classic is building into a tidal wave.
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And folks, the narrative has shifted. Team USA, stung by its 2023 finals loss to Japan, isn’t just coming back to play.
Manager Mark DeRosa and GM Michael Hill are on a mission of “vengeance,” and they’ve launched a full-scale revolution to fix the one thing that has traditionally held them back: pitching.
For years, the story was that America’s best arms stayed home during the Classic. That era is over. As DeRosa said, they are dead-set on changing that narrative. The commitment started with a foundation stone: Paul Skenes.
The 2025 NL Cy Young winner isn’t just another arm; as DeRosa put it, he “changes the game.” His early commitment last May was a signal flare to every other ace in the country.
Now, the staff is loaded. They’ve added the other 2025 Cy Young winner, the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal. They’ve added the Giants’ workhorse Logan Webb.
Then, they went and built what might be the most terrifying bullpen in the tournament, adding the Padres’ Mason Miller and the clutch postseason pedigree of David Bednar.
This isn’t just a collection of All-Stars; this is a calculated assault on the tournament’s past weaknesses. In 2026, with Skenes leading a staff that features multiple current aces, Team USA will be managing to win, not just to survive.
Of course, the American lineup remains a powerhouse of its own, anchored by captain Aaron Judge and featuring young superstars like Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson.
But standing in their way, as always, is Samurai Japan. The defending champions are building their roster with the quiet confidence of a program that has perfected this event.
Their anchor, Shohei Ohtani, is back. The 2023 tournament MVP, who broke American hearts by striking out Mike Trout for the final out, remains the single most captivating force in the sport.
The big question for Japan is whether Ohtani will pitch, with his Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinting he may only hit. Yet, even without Ohtani on the mound, Japan’s pitching is formidable.
They’ve bolstered their staff with MLB arms like Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi (making his WBC debut) and Padres reliever Yuki Matsui, blending them with top stars from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
So, who’s the favorite?
It’s the ultimate clash of styles. You have Team USA, armed with a newfound pitching fury and arguably the most talented roster top-to-bottom, driven by the painful memory of coming up short.
Then you have Team Japan, the poised and proven champion, led by Ohtani, playing with a national pride that elevates their game every single March.
If you forced me to make a call today, I’d give a slight, ever-so-slight edge to Team USA. The sheer determination to fix their one flaw, combined with the early, passionate buy-in from their generation’s best pitchers, feels like a turning point.
But I’ll tell you this: watching this global showdown only fuels our mission. When I see the passion from Japan, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, it reinforces my belief in what we’re building.
The “Class of 2026” kids in our system here are the same age as the tournament. Our dream is that one day, a player from our islands will step onto that global stage and feel that same national pride.
The world is watching these giants prepare to clash. And for the first time in a while, America’s arms are ready to answer the bell.
I hope you enjoyed this preview. For more on how we’re building the future of baseball right here, follow our journey on the “Building the Coconuts” YouTube series. The game is growing everywhere.
Photo By: Johnmaxmena2 – Own work, CC BY 4.0, Link
Marvin “Merv” Moore is the head coach of the Bohol Coconuts Baseball and Softball Club. He has coached in both Europe and Asia, and helped start the Mister-Baseball and BaseballdeWorld international baseball websites.
